Saving 80% Polypropylene in Facemasks by Laser-Assisted Melt-Blown Nanofibers

The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic requires enormous production of facemasks and related personal protection materials, thereby increasing the amount of nondegradable plastic waste. The core material for facemasks is melt-blown polypropylene (PP) fiber. Each disposable facemask consumes & SIM;0.7 g of PP fibers, resulting in annual global consumption and disposal of more than 1 150 000 tons of PP fibers annually. Herein, we developed a laser-assisted melt-blown (LAMB) technique to manufacture PP nanofibers with a quality factor of 0.17 Pa-1 and significantly reduced the filter's weight. We demonstrated that a standard surgical facemask could be made with only 0.13 g of PP nanofibers, saving approximately 80% of the PP materials used in commercial facemasks. Theoretical analysis and modeling were also conducted to understand the LAMB process. Importantly, nanofibers can be easily scaled up for mass production by upgrading traditional melt blown line with scanning laser-assisted melt-blown (SLAMB).

Automated summary

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in nondegradable plastic waste due to the production of a large number of facemasks. The core material for facemasks is melt-blown polypropylene (PP) fiber, with each disposable facemask consuming around 0.7 g of PP fibers. This results in annual global consumption and disposal of over 1,150,000 tons of PP fibers. A laser-assisted melt-blown (LAMB) technique was developed to manufacture PP nanofibers with a quality factor of 0.17 Pa-1 and significantly reduce the filter's weight. By using only 0.13 g of PP nanofibers, a standard surgical facemask can be made, saving approximately 80% of the PP materials used in commercial facemasks.