Polyester mask straps are key components of protective equipment. The impact of their antistatic treatment on the fiber structure directly impacts the functionality and durability of the mask strap. Polyester, due to its inherent lack of polar groups in its molecular chains, has a high surface resistivity, making it susceptible to static electricity accumulation in abrasive or dry environments. Antistatic treatment physically or chemically alters the fiber's surface or internal structure, creating conductive pathways, thereby reducing resistance and minimizing static electricity accumulation. This process not only improves the safety of the mask strap but also optimizes its wearing comfort and environmental adaptability.
Surface antistatic treatment is a common modification method for polyester mask straps. By applying a surfactant containing hydrophilic groups to the fiber surface, the hydrophobic segments in the antistatic agent molecules bind to the polyester's non-polar surface, while the hydrophilic groups align outward, forming a moisture-absorbing layer. When the fiber comes into contact with moisture from the air, the hydrophilic groups attract water molecules, forming a continuous water film on the surface, providing a path for charge conduction. This treatment does not alter the polyester's main molecular chain structure, but increases the fiber's surface roughness, creating a micro-nanoscale concave-convex structure that increases the contact area with the water film and thus improves electrical conductivity. However, the surface coating may gradually flake off due to friction or washing, leading to a decrease in antistatic performance and requiring regular maintenance or recoating.
Conductive fiber blending is a long-term solution for improving the antistatic performance of mask straps. During the polyester spinning process, metal fibers, carbon fibers, or conductive polymer fibers are mixed in a specific proportion to form a conductive network. The addition of conductive fibers changes the fiber distribution structure of the mask strap，the conductive fibers are dispersed in a network or island pattern within the matrix. When static electricity is generated locally, the charge is quickly transferred throughout the mask strap through the conductive fibers, preventing localized accumulation. This structure ensures that the mask strap maintains a stable conductive path despite repeated bending and stretching, and its antistatic performance is unaffected by ambient humidity, making it suitable for use in high-static-risk environments, such as medical procedures or industrial protective equipment.
Chemical modification optimizes the polyester molecular structure by introducing polar groups. For example, hydrophilic functional groups such as sulfonic acid and carboxyl groups can be embedded into the polyester molecular chain through copolymerization, or conductive segments such as polyethylene glycol can be grafted onto the backbone through graft polymerization. These modifications enhance the fiber's surface polarity, improving its hygroscopicity and forming ion-conducting pathways. The modified polyester fiber may exhibit a slight decrease in crystallinity, but the molecular chains are more regularly arranged, facilitating directional charge conduction. Chemical modification imparts durable antistatic properties to the mask strap with minimal impact on the fiber's mechanical properties, making it suitable for long-term use where durability is paramount.
Plasma treatment bombards the fiber surface with high-energy particles, inducing molecular chain breakage and recombination. In an oxygen or ammonia plasma environment, polar groups such as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups are generated on the polyester surface, creating a microporous structure. These changes increase the fiber's specific surface area, enhancing its hygroscopicity and surface conductivity. The plasma treatment significantly increases the surface roughness of the mask strap, creating a "coral reef"-like microstructure, which enhances adhesion to the antistatic coating or allows for direct conductivity through water absorption by the polar groups. This process is environmentally friendly and efficient, but carries high equipment costs and is primarily used in the production of high-end protective mask straps.
The optimized fiber structure of the antistatic-treated polyester mask strap significantly enhances its functionality and applicability. Technologies such as surface coating, conductive fiber blending, chemical modification, and plasma treatment create conductive pathways through various mechanisms, reducing the risk of static electricity accumulation. These structural changes not only enhance the safety of mask straps in medical and industrial settings, but also extend their service life, providing technical support for the upgrading of protective equipment.
