Raw materials (polypropylene grades 564S and 565S) required for the production of facial masks are supplied by petrochemical companies in the country aware of their role in contributing to the people's need to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
Since the beginning of the epidemic in February, the production of polypropylene granules used in spun-bond fabric from which masks and protection suits, has increased, the National Petrochemical Company news website Nipna reported.
In the past eight months over 16,000 tons of 564S and 565S grades were produced by petrochemical companies and sold to local mask manufacturers.
Spun-bond non-woven fabric is made up of polypropylene, a raw material. It is made by spinning continuous filament fibers onto a moving belt.
As the essential material to make masks, the non-woven fabric is the filtering layer in the middle part of the mask to absorb dust, bacteria and pollen.
The masks allow breathing while reducing the entrance of possible infectious particles. Until 2012, the spun-bond polypropylene was imported from the Saudi petrochemical giant Sabic.
In 2010 a project started in Shazand Petrochemical Company, Markazi Province, to indigenize this type of polymer and end imports. Engineers at SPC succeeded in producing the polymer through reverse engineering. Other companies followed and imports were discontinued in 2018.
Fabric masks are recommended to prevent onward transmission in the general population in public areas, particularly where distancing is not possible, and in areas of community transmission. Masks may help protect others, because wearers may be infected before symptoms of illness appear.
Wearing face masks is obligatory in certain public places in Iran. Domestic companies produced 200,000 face masks a day prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The number now is ten million.
Non-woven masks generally are not considered wash-durable. They are used in applications that do not require laundering since they are considered disposable after one end-use application.
Since late February, when the first cases of the disease were reported in Iran, petrochemical companies and chemical manufactures raised the output of javel water, medical alcohol and antiseptic solutions to help defeat the vicious virus.
Iran has confirmed more than 490,000 cases of infection with the new coronavirus and 28,000 dead.
The coronavirus, which was first reported in China last December, has caused an outbreak of respiratory illness all over the world.
The total number of people worldwide who have tested positive for the virus has exceeded 36.7 million with over 1.06 million deaths.
