Improving the filtration properties of common substrates of respirators to combat the corona epidemic by coating them with PAN-CUBTC nanofibers

Improving the filtration properties of common substrates of respirators to combat the corona epidemic by coating them with PAN-CUBTC nanofibers

Code: G-97063

Authors: عادل جعفری فتح ℗, مجید حبیبی محرز ©

Schedule: Not Scheduled!

Tag: Chemical factors

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Abstract:

Background and Aim

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent increase in the demand for masks as a critical preventive measure, a variety of traditional material consisting of micrometer-scale fibers and fabric fibers are used as filtration medium in respirators and masks. The present study aimed to investigate the filtration performance of traditionally used substrates and improve their performance with electrospun PAN and PAN/CuBTC nanofiber layers.

Method

Synthesis of MOF-199 (CuBTC) was performed according to a method reported by He et al. In this study, seven common substrates were used in respirators and masks, including two types of Meltblown 15 and 25 g/m2, two types of Spounbound 25 and 30 g/m2, SSMMS 30 g/m2, Carbon active 40 g/m2, and Tetron fabric 96 g/m2, were examined Next, an ultra-thin nanofiber layer of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or polyacrylonitrile/Cu-BTC (PAN/CuBTC) was coated on the mentioned substrates using the electrospinning process (electrospinning deposition time was 20 min). The morphology of fiber networks was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The filtration performance of the filtration media was determined in regards to the ISO 29463:2011 standard inside of the test rig according to the ASHREA 52.2:2007 standard.

Results

The obtained result revealed that the combination of conventional filtering media with PAN and PAN/CuBTC nanofiber layers led to the improvement in the filtration performance of these substrates. The results of the present study showed that the highest efficiency of assessed conventional filtering media in the non-coating state was less than 60%, with the highest value for the Meltblown 25 (MB25) layer (41.22 ± 1.31%) and the lowest value for the Spounbound 25(SB25) layer (19.35 ± 0.79%). In the coating state highest efficiency is associated with the meltblown25-PAN/CuBTC (MB25-PC) layer, which has an efficiency of 98.45% at 300 nm. Also, the highest quality factor was related to the SSMMS-PAN/CuBTC (S-PC) layer with a value of 0.094 and the lowest related to Tetron fabric (TF) with a value of 0.002.

Conclusion

This research has provided the basis for the new development of conventional filtration media, and its purpose is to produce and achieve a material with higher filtration efficiency, as well as to propose suitable alternative materials for use in respiratory protective equipment in atmospheric conditions with high air pollution, as well as in disease epidemic conditions.

Keywords

Filtration medium, Filtration Efficiency, Nanofibers, pressure drop, Quality factor

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