Gericke Adine, Militký Jiří, Venkataraman Mohanapriya, Steyn Hester, Vermaas Jana
Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
Department of Material Engineering, Faculty of Textile Engineering, Technical University of Liberec, 46117 Liberec, Czech Republic.
Materials (Basel). 2022 Mar 31;15(7):2559. doi: 10.3390/ma15072559.
The purpose of fabric masks in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 often requires that the masks be worn for extended periods without removal. The management of the conditions in the micro-climate inside the masks is important to keep the wearer comfortable and enhance user compliance. In this study, the effect of mask design and fabric type on the micro-climate was investigated using thermocron iButtons to record the temperature and humidity inside the masks. It was found that the mask style, and its effect on the amount of air incorporated in the micro-climate, had a significant influence on the factors that determine the temperature and humidity levels. In the shaped masks, the impact of the mask design on the results was stronger than the effect of fabric type. In the folded masks that fit snugly around the face, the effect of fabric type was significant, and both fibre composition and fabric structure contributed to the differences in the performance of the three fabrics tested. In the case of the masks with an inserted filter, a significant amount of trapped still air in the fabric layers and the increased mask stiffness had the strongest effect on the temperature and humidity inside the masks. Significant differences were also found in the temperatures recorded in the different time segments, highlighting the importance of conducting comfort evaluations over a long enough time to prevent false interpretations. The results of this study emphasize the importance of considering all the components of mask design, namely style, fibre type, and fabric structure, in the development of masks to enhance user compliance.
织物口罩在预防新冠病毒传播方面的作用通常要求长时间佩戴而不摘下。管理口罩内部微气候环境对于让佩戴者保持舒适并提高用户依从性很重要。在本研究中，使用温度记录纽扣（Thermocron iButtons）记录口罩内部的温度和湿度，研究了口罩设计和织物类型对微气候的影响。结果发现，口罩样式及其对微气候中空气量的影响，对决定温度和湿度水平的因素有显著影响。在塑形口罩中，口罩设计对结果的影响比织物类型的影响更强。在贴合面部的折叠口罩中，织物类型的影响显著，纤维成分和织物结构都导致了所测试的三种织物性能的差异。对于带有插入式过滤器的口罩，织物层中大量滞留的静止空气以及口罩硬度增加对口罩内部的温度和湿度影响最大。在不同时间段记录的温度中也发现了显著差异，这突出了进行足够长时间的舒适度评估以防止错误解读的重要性。本研究结果强调了在开发口罩以提高用户依从性时，考虑口罩设计的所有组成部分，即样式、纤维类型和织物结构的重要性。
