What Are the Differences Between Disposable Masks and Disposable Medical Masks?
May 25, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Guo Xiheng
Introduction
Disposable masks are not necessarily medical protective masks.
Differences in material composition: Disposable masks are typically made of double-layer non-woven fabric weighing 28 g/m². In contrast, medical masks are generally composed of one or multiple layers of non-woven fabric.
Differences in manufacturing processes: Key production processes for medical masks include melt-blown, spunbond, thermal bonding, or needle-punching technologies. These processes endow medical masks with properties such as liquid resistance, particulate filtration, and bacterial filtration—making them specialized medical protective textiles.
As the pandemic evolves, we must all take protective measures in daily life—especially by wearing masks. There are many types of masks available; what, then, are the differences between disposable masks and disposable medical masks?
What Are the Differences Between Disposable Masks and Disposable Medical Masks?
A disposable mask is not necessarily a medical-grade protective mask. Characteristics: Disposable masks are typically made of double-layer non-woven fabric weighing 28 g/m². In contrast, medical masks are generally composed of one or more layers of non-woven fabric. Manufacturing Process Differences: Key production processes for medical masks include melt-blown, spunbond, hot-air bonding, or needle-punching technologies. These processes endow medical masks with properties such as resistance to liquids, particle filtration, and bacterial filtration—making them specialized medical protective textiles.
Disposable three-layer masks are manufactured using medical-grade sanitary specialty-fiber non-woven fabric (two outer layers) with an intermediate layer of melt-blown filter fabric exhibiting >99% antibacterial efficacy. The layers are ultrasonically welded together. Performance: Under airflow conditions of 85 ± 2 L/min, these masks achieve >95% filtration efficiency against sodium chloride aerosol particles with an aerodynamic median diameter of 0.24 ± 0.06 µm—meeting or exceeding N95 (or FFP2) standards. They effectively block airborne transmission of infectious agents smaller than 5 µm in diameter and provide protection during close contact with pathogens transmitted via respiratory droplets.
By contrast, standard disposable masks offer suboptimal isolation performance and cannot effectively prevent infection by the novel coronavirus. We hope this explanation proves helpful!
