Polymer Materials for Respiratory Protection: Processing, End Use, and Testing Methods

Armentano, Ilaria; Barbanera, Marco; Carota, Eleonora; Crognale, Silvia; Marconi, Marco; Rossi, Stefano; Rubino, G.; Scungio, Mauro; Taborri, Juri; Calabrò, G.

doi:10.1021/acsapm.0c01151

Cited by 54 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 156 publications

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“…Although polymers are widely used, they have some shortcomings, such as lack of good viral filtration efficiency, bacterial filtration efficiency, particulate filtration efficiency, and breathing comfort due to increased breathing resistance. So polymer blends of natural and synthetic additives are applied to increase the performance, efficiency, and safety of air filters and masks [ 52 ]. Chitosan, alginate, collagen, gelatin, silk fibroin, keratin, prolamin-based protein, silver nanoparticles, and natural extracts are also used to fabricate face masks.…”

Section: Materials and Methods Used In Manufacturing Face Masksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Face Masks to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Processing, Roles, Requirements, Efficacy, Risk and Sustainability

Rahman

Hoque²,

Alam

et al. 2022

Polymers

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Increasingly prevalent respiratory infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19) have posed severe threats to public health. Viruses including coronavirus, influenza, and so on can cause respiratory infections. A pandemic may potentially emerge owing to the worldwide spread of the virus through persistent human-to-human transmission. However, transmission pathways may vary; respiratory droplets or airborne virus-carrying particles can have a key role in transmitting infections to humans. In conjunction with social distancing, hand cleanliness, and other preventative measures, the use of face masks is considered to be another scientific approach to combat ubiquitous coronavirus. Different types of face masks are produced using a range of materials (e.g., polypropylene, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester and polyethylene) and manufacturing techniques (woven, knitted, and non-woven) that provide different levels of protection to the users. However, the efficacy and proper disposal/management of the used face masks, particularly the ones made of non-biodegradable polymers, pose great environmental concerns. This review compiles the recent advancements of face masks, covering their requirements, materials and techniques used, efficacy, challenges, risks, and sustainability towards further enhancement of the quality and performance of face masks.

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Section: Materials and Methods Used In Manufacturing Face Masksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Face Masks to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Processing, Roles, Requirements, Efficacy, Risk and Sustainability

Rahman

Hoque²,

Alam

et al. 2022

Polymers

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“…Face masks provide a physical barrier to reduce person-to-person virus transmission, which mostly originates from the respiratory microdroplets subsequent to sneezing and coughing (De Stefano et al 2020 ). The face masks composed of polymeric materials have been specially useful to prevent the number of infectious viruses or bacteria in exhaled breath (Armentano et al 2021 ). They are composed of a series of non-woven layers designed to avoid the passage of bacteria and viruses in both directions thanks to their tailored pore-geometry and large specific surface area able to block the viruses (Zhu et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Disposable surgical masks are typically made of three layers of non-woven fabrics (Armentano et al 2021 ). The first layer prevents fluids carrier penetration, the second layer retains viruses and the inner third layer absorbs fluids from the user (Wibisono et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Upcycling discarded cellulosic surgical masks into catalytically active freestanding materials

et al. 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has resulted in the massive fabrication of disposable surgical masks. As the accumulation of discarded face masks represents a booming threat to the environment, here we propose a solution to reuse and upcycle surgical masks according to one of the cornerstones of the circular economy. Specifically, the non-woven cellulosic layer of the masks is used as an environmentally sustainable and highly porous solid support for the controlled deposition of catalytically active metal-oxide nanoparticles. The native cellulosic fibers from the surgical masks are decorated by titanium dioxide (TiO2), iron oxide (FexOy), and cobalt oxide (CoOx) nanoparticles following a simple and scalable approach. The abundant surface –OH groups of cellulose enable the controlled deposition of metal-oxide nanoparticles that are photocatalytically active or shown enzyme-mimetic activities. Importantly, the hydrophilic highly porous character of the cellulosic non-woven offers higher accessibility of the pollutant to the catalytically active surfaces and high retention in its interior. As a result, good catalytic activities with long-term stability and reusability are achieved. Additionally, developed free-standing hybrids avoid undesired media contamination effects originating from the release of nanoscale particles. The upcycling of discarded cellulosic materials, such as the ones of masks, into high-added-value catalytic materials, results an efficient approach to lessen the waste´s hazards of plastics while enhancing their functionality. Interestingly, this procedure can be extended to the upcycling of other systems (cellulosic or not), opening the path to greener manufacturing approaches of catalytic materials. Graphical abstract A novel approach to upcycle discarded cellulosic surgical masks is proposed, providing a solution to reduce the undesired accumulation of discarded face masks originating from the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-woven cellulosic layer formed by fibers is used as solid support for the controlled deposition of catalytically active titanium dioxide (TiO2), iron oxide (FexOy), and cobalt oxide (CoOx) nanoparticles. Cellulosic porous materials are proven useful for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic dyes, while their peroxidase-like activity opens the door to advanced applications such as electrochemical sensors. The upcycling of cellulose nonwoven fabrics into value-added catalytic materials lessens the waste´s hazards of discarded materials while enhancing their functionality.

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“…The recent worldwide pandemic has led to significant demands and interests in efficient polymer filters for the protection against airborne nanoparticles. − Among the polymer filters, the nonwoven polypropylene (PP) filter is the most commonly used one due to its high chemical and thermal stability as well as excellent flexibility and breathability. , Despite those advantages, simple nonwoven PP filters have several limitations. First, the filtration efficiency of a single-layer PP filter is not high enough, especially against nanometer-sized particles. − Second, it is challenging to sterilize or reuse the PP filters due to their limited thermal and chemical stability .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrathin Polydopamine-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Coatings on Polymer Filters with Improved Filtration Performance and Functionalities

Kasbe

Gade

Liu

et al. 2021

ACS Appl. Bio Mater.

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Thin polymer fiber mats, in particular those made of nonwoven polypropylene (PP) fibers, are extensively used for medical and industrial filtration. The recent pandemic has increased the demand for the fabrication of protective masks. The nonwoven PP filter has limitations in filtration efficiency and lacks advanced functionalities. Here, we propose a simple, effective, and low-cost method to functionalize PP filters and endow antimicrobial and photothermal properties. Our approach is based on the deposition of an ultrathin hybrid coating composed of graphene oxide (GO) and polydopamine on the surface of PP filters by spraycoating. The complementary properties and synergic effects of GO and polydopamine in the ultrathin coating improved the filtration efficiency of the PP filter by 20% with little change in pressure drop. Single component coatings did not result in similar improvements in performance. The ultrathin coating also makes the surface of the filter more hydrophilic with negative charges. The photothermal property of GO enables a rapid temperature increase of the surface-coated filter upon light irradiation for easy sterilization. Furthermore, cationic polymer brushes can be grafted to the ultrathin hybrid coating, which adds the highly desired antimicrobial property to the PP filters for their more effective protection against microorganisms.

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Polymer Materials for Respiratory Protection: Processing, End Use, and Testing Methods

Cited by 54 publications

References 156 publications

Face Masks to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Processing, Roles, Requirements, Efficacy, Risk and Sustainability

Face Masks to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Processing, Roles, Requirements, Efficacy, Risk and Sustainability

Upcycling discarded cellulosic surgical masks into catalytically active freestanding materials

Ultrathin Polydopamine-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Coatings on Polymer Filters with Improved Filtration Performance and Functionalities

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