Did You Choose the Right Non-Woven Mask?(Part 1)

Common masks include the following types: ordinary cotton masks, disposable masks (such as medical surgical masks, ordinary medical masks), and medical protective masks (N95/KN95 masks).

Among them, medical protective masks (N95/KN95 masks) and medical surgical masks are medical products that have obtained national regulatory management after SARS in 2003, and have the function of blocking the passage of liquid and droplet particles. If worn correctly, it can effectively prevent droplet-borne diseases, and is our first choice for masks. They are usually made of multiple layers of non-woven fabric.

Medical protective masks should comply with China's GB 19083-2010 mandatory standards, with a filtration efficiency of ≥95% (using non-oily particles for testing). It is required to pass the synthetic blood penetration test (to prevent body fluids from splashing) and meet the microbiological indicators.

N95 mask is one of the nine anti-particulate masks certified by NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health). "N" means non-oily particles (the fume produced by cooking is oily particles, while the droplets produced by people talking or coughing are not oily). "95" means that the filtration efficiency reaches 95% under the testing conditions specified by the NIOSH standard.  In addition, this kind of mask has a good fit to the wearer's face, can filter particles in the air, block pollutants such as droplets, blood, body fluids, and secretions, and is a commonly used personal protective equipment for airborne diseases.

N95 is not a specific product name. As long as the products meet the N95 standard and pass the NIOSH review, they can be called "N95 masks".

Microorganisms are non-oily particles. In the classification of anti-particulate masks in the US NIOSH standard, the N type is suitable for filtering non-oily particulates. For example, the oily fume produced by cooking is oily particles, while the droplets produced by people talking or coughing are not oily.

In China, it is the national standard KN95, which refers to the classification of non-oily particulate masks in China's national standard GB2626-2006. KN category is suitable for filtering non-oily particulate matter. The numerical part is the same in the two countries. 95 refers to the filtration efficiency ≥ 95%.

The above three standard filtration efficiency test methods are the same, so the filtration efficiency levels are the same.

In addition, there are European standard FFP2 (oily and non-oily particulate matter protection, with virus and bacteria protection, with a filtration rate of about 94%-95%) and European standard FFP3 (oily and non-oily particulate matter protection, with virus and bacteria protection, filtration The rate is about 99%).

Medical surgical masks are commonly used medical masks in operating rooms and other environments where there is a risk of body fluids and blood splashing. They can block blood and body fluids from passing through the mask and contaminate the wearer. At the same time, the filtration efficiency of bacteria is more than 95%, but the filtration efficiency of particles is limited. And most of them are rectangular designs, and the tightness with the face is not as tight as medical protective masks. Common medical surgical masks include strap-on type and ear-hook type.

The information is provided by KN95 mask manufacturer.