Key material behind the shortage of N95 masks

[90DayFinancier 910]

N95 masks look simple enough: two outer layers of fabric that form the shape of the mask, with a thin filter between. 

It's that sandwiched inner layer that complicates the mask's construction and differentiates medical-grade protection from a homemade mask.

A surge in demand for material for that layer is a key reason for the global shortage of N95s

The filter is made of thousands of nonwoven fibers, each thinner than a strand of hair and fused together through a process known as melt blown extrusion. 

Manufacturers of the material have been pushed to produce at unprecedented levels, straining an industry that relies on complex machinery and specialized training that's part technical and part "art form," according to some in the industry.

"The supply chain has gotten nuts for this particular material," said Nozi Hamidi, vice president of marketing and business development for SWM International, one of roughly two dozen domestic manufacturers of melt blown material. "We experienced this when SARS happened 17 or so years ago, but not to this extent. This is just absolutely insane."

[90DayFinancier 910]

The article underscores why not using N95s for personal use is vital at this time.

[yuna628 9,700]

You can of course make a homemade mask made out of non-woven meltblown or polypropylene fabric, which should in theory provide an effective barrier like an N95, provided it's fit to the face properly. Some makers would like the FDA to run testing to get it certified. You can still source the fabric out on the home market, but it's getting difficult. Much is produced in China. Mine arrived with a few weeks delay but now I have an entire bolt. It can be used as liners or the mask can be made entirely of it.

[cyclone27 710]

Home air filters MERV 1500 and above will sort you out. Use a fabric mask with insert - cut the air filter to size and done. Protected for virus and bacteria! 

[90DayFinancier 910]

2 hours ago, yuna628 said:

You can of course make a homemade mask made out of non-woven meltblown or polypropylene fabric, which should in theory provide an effective barrier like an N95, provided it's fit to the face properly. Some makers would like the FDA to run testing to get it certified. You can still source the fabric out on the home market, but it's getting difficult. Much is produced in China. Mine arrived with a few weeks delay but now I have an entire bolt. It can be used as liners or the mask can be made entirely of it.

Are you taking customers?

[Dashinka 24,743]

2 hours ago, 90DayFinancier said:

The article underscores why not using N95s for personal use is vital at this time.

What article?

[yuna628 9,700]

1 hour ago, 90DayFinancier said:

Are you taking customers?

Not yet. Finishing prototypes for the best fit, family first and then I'm working with a local group trying to make masks for the nursing homes. My goal was to make a few today but...apparently the day had other plans... it's been a wild couple of hours.

[Dashinka 24,743]

Really makes me wonder why all the experts were saying not to wear masks a few weeks ago.  I agree, masks don’t not really protect the person, but it can be effective for community spread, otherwise medical personnel would not wear them in the OR.

[Steeleballz 7,550]

17 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Really makes me wonder why all the experts were saying not to wear masks a few weeks ago.  I agree, masks don’t not really protect the person, but it can be effective for community spread, otherwise medical personnel would not wear them in the OR.

 

  Masks aren't helping any more or less now than they did last month. They are still primarily stopping infected people from spreading the virus to others. What changed is they started to fully realize the extent of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 hours ago, Steeleballz said:

 

  Masks aren't helping any more or less now than they did last month. They are still primarily stopping infected people from spreading the virus to others. What changed is they started to fully realize the extent of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. 

And yet, many locales are making the wearing of them mandatory.  

A neighbor gave me two N95 paper masks.  Not fitted, no seal, but the paper has N95 printed on it.  Great, except for the airflow around the mask against the skin.

[OriZ 3,157]

I don't support making wearing a mask mandatory, unless you're going to 1. supply everyone with the masks they need(don't just count on them making it right at home) and 2. educate them on how to properly wear them, put them on, take them off, etc. even then I'd have a hard time supporting such a draconian measure but it would make it a bit more palatable. 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

And yet, many locales are making the wearing of them mandatory.  

A neighbor gave me two N95 paper masks.  Not fitted, no seal, but the paper has N95 printed on it.  Great, except for the airflow around the mask against the skin.

Oh, I forgot to add... now they are making the wear of them mandatory when visiting essential places.  Doesn't matter if you show up with a t-shirt around your face, a full-on military full-face mask, a for real N95 mask, or one of those little flimsy paper masks.  Just have to have something on your face, or your not getting in.  And then you walk around and watch people touching items on shelves, then their mask/face, etc.  As I said before, zero understanding of the clean hand/dirty hand protocol.  But it makes some feel better to see them.

[millefleur 5,047]

Is it possible they could design masks for health care workers that are more similar to gas masks with replaceable filters, thus cutting down on the disposability of the entire mask itself, which are really designed to be single use (or very minimum resue)? I assume a gas mask type mask could be easily cleaned and disinfected if made of stronger material, and then just replace filters as needed. 

 

I'd feel more comfortable with health care workers re-using a mask that was actually designed with reuse in mind, rather than the flimsier, single use intended ones they are currently reusing now.

Edited April 12, 2020 by millefleur

[yuna628 9,700]

8 hours ago, millefleur said:

Is it possible they could design masks for health care workers that are more similar to gas masks with replaceable filters, thus cutting down on the disposability of the entire mask itself, which are really designed to be single use (or very minimum resue)? I assume a gas mask type mask could be easily cleaned and disinfected if made of stronger material, and then just replace filters as needed. 

 

I'd feel more comfortable with health care workers re-using a mask that was actually designed with reuse in mind, rather than the flimsier, single use intended ones they are currently reusing now.

Unsure about this. I know some have been using 3D printers to make masks for workers. The mask has to be able for disinfection (which requires then using more PPE) and to withstand the process.

[Dashinka 24,743]

9 hours ago, millefleur said:

Is it possible they could design masks for health care workers that are more similar to gas masks with replaceable filters, thus cutting down on the disposability of the entire mask itself, which are really designed to be single use (or very minimum resue)? I assume a gas mask type mask could be easily cleaned and disinfected if made of stronger material, and then just replace filters as needed. 

 

I'd feel more comfortable with health care workers re-using a mask that was actually designed with reuse in mind, rather than the flimsier, single use intended ones they are currently reusing now.

They have those already, they are called respirators.  I used them a lot in the chem lab, and they had to be fit tested annually.  There are a variety of filter types, and you can get them with full face protection, or just half masks.