Modified Polypropylene Nonwoven Textile for Filter Facial Masks |Biomedgrid

Coronavirus (COVID-19) the most frequently spreads from human-to-human through respiratory droplets. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the research of protective equipment, especially facial masks, increased significantly. The filtering materials of facial masks are typically nonwoven textile. These materials, initially using natural fibers, came into greater importance with the introduction of synthetic thermoplastics, particularly polypropylene (PP), which creates the basic material for nonwoven textile for facial masks production. PP is non-toxic, hydrophobic material, resistant to steam sterilization, with a good ability to be fiberized. Unfortunately, it is also relatively sensitive to microbial attacks, such as bacteria, viruses, and mould [1,2]. Therefore, a less microbially sensitive chlorinated polypropylene derivative (CPP) was electrospun and tested for production of nonwoven masking fibers. CPP is also non-toxic, tasteless, hydrophobic, yellowish thermoplastic polymer with the higher resistance to oxidation and steam sterilization.