What kind of "magic" company is 3M, which has become famous for making masks?

In these anxious days, masks have become a recognized hard currency, taobao sold 80 million masks in two days, many manufacturers have announced to resume work ahead of schedule, but masks are still in short supply, especially the most popular 3M brand KN95/N95 masks, often sold out as soon as they hit the shelves. The dedication of many in the face of the outbreak has been underscored by the unprecedented attention being paid to 3M, the maker of face masks. On January 22, the CEO of 3M China announced that the factory was operating at full capacity, 7×24 hours, to ensure supply of masks. What kind of company is 3M, and why does everyone choose to trust its products when we're fighting viruses?

History has always been remarkably similar, and when comparisons were made to SARS in 2003, few noticed that 3M masks first shone in China during SARS. At that time, gauze and cotton masks were still popular, which had little effect on virus isolation. The world health organization advocated the use of N95 masks, and 3M, the leader in this field, entered the public eye. In 2013, when north China was plagued by smog, 3M masks broke the circle again due to their excellent filtration performance, transforming from industrial and medical supplies to daily necessities.

It is at this time that the mask, which is usually regarded by many as a "non-technical" product, shows its technical connotation. For example, the N95 mask, which has become an anti-epidemic product, is essentially a "5-layer mask made of polypropylene non-woven fabric SMMMS that can filter 95% fine particles", among which the most influential filtering effect is first of all the material, then the template. If the material is not up to scratch, no amount of layers will filter out parvovirus, and if the mask does not fit tightly to the face, the effect of wearing a mask is minimal.

The 3M mask is recognized by many professionals because of its solid technology in both areas.

3M started making masks as early as 1967. At that time, 3 m has developed electrostatic fiber filter cotton non-woven fabric and proprietary technology, are trying to develop products based on this technology, an ordinary employee got inspiration from the female's disposable underwear, put forward to develop a kind of montmorillonite on the nose and mouth, protect the workers in the adverse operating environment, such as mining, smelting, 3 m mask arises at the historic moment.