Both are PP non-woven masks, some don't deform after wearing for a day, while others collapse after half a day: what's the difference?
Have you ever encountered such a frustrating situation - opening a new mask just before going out in the morning, wearing it until the afternoon, the mask sticking to your face, the nose bridge no longer in shape, and the mask sliding down when speaking, wishing to use transparent adhesive on your face.
My colleague bought the same mask as you on the same day, and after wearing it all day, it still looks neat and stylish, and can still stand up when taken off.
Why is there such a big difference between PP non-woven masks?
Today, let's take a look at this' mask mysticism '.
Where did the mask that collapsed in half a day collapse?
It's not the entire mask that collapsed, it's the 'skeleton' that collapsed.
A mask is not a piece of cloth, it is a three-layer structure called a 'little burger':
-Outer layer: spunbond non-woven fabric, responsible for preventing droplets, waterproofing, and also serving as the "facade" and "skeleton" of a mask
- Intermediate layer : Meltblown fabric, responsible for filtering viruses, is the "heart" of the mask
-Inner layer: skin friendly non-woven fabric, attached to your face, responsible for moisture absorption and comfort
You feel like the mask has' collapsed ', and 90% of the pot has to be thrown onto the outer layer of spunbond non-woven fabric.
The outer layer of a low-quality mask is made of thin and translucent fabric, and the gaps can be seen with the naked eye, like a layer of yarn. With a little force, it can tear without any tension. Wearing it loosely on the face, it doesn't fit at all. This type of mask starts to deform after wearing it for two hours, not just for a day.
The outer layer of a good mask feels tight and firm, with muscles and bones that are not easily deformed by repeated pulling and pulling.
Why is the difference so big for the same PP?
They are all made of polypropylene, and the difference lies in three places.
Firstly, the raw materials. A good mask is made of brand new PP material - pure new polypropylene particles, with tight and tough fibers that are resistant to pulling. Poor quality masks are made of recycled PP material, which has fine fibers, loose adhesion, extremely poor toughness, and can break with a little force. The cost of raw materials is several times higher, and the feeling of wearing it on the face is naturally several times lower.
Secondly, the weight. Gram weight refers to the weight of non-woven fabric per square meter. The non-woven fabric used for disposable masks usually weighs between 20-40g/㎡. In this range, the higher the weight, the thicker, firmer, and more durable the fabric. Some masks that cut corners may only weigh a dozen grams, can they not collapse?
Thirdly, the craftsmanship. The mainstream process for outer non-woven fabric is spunbond method - filament bonding, with strong fiber toughness, resistance to pulling and deformation. But for spunbond, if the parameters such as temperature, pressure, and cooling rate are not controlled properly, the resulting fabric will either be too brittle and prone to cracking, or too soft and prone to collapse. Large factories have a mature system of process parameters, while small workshops rely solely on "just about the same".
The middle layer 'heart' is not functioning properly, and the mask is also worn for nothing
The outer layer determines whether the mask is stiff or not, while the middle layer of meltblown fabric determines whether the mask is effective or not.
Legitimate meltblown fabric should use specialized meltblown material with a melting point of 1500, and then undergo polarization treatment - to "charge" the fibers and absorb small particles by static electricity. Untreated meltblown fabric has a filtration efficiency of only 40-50%, which does not meet the protection standards at all.
Poor quality meltblown fabrics use ordinary fiber materials instead of specialized materials, with thicker fibers and larger pores. For example, regular meltblown fabric can catch loaches, while inferior ones can only catch sharks - the mesh is too large, and the small ones all leak through.
Moreover, low-quality meltblown fabrics often do not undergo polarization treatment, saving around 10000 yuan per ton of cost. The filtering efficiency of the mask made is similar to that of a layer of gauze.
How to choose a mask that can hold up?
Firstly, pinch it. The outer layer of a good mask has a "muscle and bone feeling", and it won't feel soft and limp when pinched. Poor quality masks feel loose and have obvious hard spots, and they become fuzzy when rubbed.
Secondly, pull it. Gently tug on the surface layer of the mask. Good masks have elasticity and toughness, while inferior ones can deform or even tear with just one pull.
Thirdly, take a look. Looking at the packaging, qualified masks produced by legitimate manufacturers have clear production licenses, implementation standards, and production dates. Those with simple packaging and incomplete information will be passed directly.
**Fourthly, smell it. **Poor quality masks may have a pungent odor. Even if a good mask has a slight odor, it is still the smell of polypropylene itself, which quickly dissipates after ventilation.
In conclusion
How long a mask can be worn without deformation is a combination of three factors: raw materials, weight, and craftsmanship. Large factories are willing to use good materials and control processes, while small workshops can save as much as possible and steal as much as possible.
Next time you buy a mask, don't just focus on the price. Spending a few cents more to buy a "durable" one is much more cost-effective than saving a few cents to buy one that will collapse after two hours of wearing.
After all, a mask not only needs to be able to block the virus, but also needs to be able to stand on the face - don't you think so?
Dongguan Liansheng Non woven Technology Co., Ltd. was established in May 2020. It is a large-scale non-woven fabric production enterprise integrating research and development, production, and sales. It can produce various colors of PP spunbond non-woven fabrics with a width of less than 3.2 meters from 9 grams to 300 grams.