There is a variety of facial masks on the market. The main materials used for facial mask include non-woven fabrics, cotton, paper pulp, bio-fiber and silk, etc. As the facial mask is applied directly on the skin, it must have a very good air permeability to allow the breathing of the skin. Such skin problems like allergic reaction or acne may be caused by using facial mask made of materials with low air permeability.

Non-woven fabrics are sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments (and by perforating films) mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are flat or tufted porous sheets that are made directly from separate fibers, molten plastic or plastic film. Usually the non-woven fabrics have very good air permeability and are widely used in manufacturing of facial mask, which will be discussed in this article.

The air permeability of facial mask can be performed according to ASTM D737. The rate of air flow passing perpendicularly through a known area of fabric is adjusted to obtain a prescribed air pressure differential between the two fabric surfaces. From this rate of air flow, the air permeability of the fabric is determined.

Figure 1. Facial Mask made of Non-woven Fabrics

This article provides a simplified air permeability testing procedure of facial mask. The test specimen is facial mask made of non-woven fabrics and the testing instrument is Labthink TQD-G1 Air Permeability Tester.

Figure 2. TQD-G1 Air Permeability Tester

The tests are performed according to the following procedures.

l  Prepare test specimens. Cut 10 pieces of specimens whose diameter are 6cm from 10 pieces of facial masks.

l  Select sealing ring whose test area is 20 cm². Clamp the specimen in the instrument tightly. Make sure the specimen surface is flat and free of wrinkles.

l  Set pressure difference e.g. 100Pa. The pressure difference value can be adjusted according to the air permeability of the test specimen or relative standards.

l  Start test. Adjust the pressure difference between the two sides of the specimen by turning the pressure knob. When the actual pressure difference reaches the preset value, the test is finished. The test results will be displayed in the instrument automatically after tests.

For more details about TQD-G1 Air Permeability Tester, please visit www.labthink.com

About Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd:

Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd is one leading supplier of packaging testing instruments, which is headquartered in Jinan, China and operated in Boston, U.S.A.