Removal of volatile organic compounds from air using activated carbon impregnated cellulose acetate electrospun mats

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from various sources and are unsafe for human health. Porous materials are promising candidates for the adsorption of VOCs owing to their increased ratio of surface area to volume. In this study, activated carbon (AC) impregnated cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun mats were synthesized using electrospinning for the removal of VOCs from the air mixture of ACs, and CA solution was electrospun at different proportions (5%, 10%, and 15%) in a single nozzle system. The different AC amounts in the electrospun mats were distributed within the AC fibers. The adsorption capacities were measured for acetone, benzene, and dichloromethane, using quartz crystal microbalance. The results elicited an increasing adsorption capacity trend as a function of the impregnation of ACs in the electrospun mats, while their capacities increased as a function of the AC concentration. Dichloromethane resulted in a faster adsorption process than acetone and benzene owing to its smaller molecular size. VOCs were desorbed with the N2 gas purging, while VOCs were adsorbed at higher temperatures owing to the increased vapor pressures. The adsorption analysis using Dubinin-Astakhov equation showed that dichloromethane is more strongly adsorbed on mats.

Nanocellulose-Based Materials for Water Treatment: Adsorption, Photocatalytic Degradation, Disinfection, Antifouling, and Nanofiltration

“…To date, three distinct techniques have been investigated for the fabrication of nanocellulose membranes: (i) electrospinning of cellulose mats and impregnation [217], (ii) vacuum filtration of the nanocellulose suspension and coating [218], and (iii) freeze-drying of the CNF suspension in the presence of an additional matrix component [131]. In parallel with papermaking, vacuum filtration is the most straightforward and feasible method for scaling up and for the fabrication of nanopaper membrane that can then be deposited onto a carrier substrate or used as free-standing units [218].…”

Electrospun polymeric nanofibrous membranes for water treatment

“…The thin layer of ENMs can air filter 80% of particles at a threshold of 400 nm or greater and can withstand up to 200 °C. It has also been developed that CA ENMs can be infused with activated carbon for the removal of volatile organic compounds such as liquid fuels and degreasers as high temperatureswhich indicate higher vapor pressures [68].…”

Enhancing the Decolorization of Methylene Blue Using a Low-Cost Super-Absorbent Aided by Response Surface Methodology

“…Moreover, the environmental problems could worsen due to high levels of heavy metals in dyes (e.g., zinc, lead, copper, mercury, and nickel) [ 3 ]. Thus, several reliable methods have been studied for colored wastewater treatment, namely flocculation [ 4 , 5 , 6 ], coagulation [ 7 , 8 , 9 ], membrane separation [ 10 , 11 ], bacterial strains [ 4 ], and adsorption [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”