Aerosol Filtration Testing of Fabrics for Development of Reusable Face Masks

• Published in: Aerosol and Air Quality Research Vol. 21; no. 9; pp. 1 - 21+ap1-10-001
• Main Authors: Stan, Adrian, Steiner, Sandro, Majeed, Shoaib, Weber, Sandra Schorderet, Gosh, Samik, Semren, Tanja Živković, Guy, Philippe Alexandre, Lebrun, Stefan, Steinhauser, Jérôme, Tardy, Yanik, Hogg, Andreas, Chiquet, Sophie, Perret, Jean-Luc, Kuczaj, Arkadiusz, Peitsch, Manuel, Hoeng, Julia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taoyuan City 社團法人台灣氣膠研究學會 01.09.2021; Taiwan Association of Aerosol Research
• Subjects: Aerosols; Assemblies; Coronaviruses; Cotton; COVID-19; Design criteria; Disease transmission; Efficiency; Fabrics; Face; Filtration; Hydrophobicity; Masks; Medical equipment; Medical personnel; Pandemics; Particle size; Particle size distribution; Personal protective equipment; Population; Public health; Respiratory diseases; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Size distribution; Social distancing; Spectrometers; Statistical analysis; Supply chains; Viral diseases; United States > US; Text mining; Hydrophobic coating; Pressure drop; Fractional aerosol particle size-selective filtration; Face mask
• ISSN: 1680-8584; 2071-1409
• DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.210052

The ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), triggered by the rapid community spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has brought forward the need for speedy testing and manufacturing of respiratory face masks for global use. Overwhelmed by the fast-growing demand for disposable face masks, many governments have recommended the use of, and elaborated design criteria for, reusable face masks that are meant to slow down the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population. Using aerosol particle size spectrometers, we performed particle size distribution measurements and calculated the fractional aerosol particle size-selective filtration efficiencies of over 300 fabrics and fabric-assemblies, including chiffon, cotton, synthetics, and various promising layered combinations. We suggest, and experimentally verify, a simple way for estimating the aerosol filtration efficiency of layered fabrics. The analysis herein investigates the relationship between the breathability and filtration properties of fabrics, assemblies of fabrics, and commercial reusable masks from various regions around the globe. In addition, we demonstrate how a hydrophobic coating can provide a statistically significant increase in the fabrics' filtration efficiency. The insights of this work are crucial to developing non-woven, high-filtration-performance, reusable face masks that can be worn for extended periods of time.