Particulate matter (PM) pollution in the air has become a serious environmental issue that has demanding requirements for the fabrication of new materials. In this study, three different types of nanofiber materials (i.e., cellulose diacetate (CDA), poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), and poly-(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)) produced from solution blow spinning were used in composite multilayered filter masks, and their filtration performance for particulate matter of at least 2.5 μm in size (PM2.5) was evaluated. PM2.5 capture efficiency and nanofiber filter pressure drop were tested using the fabricated set-up with simulated burnt cigarette smoke as a source of PM2.5. Filter mask performance using different nanofiber materials was evaluated through their corresponding quality factors (QF). Among the three nanofibers tested, PAN nanofiber has the highest filtration performance with a quality factor of 0.05 Pa −1 and acceptable air permeability. PVDF has the lowest air filter quality among all the nanofibers studied, with a quality factor of 0.02 Pa −1 . Insights on the high performance of the nanofiber materials in filter masks are further discussed in this study. Aside from the nanoscale advantage of the nanofibers tested, it is argued that the different molecular functionalities present in the polymeric nanofibers have a significant influence on its filtration performance. In conclusion, all nanofibers used in this study have better filter performances compared to the commercial surgical masks.
Cellulose-based nanofiber membrane fabrication remains a global challenge, especially the use of alternative and sustainable sources of cellulosic materials. Herein, an easy and highly scalable cellulose-based nanofiber membrane was successfully fabricated using a solution blow spinning (SBS) method. Such membrane fabrication was carried out with the assistance of an easy-to-spin precursor polymer (i.e. polyacrylonitrile (PAN)). Through this strategy, cellulose acetate (CA) was successfully spun into a ready-to-use membrane. The formation of CA with the PAN nanofiber is concentration-dependent and requires high air pressure to effectively overcome the composite precursor’s surface tension and eventually produce nanofibers. Favourable CA concentration in PAN (i.e. 50%–65% v/v CAN/PAN) is important to the formation of sufficient molecular entanglement with PAN in solution. Upon fulfilling the optimized CA concentration, high air pressure (i.e. ≥3 bars) is used to produce jet-like polymeric fibers of PAN dragging off CA, forming numerous nanofibers which are then collected into a substrate forming a membrane. Characterizations of the CA/PAN composite nanofiber were carried out using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Such unique composite nanofiber membranes have potential as filters and adsorbent membranes for air and water/wastewater applications, as well as for biorefinery applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.