Aries Donates Face Masks for NC State University Spring 2021 Commencement
RALEIGH, N.C.: Aries, maker of face masks and barrier face coverings, announced it is donating 12,000 of its face masks for graduates and attendees to wear at the NC State University commencement on May 15. The company, founded in 2020 by entrepreneur Chris Evans, worked with NC State’s Nonwovens Institute (NWI) to source and make proprietary changes to a novel, innovative spunbond textile developed by Behnam Pourdeyhimi, the Nonwovens Institute’s executive director.
“NC State is proud to show our graduates the advancement that is born from our university,” said Louis Hunt, NC State’s senior vice provost. “The innovation, at both NWI and Aries, serves as an inspiration to us all and especially for tomorrow’s leaders.”
The new Aries mask is one of the first on the market to combine comfort and fit with a high-filtration, breathable design that meets the ASTM F3502 international standard for barrier face coverings. The mask is made with fabric that includes Ingeo™, a bioplastic with a smaller carbon footprint than petroleum-based polymers, making it one of the most sustainable masks on the market. The fabric used in Aries masks, called Captur™, is made at the LINC facility at NC State. Each mask is designed to last for 40-hours, or a typical 5-day work week. All mask components are manufactured in the United States.
“The fabric that was developed at the Nonwovens Institute gave us a great foundation for a mask that breathes like cotton while offering medical-grade filtration,” Evans said. “We want to make sure our wearers are both protected and comfortable, whether at work or in a stadium full of graduates.”
Evans co-founded the Wolfpack Investor Network and currently serves on the NC State Entrepreneurs Advisory Board and Chancellor’s Innovation Fund selection committee.
"The Nonwovens Institute has worked tirelessly to provide filtration media during the pandemic,” Pourdeyhimi said. “In addition to being part of this year’s historic graduation ceremonies, we are proud that we have provided enough filter media to produce more than 200 million masks during the pandemic."
