Extending the Protection Ability and Life Cycle of Medical Masks through the Washing Process

The reuse of decontaminated disposable medical face masks can contribute to reducing the environmental burden of discarded masks. This research is focused on the effect of household and laboratory washing at 50 °C on the quality and functionality of the nonwoven structure of polypropylene medical ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Materials 2023-02, Vol.16 (3), p.1247
Main Authors: Volmajer Valh, Julija, Pušić, Tanja, Čurlin, Mirjana, Knežević, Ana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aesthetics
Antiseptics
Contact angle
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Decontamination
Disease transmission
Disinfection & disinfectants
Efficiency
Heat
Investigations
Laboratories
Masks
Microorganisms
Pandemics
Permeability
Reagents
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Sodium
Surface active agents
Surfactants
Textiles
Washers & dryers
Washing
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Summary:The reuse of decontaminated disposable medical face masks can contribute to reducing the environmental burden of discarded masks. This research is focused on the effect of household and laboratory washing at 50 °C on the quality and functionality of the nonwoven structure of polypropylene medical masks by varying the washing procedure, bath composition, disinfectant agent, and number of washing cycles as a basis for reusability. The barrier properties of the medical mask were analyzed before and after the first and fifth washing cycle indirectly by measuring the contact angle of the liquid droplets with the front and back surface of the mask, further by measuring air permeability and determining antimicrobial resistance. Additional analysis included FTIR, pH of the material surface and aqueous extract, as well as the determination of residual substances-surfactants-in the aqueous extract of washed versus unwashed medical masks, while their aesthetic aspect was examined by measuring their spectral characteristics. The results showed that household washing had a stronger impact on the change of some functional properties, primarily air permeability, than laboratory washing. The addition of the disinfectant agent, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, contributes to the protective ability and supports the idea that washing of medical masks under controlled conditions can preserve barrier properties and enable reusability.
ISSN:1996-1944
1996-1944
DOI:10.3390/ma16031247