The group standard for "Reusable Civil Masks" is set to be released, with mass production expected.

The COVID - 19 pandemic has suddenly made masks, which were previously unremarkable, extremely popular. Due to the tight supply, many people have to reuse "disposable masks", and it's quite common to wear one mask for about a week.

Can masks really be reused? As we know so far, the "Group Standard for Reusable Civil Masks" drafted by Beijing University of Chemical Technology as the lead - compiling unit passed the expert review at the review meeting organized by the Beijing Garment and Textile Industry Association on April 2nd, and is expected to be released in the near future.

The review expert group unanimously believed that the standard manuscript was complete in content, reasonable in indicators, and accurate in expression. Especially during the COVID - 19 prevention and control period, in response to the practical problem of the lack of standardized standards for reusable civil masks in China, the indicators of this standard not only took into account the short - term emergency needs of epidemic prevention and control but also considered the long - term strategic reserve requirements, demonstrating a high level of professionalism and advancement. The review expert group unanimously agreed to pass the review of this standard.

Can masks actually be reused?

Can masks be washed, disinfected, and then used again? How many times can a mask be reused? Currently, China's relevant mask standards mainly focus on the technical requirements for single - use masks, and there are no specific regulations on how to assess their reusability. Therefore, it is urgent to formulate standards for "reusable" masks.

Since February this year, Beijing has organized and carried out research on the protective mask reuse platform project, conducting a large number of experimental studies on the impact of disinfection methods on the protective performance of masks and the virus inactivation effect of disinfection methods on masks. A technical method for reusing masks after disinfection through high - temperature baking and high - temperature dry steaming has been obtained. For example, Academician Chen Jianfeng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering led his team to conduct research and found that using a portable electrostatic generator (such as household appliances) to recharge ordinary single - use medical flat non - woven masks can regenerate their electrostatic effect, enabling repeated use. Thus, a technical method and its guidelines for "mask charging regeneration and reuse" were proposed and formed. Professor Zhang Liqun's team from Beijing University of Chemical Technology organized research on the performance evolution of masks with different initial performances during real - person wearing. It was found that the wearing process and the accompanying disinfection process have a certain impact on the fiber structure and electrostatic adsorption capacity of masks. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China launched the research project of the key special project "Key Technologies and Industrialization of Reusable Protective Masks" under "Public Safety Risk Prevention and Control and Emergency Technology and Equipment". Led by Beijing University of Chemical Technology, it united domestic advantageous industry - university - research forces such as Shandong Dawn Polymer Material Co., Ltd., Beijing Municipal Institute of Labor Protection, Beijing Institute for Medical Device Control, and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology to carry out scientific research on reusable protective masks.

A large number of scientific research findings and technological achievements indicate that during the current epidemic emergency period, the repeated use of high - quality masks is feasible. It can alleviate the contradiction between the current market demand and supply, save resources, and reduce environmental pollution.

Therefore, with the strong support of the Beijing Municipal Government, the Beijing Garment and Textile Industry Association submitted an application for the rapid drafting of the "Group Standard for Reusable Civil Masks" and urgently established a working group to carry out the standard - setting work. This group standard was drafted by Beijing University of Chemical Technology as the lead - compiling unit, together with 18 co - drafting units including Shandong Dawn Company, Beijing Municipal Institute of Labor Protection, Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng New Material Group Co., Ltd., Beijing Rubber Industry Research and Design Institute Co., Ltd., and the Professional Committee for Green Manufacturing of Rubber and Plastic Products of the Chinese Chemical Society.

What is the scope of application of the standard?

As learned from China Rubber magazine, reusable civil masks are mainly applicable to blocking particles such as microorganisms, droplets, and pollen in daily life. According to the functions and usage scenarios of the masks, they are divided into two types: "protective" masks and "hygienic" masks.

Among them, reusable civil protective masks are defined as multi - use civil masks with high - level protective performance used to filter out pathogenic microorganisms, dust, smoke, fog, and other particles in potentially highly polluted or high - risk scenarios. They have high requirements for protective effect and fit performance, and the core indicators are filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, and total leakage rate. Reusable civil hygienic masks are defined as multi - use civil masks with certain protection functions used to block the spread of particles such as droplets, pollen, and microorganisms between people and the environment in daily environments. They have high requirements for the barrier performance and air permeability of the mask materials and are mainly suitable for wearing in daily life environments. The core indicators are filtration efficiency and ventilation resistance.

Considering the "reusable" feature, the standard specifically puts forward the "strength" requirement. The standard states that the materials used for reusable civil masks should have sufficient strength and should not be damaged or deformed during normal use.

How to wash the mask multiple times?

Reusable masks not only need to be washable but also disinfectable. The standard states that reusable civil masks should be able to withstand the disinfection, cleaning, and drying treatments recommended by the manufacturer for repeated use. They should be able to undergo disinfection and cleaning no less than 3 times, with a cumulative wearing time of not less than 24 hours. After 24 hours, the nose clip of the mask should not fall off, and the mask should not be significantly deformed.

The key performance indicators of the mask (breaking strength at the connection point between a single mask strap and the mask body, filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, total leakage rate, ventilation resistance, fastness of the breathing valve cover, microbiological indicators, etc.) are consistent with the requirements for new masks.

The standard stipulates the principles of disinfection and cleaning: Considering that different epidemics are caused by different viruses, the disinfection and cleaning methods will vary. Therefore, the manufacturer should provide specific disinfection and washing methods that are suitable for home use and comply with the guidelines or technical specifications issued by the national health department.

The disinfection and cleaning methods provided by the manufacturer should preferably be combined into one. If they cannot be combined, disinfection should be carried out first, followed by cleaning. It is advisable to choose disinfection and cleaning methods that do not damage the charging and structure of the mask's filter layer, as well as an easy - to - use drying method that can regenerate the charge of the mask's filter layer.

The standard stipulates that the filtration efficiency of reusable civil protective masks should be ≥ 90%, which is consistent with the performance index requirements of KN90 - level masks in the GB2626 - 2019 standard, and is used to filter out pathogenic microorganisms, dust, smoke, fog, and other particles in potentially highly polluted or high - risk scenarios. It is specified that the non - oily particle filtration efficiency of reusable civil hygienic masks should be ≥ 90%, which is higher than the requirement of ≥ 30% for non - oily particle filtration efficiency in the medical surgical mask standard YY 0469.

For the convenience of mass consumers to choose and for the government to conduct market supervision, the standard requires that the packaging of reusable civil masks should be marked with the words "Reusable Civil Protective Mask" or "Reusable Civil Hygienic Mask", and each mask should be marked with the words "Reusable" or "RU".