The data showed that the market size of melt-blown non-woven fabric was over $8 billion in 2020 and was estimated to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.5% from 2021 to 2027.
The melt-blown non-woven fabric, whose fiber diameter is 0.5 to 10 microns, is produced by extruding melted polymer fibers to have good filtration, shield, oil absorption, and thermal insulation. Nowadays, melt-blown non-woven fabric is widely used as an air or liquid filtration material, especially for producing disposable surgical face masks.
If you are still puzzled by the function that the melt-blown non-woven fabric acts in surgical masks, this article will guide you to figure out how essential it is, especially for disposable surgical masks.
The Function of Melt-Blown Non-Woven Fabric
Before introducing the function of melt-blown non-woven fabric, let’s clear the structure of disposable surgical masks. Normally, the disposable surgical mask composes three layers, which include:
- The inner layer with non-woven fabric.
- The middle layer with melt-blown non-woven fabric.
- The out layer with non-woven fabric.
The inner and outer layers with non-woven fabrics have limited particle filtration efficiency. However, the melt-blown non-woven fabric, as a core material of face masks, determines whether the surgical mask made is qualified to a large extent. The melt-blown non-woven fabric has the following functions:
- Electrostatic adsorption of particles.
- Capture and filter solid and liquid aerosols.
- Non-oily particle filtration.
- Bacterial filtration.
- Interception
- Breathability
The Test Standard of Melt-Blown Non-Woven Fabric
The melt-blown non-woven fabric has a finer fiber structure than other types of non-woven fabrics, and therefore it has better trapping properties for tiny particles. The use of melt-blown non-woven fabric in surgical masks with good processing performance will have better filtration efficiency. The main test properties of melt-blown non-woven fabric for surgical masks are as follows[2]:
- Appearance quality inspection: odors, impurities, holes, micro holes, melts, crystalline points, width deviation, stiff wires, sparse mesh, unreinforced area, color difference, and joint quality.
- Intrinsic quality testing: longitudinal fracture strength, mass deviation rate per unit area, longitudinal and transverse fracture elongation, transverse fracture strength, hydrostatic pressure, and permeability.
- Microbiological indicator testing: total fungal colonies, total bacterial colonies, coliforms, pathogenic septic bacteria.
Moreover, if you are in the market to find a capable surgical mask provider, you should not only check the quality of melt-blown non-woven fabric the manufacturer offers but also investigate whether its products are produced under rigorous standards. The common test items for each national disposable surgical mask are listed as follows.
Chinese Standard: YY0469[1] | CE Standard: EN 14683[2] | American Standard: ASTM F2100[3] |
BFE≥95% (Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) | BFE≥95% | BFE≥95% |
PFE＞30% (Particle Filtration Efficiency) | PFE≥95%
| PFE≥95%
|
Differential Pressure≤49 PA | Differential Pressure: 5.0 max | Differential Pressure: 6.0 max |
Fluid Resistance to Synthetic Blood＞120 | Fluid Resistance to Synthetic Blood＞80 | Fluid Resistance to Synthetic Blood ＞80 |
Flame Spread: 5 seconds | / | Flame Spread: 3 seconds |
Conclusion
Melt-blown non-woven fabric has a strong ability to adsorb particles not only because of its superior characteristics but also it is tested under strict standards. To mention that melt-blown non-woven fabrics are not only essential elements for disposable surgical face masks, they also play a key role in other effective face masks, including FFP2 face masks and KN95 face masks. Thus, if you want to own the best surgical mask and other effective face masks, you should pay more attention to the quality of melt-blown non-woven fabric the mask uses.
We at ZHENG KANG are an expert in manufacturing high effectiveness disposable surgical face masks with qualified melt-blown non-woven fabric. Our surgical masks are designed in BFE more than 98% and PFE more than 94%. With our ergonomically designed masks, you will feel comfortable and breathable throughout the whole user experience. Thus, if you are enthusiastic about our surgical face masks, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our professional sales team is dedicated to assisting you at any time.
