What is the difference between activated carbon masks and medical masks?

Activated carbon mask is a mask that uses activated carbon as a filter material. Its adsorption capacity is very strong. It can adsorb harmful gases, liquids or impurities in the air on the surface of the activated carbon mask, but it has no protection against viral infections. The outer layer of the medical mask is anti-splashing, the middle layer has a filtering effect, the inner layer can absorb moisture, and has a 90% barrier effect for particles above 6 μm, which is equivalent to resistance to liquids, filtered particles and bacteria.

Activated carbon masks are masks that use activated carbon as a filter material, and can be divided into different types according to their shapes, materials, and processes. Applicable to electronic manufacturing, dust-free workshops, catering services, food processing, schools, spray processing, stamping hardware, electroplating, chemicals, steel, electric welding sites, health centers, hospitals, beauty, pharmaceuticals, factories, construction sites, mines Field, clean environment, public places and many other uses.

Medical masks are a kind of textiles for medical protection. They are made of one or more layers of nonwoven fabrics. The main production processes include meltblown, spunbond, hot air or needle punching. They are resistant to liquids, filter particles and bacteria. utility.

There are four layers of activated carbon masks, which are divided into PP non-woven fabric, activated carbon cloth (which can filter and purify odors), high-efficiency filter cloth (this is an electrostatically processed filter layer, which can effectively prevent the intrusion of bacteria and dust), and needling cotton.

The medical mask is composed of a mask face and a tightening belt. The mask face is divided into inner, middle and outer layers. The inner layer is skin-friendly (general hygienic gauze or non-woven fabric), and the middle layer is an isolation filter layer (ultra-fine polypropylene) Fiber melt-blown material layer), the outer layer is a special material antibacterial layer (non-woven fabric or ultra-thin polypropylene melt-blown material layer).

Activated carbon masks are suitable for occasions containing organic gases, acid volatiles, pesticides, SO2, Cl2 and other irritating gases, with significant anti-toxic and deodorizing effects. It can effectively prevent the flying dust below 5μm and various germs transmitted by the respiratory tract that ordinary masks cannot work. It is an ideal protective product for medical enterprises, chemical enterprises, spray shops, leather industry, and sanitation units.

According to performance characteristics and application scope, medical masks can be divided into: medical protective masks, medical surgical masks, and ordinary medical masks.

1. Medical protective mask

Medical protective masks are suitable for the protection of airborne respiratory tract infectious diseases by medical staff and related staff. It is a close-fitting self-priming filter medical protection article with a high protection level, especially suitable for contact with airborne transmission during diagnosis and treatment activities Or worn by patients with respiratory infections spread by droplets at close range. It can filter the particles in the air, block droplets, blood, body fluids, secretion droplets, etc., which are disposable products. Medical protective masks can prevent most pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. WHO recommends that medical personnel use protective masks against particles to prevent viral infections in hospital air.

Medical protective masks comply with the GB19083-2003 "Technical Requirements for Medical Protective Masks" standard. Important technical indicators include non-oily particle filtration efficiency and airflow resistance. The specific indicators are as follows:

1) Filtration efficiency: Under the condition of air flow (85±2) L/min, the filtration efficiency of the aerodynamic median diameter (0.24±0.06) μm sodium chloride aerosol is not less than 95%, which is in accordance with N95 ( Or FFP2) and above. It can block airborne infection factors with a diameter of less than 5 μm or close contact with infection factors transmitted by droplets.

2) Inhalation resistance: Under the above flow conditions, the inhalation resistance does not exceed 343.2Pa (35mmH2O).

3) For the samples sprayed on the mask under the pressure of 10.9Kpa (80mmHg), no technical indicators such as penetration should appear on the inside of the mask.

4) The nose mask must be equipped with a nose clip, which is made of a bendable plastic material and has a length of >8.5cm.

5) Synthetic blood is sprayed towards the mask sample at a pressure of 10.7kPa (80mmHg), there should be no penetration inside the mask.

2. Medical surgical mask

Medical surgical masks are suitable for the basic protection of medical staff or related personnel, as well as protection against blood, body fluids and splashes during invasive operation. The protection level is medium and has the best respiratory protection performance. It is mainly worn in clean environments with a cleanliness of less than 100,000 grades, working in the operating room, nursing patients with low immune function and performing body cavity puncture and other operations. Medical surgical masks can block most bacteria and some viruses, prevent medical personnel from being infected, and also prevent the direct discharge of microorganisms carried by medical personnel's breath, posing a threat to patients undergoing surgery. Medical surgical masks require the filtration efficiency of bacteria to be above 95%. Disposable medical surgical masks should also be distributed to suspicious respiratory patients to prevent the threat of infection to other hospital personnel and reduce the risk of cross-infection, but to avoid infections that are not as effective as medical protective masks.

It complies with YY0469-2004 "Technical Requirements for Medical Surgical Masks", and important technical indicators include filtration efficiency, bacterial filtration efficiency and respiratory resistance. The specific indicators are as follows:

1) Filtration efficiency: Under the condition of air flow (30±2) L/min, the filtration efficiency of aerodynamic median diameter (0.24±0.06) μm sodium chloride aerosol is not less than 30%.

2) Bacterial filtration efficiency: Under specified conditions, the filtration efficiency of aerosols of Staphylococcus aureus with an average particle diameter of (3±0.3) μm is not less than 95%; bacterial filtration rate should be ≥95%; non-oily particles The filtration rate should be ≥30%.

3) Breathing resistance: Under the condition of filtration efficiency flow rate, the inhalation resistance does not exceed 49Pa, and the exhalation resistance does not exceed 29.4Pa. When the pressure difference △P of gas exchange on both sides of the mask is 49Pa/cm, the gas flow rate should be ≥ 264mm/s.

4) Nose clips and mask straps: Nose clips should be provided on the mask. The nose clips are made of plastic materials and the length of the nose clips should be greater than 8.0cm. Mask bands should be easy to wear and take, and the breaking strength at the connection point between each mask band and the mask body should be greater than 10N.

5) Synthetic blood penetration: After 2ml of synthetic blood is sprayed at the pressure of 16.0kPa (120mmHg) towards the outer side of the mask, no penetration should occur on the inner side of the mask.

6) Flame retardant performance: The mask material should be made of non-flammable materials, and the mask burns less than 5s after leaving the flame.

7) *Residue of oxyethane: For masks that have been sterilized by ring*, the amount of ring*ethane should be less than 10μg/g.

8) Skin irritation: The primary irritation index of the mask material should be ≤0.4, and there should be no sensitization reaction.

9) Microbiological indicators: total bacterial colonies ≤20CFU/g, and coliform bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, hemolytic streptococci and fungi shall not be detected.

3. Ordinary medical mask

Ordinary medical masks are used to block the exhaled breath from the oral cavity and nasal cavity, and can be used for one-time hygiene care in ordinary medical environments with the lowest protection level. It is suitable for general health care activities, such as sanitation, liquid distribution, cleaning bed units, etc., or the blocking or protection of particles other than pathogenic microorganisms such as pollen.