Szefer Ewa Maria, Majka Tomasz Mariusz, Pielichowski Krzysztof
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Cracow University of Technology, 24 Warszawska St., 31-155 Cracow, Poland.
Materials (Basel). 2021 Jun 23;14(13):3501. doi: 10.3390/ma14133501.
This work aims to study the thermal degradation and combustion behavior of single-use masks commonly used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden increase in plastic waste underlines the crucial need for a proper disposal method. Therefore, to develop a suitable method of thermal disposal, it is first necessary to identify the primary waste materials and then study their thermal and flammability behaviors using thermal analysis methods. This research focuses on the characterization of individual parts of the masks, their thermal degradation, and pyrolysis processes via FTIR, TG, and MCC analyses. FTIR analysis indicated that all three masks were made out of polypropylene sheets, while two of the ear straps contained polyamide 6. One of the samples was composed mainly of poly (ethylene terephthalate) fiber and thin inner EPDM rubber. The EPDM ear strap left the highest residue and showed the lowest flammability among all samples. The analysis of heat of combustion and thermogravimetry shows that the most heat is generated above 450 °C. Therefore, for the disposal of single-use masks to be effective, it should be carried out in the temperature range from 450 to 750 °C.
这项工作旨在研究在新冠疫情期间常用的一次性口罩的热降解和燃烧行为。塑料垃圾的突然增加凸显了对合适处置方法的迫切需求。因此，为了开发一种合适的热处置方法，首先有必要确定主要的废料，然后使用热分析方法研究它们的热行为和燃烧性能。本研究通过傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、热重分析（TG）和微型量热法（MCC）分析，重点对口罩的各个部分进行表征、研究其热降解和热解过程。傅里叶变换红外光谱分析表明，所有三种口罩均由聚丙烯片材制成，而其中两条耳带含有聚酰胺6。其中一个样品主要由聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯纤维和薄的内层三元乙丙橡胶组成。在所有样品中，三元乙丙橡胶耳带留下的残渣最多，且燃烧性最低。燃烧热分析和热重分析表明，在450℃以上产生的热量最多。因此，为了有效处置一次性口罩，应在450至750℃的温度范围内进行。
