Aspects regarding the behaviour and comfort of reusable wool protective masks in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic

Abstract

In the current context of involvement in the fight against COVID 19 wearing protective masks are strictly necessary to limit the spread of the virus SARS-CoV2. Since the appearance of this virus, solutions have been sought to cover the needs of masks for the population and also to improve their wearing comfort compared to nonwoven fabric (TNT) masks. These masks are made of chemical fibres and it is recommended to be worn for a maximum of 4-8 hours and then they must be discarded. In this study, two types of masks from wool and silk blended knitted fabrics were manufactured and analysed. The masks were initially subjected to manual ironing sterilization and disinfection. Subsequently, several analyses were performed: specific mass, density, abrasion and pilling resistance, colourfastness to crocking, colour fastness to accelerated laundering, air permeability, bacterial filtration efficiency and breathability. The analysed masks can be washed and disinfected at home and are reusable. This aspect offers a strong sense of safety for the user, but also has beneficial effects on environmental protection. Even so, they do not correspond to bacterial filtration efficiency. Eventually, the comfort perception of about 300 volunteers was also taken into consideration.