Development of Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Viral Nonwoven Surgical Masks for Medical Applications

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the development of surgical masks for medical applications by incorporating biocidal silver nanoparticles. Medical masks were developed in three layers of a nonwoven fabric, where the outer and inner layers were made of a spun-bond polypropylene nonwoven fabric and the middle layer con¬sisted of a melt-blown nonwoven polypropylene fabric. In this study, silver nanoparticles in the concentrations of 1–5% were applied to masks with the pad-dry-cure method. The samples were cured at room temperature and subsequently examined for antimicrobial properties. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the morphological charac¬teristics and chemical composition of the samples. Microbial cleanliness, bacterial filtration efficiency, antiviral effect and breathability tests were performed according to standard test protocols. The results revealed that the application of silver nanoparticles to a three-layer mask rendered the end product with outstanding anti¬microbial and antiviral properties with poor breathability (air permeability) results.

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Novel Chemical Solution Method as Antibacterial Applied on Cosmetic Cotton Balls

“…These particles also have many applications in different fields such as medical imaging, nano composites, filters, drug delivery and hyperthermia of tumors [62,63]. Silver nanoparticles have drawn the attention of researchers due to their extensive applications in areas such as integrated circuits [64] sensors, biolabeling, filters [65], antimicrobial deodorant fibers, cell electrodes, low-cost paper batteries (silver nanowires; [68] and antimicrobials [20,66,67,69].…”

“…As antibacterial agents, AgNPs were applied in a wide range of applications from disinfecting medical devices and home appliances to water treatment. One use of silver ion or metallic silver as well as silver nanoparticles can be exploited in medicine for burn treatment, dental materials, coating stainless steel materials, water treatment, and sunscreen lotions [69].…”

A Review of the Fabrication Methods, Testing, and Performance of Face Masks

“…It was only used to protect from the blood and blood splashes of patients, and it does not protect them from infection. Moreover, the patients were protected from the droplets of coughing and sneezing of doctors during operation time [48,49].…”