Peter Tsai

Long-time AFS member and supporter Peter Tsai has recently received international attention for coming out of retirement to join the battle against Covid-19. As the inventor of the synthetic fabric used to make the N95 mask that is critical in protecting front-line healthcare workers and stemming the spread of coronavirus, Peter started receiving a barrage of requests in mid-March for his knowledge about the nonwoven electrostatically charged material.

With a massive global shortage of the N95 masks, scientists, engineers and clinicians primarily wanted to know: Can the material be sterilized and reused? – and – How can production be scaled up to meet demand? With a willing and curious spirit that has always defined his signature approach, Peter didn’t hesitate to leave the comforts of retirement to help answer these questions. He started working 20 hours a day and even built a lab in his own home to test his ideas.