Fabrication of Modified Fibrous Filters by Electrospinning and Investigating Their Application as Improved Face Masks

Owing to the significant increase in air pollutants and the spread of infectious diseases,it seems that the use of face masks will become an essential item in human societies.Therefore,there is a need to conduct more research to develop novel types of respirators utilizing upto-date science such as nanotechnology.In this study,we fabricated a nanocomposite fibrous filter containing modified graphene oxide(GO)and zinc oxide(ZnO)nanoparticles.This layer was used as an active filter for absorbing and removing air pollutants,such as suspended submicron particles(below 2.5 microns)and CO_(2),NO_(2),and SO_(2)gases.The synthesized nanostructures and fibrous filters were characterized by different analysis(FTIR,XRD,TGA,and FESEM),and the performance of the filters was surveyed by tests such as pressure drop,CO_(2),NO_(2),SO_(2)gas rejection,and particulate removal.The results showed that the stabilization of the modified GO and ZnO nanostructures on the fibrous filter improved the effectiveness of this filter as a mask for removing toxic particles and gases,and the filter containing nanoparticles had the best performance.

Investigation of the characteristics of particulate flows through fibrous filters using the lattice Boltzmann method

A fibrous filter is one of the most common systems used to separate suspended particles from air. Two important factors （i,e,, the pressure drop and capture efficiency） are usually used to evaluate the performance of this type of filter, This study considers three two-dimensional arrangements of fibers （parallel, staggered, and random） to geometrically model fibrous media, The lattice Boltzmann method is employed to numerically simulate fluid flow through the filter, The Lagrangian form of the equation of motion of a particle is numerically solved to track the path of each particle in the flow field, where a one-way interaction between the fluid and particles is considered. The effects of pertinent parameters such as the fiber arrangement, solid volume fraction, particle-to-fiber diameter ratio, particle-to-fluid density ratio, Reynolds number, Stokes number, and size of the fibrous medium on the pressure drop and capture efficiency are studied. The obtained results are compared with existing empirical and theoretical findings and discussed.

Reusable and durable electrostatic air filter based on hybrid metallized microfibers decorated with metal–organic–framework nanocrystals

As global air pollution becomes increasingly severe,various types of fibrous filters have been developed to improve air filter performance.However,fibrous filters have limitations such as high packing density that generally causes high-pressure drop and ultimately deterioration in the filtration efficiency.High-pressure particulate matter precipitators are limited in terms of scope for commercialization because they require high voltage supplies and ozone generators.In this study,we develop fibrous filters with enhanced durability and improved performance using metallized microfibers decorated with metal-organic-framework(MOF)nanocrystals.Not only does the efficiency of the developed filters remain at or above 97%for 0.50-1.5μm PMs but the durability also significantly increases.In addition,using the water purification ability of the MOF,we explore the dye degradation effect of the hybrid microfibers by immersing them into Rhodamine B aqueous solution.In such an experiment the Rhodamine B aqueous solution is completely purified by the presence of the hybrid microfibers under the UV irradiation.