With the worldwide pandemic came the need to understand not only standardized masks but also those that are used every day in the medical field. A lot of people are looking for the best coverage when it comes to COVID, and we understand. However, not everyone needs to have a surgical mask to protect them from this airborne virus. Let’s take a closer look at surgical masks and what type of mask would protect you best.
How are Surgical Masks Made?
A surgical face mask is made with non-woven fabric. It has intense bacteria filtration and is designed to stay in place for long periods of time. The most common material used for these masks is polypropylene (20 or 25 grams per square meter in density). They can also be made of polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or polyester.
All 20 gsm masks are created through a spun-bond process. This will involve extruding the melted plastic onto a conveyor. It is extruded in a web in which the strands bond with one another and cool.
For 25 gsm the fabric is created through a melt-blown technology. This process would be similar to where plastic is extruded through a die that contains hundreds of small nozzles. They are blown by hot air and transform into tiny fibers. The cooling and binding are conducted on a conveyor. All the fibers will measure less than a micron in diameter.
All surgical masks contain multi-layers. There will be a layer of textile that is covered by non-woven bonded fabric on each side. The non-woven layers are cheaper and cleaner to make due to their disposable nature. These are made with three to four layers. They will have two filter layers to effectively filtrate particles that are above 1 micron. The filtration level will all depend on the fiber and the way that it is manufactured.
Typically, masks are made on a machine line. This line will assemble the nonwovens from bobbins and then ultrasonically weld the layers together. It will then be finished with a nose strip, ear loops, and any other pieces that are required. All masks will be sterilized before they leave the factory.
What are Surgical Masks Used for?
They are called surgical masks for a reason. These masks are designed to be worn in a sterile environment. They help prevent germs from the mouth and nose from contaminating a patient during surgery.
While these masks are designed to care for a sterile environment, they are not designed to filter out viruses. Many people during the worldwide pandemic have turned to surgical masks but for the wrong reasons.
These masks are not built to deal with Covid 19. If you are looking for the best mask to protect you from viruses you should try Brilliance Air. Their masks are designed with 3 layers to protect you from airborne pathogens.
Brilliance Air Masks
Brilliance Air masks are made out of spun-bond polypropylene and are latex-free. They are similar to a surgical mask in the type of material that is used to create them. However, Brilliance Air masks are Medical/ASTM Level 3 face masks.
Each mask contains:
- Outer Layer – Soft non-woven polypropylene spun-bond fabric.
- Middle Layer – Polypropylene melt is blown fabric
- Inner Layer – Soft non-woven polypropylene spun-bond fabric.
- Ear Loops – Created from a nylon-spandex blend.
- Nose Wire – Helps hold the mask in place.
- Disinfectant – Each mask is sanitized individually by UVC chamber.
People immediately started buying up all the surgical masks that they could find. However, this was not a good tactic as it left many hospitals without the supplies that they needed. Plus, surgical masks are not the answer to protecting you against Covid. If you are looking for a mask to help protect you against air-borne pathogens, we recommend giving Brilliance Air a try.