Improvement of hygienic mask surface property for absorption of PM 2.5

Recently, the fine particulate matter with a diameter of equal to or less than 2.5 microns in polluted air has become a serious health problem in Thailand. Hygienic mask is used to prevent inhaling of hazardous particles. However, this is lack of capability to filter out PM2.5 due to their large pore size. In addition, the majority of these commercial mask is produced from petroleum-based plastics, e.g., polypropylene, which becomes non-degradable wastes after use. Rising environment concerns have forced many industries to seek more environmentally friendly processing and safer materials alternatives. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable polyester derived from renewable resources, e.g., corn, cassava, and sugarcane has been used in many applications. Herein, biodegradable face mask based on PLA nanofibers has been developed by an electrospinning technique. To further improve the mask efficiency, polyvinylpyrrolidone and negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles were introduced to the PLA nanofibers. The obtained composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), durability test, and degradation test. The results showed that the composite nanofibers can effectively filter out 100% of PM2.5 particles, while that of regular commercial hygienic mask is 70%. Moreover, the prepared composite PLA-based nanofibers exhibited the degradation property within 15 days.