Efficiency of Other Materials for Homemade Masks

Submitted by Dale on Sat, 05/30/2020 - 17:28

Despite homemade mask use in a number of areas of the world there has not been a lot of research. As I continued my research into the efficiency of these types of masks, I found some recent work that may expand your knowledge of a variety of materials. It also contrasts these materials with professional masks. The paper titled, "Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks" was published in April 2020. The authors tested a variety of materials that could be used for a homemade mask. They then contrasted the results with the N95 and surgical masks. The 80 thread-count or threads per inch (TPI) is about what would be found in a 100 cotton T-shirt mentioned in my previous posting. The various materials and their efficiencies are found in Table 1 (yellow highlights are mine). Some of these materials did quite well achieving the better result with a higher layer count or denser weave. Whether making your own mask or buying one, pay careful attention to the material and construction. Otherwise, it is like not wearing a mask at all.

Table showing the Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks
Table 1 Source: Konda, A., Prakash, A., Moss, G. A., Schmoldt, M., Grant, G. D., & Guha, S. (2020)


Source: Konda, A., Prakash, A., Moss, G. A., Schmoldt, M., Grant, G. D., & Guha, S. (2020). Aerosol filtration efficiency of common fabrics used in respiratory cloth masks. ACS nano, 14(5), 6339-6347.


 

Blog tags

Add new comment