Surface Characterization and Comfort Behaviour of Nano-TiO2-Incorporated Meltblown Polypropylene Nonwoven Fabrics for Facemask Applications

Meltblown polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics are widely used in medical and daily protective facemasks. However, the incorporation of nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) into meltblown PP structures remains insufficiently investigated, particularly regarding the physical and thermophysiological comfort properties of facemask materials. This study investigated the weight, thickness, morphology, air permeability, water vapour permeability, and moisture management properties of meltblown PP nonwoven fabrics incorporated with different concentrations of nano-TiO2. A commercial 3-ply meltblown PP facemask and laboratory-fabricated 3-ply facemasks containing 5% and 10% nano-TiO2 were tested. The 3-ply with 10% nano-TiO2 facemask showed increases in fabric weight and thickness of 58% and 64%, respectively, compared to the commercial facemask. The SEM and EDX confirmed the deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on the fabric surfaces. In terms of comfort performance, the 10% nano-TiO2 facemask demonstrated the highest air permeability with approximately 197.27 + 3.95 mm·s−1, while water vapour permeability values for all samples were similar, ranging between 123 and 125 g·h−1·m−2. The moisture management tests exhibited a low liquid transport in all samples due to the hydrophobicity of polypropylene. Overall, the study shows the development of facemask material with enhanced structural properties and acceptable comfort performance.