HomeScience and ResearchSustainabilityScientists Develop New Air Filters That "Can Adapt To Harsh Environments"

Scientists Develop New Air Filters That “Can Adapt To Harsh Environments”

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The new design has excellent possibilities for both automotive and industrial applications.

A group of scientists have created a high-performance composite sponge that is efficient in filtering particulate matter in conditions with high humidity and temperatures.

The sponge is comprised of eco-friendly materials and has good mechanical qualities. This filter has the ability to combat vehicle and industrial air pollution.

Fuzhou University researchers published their work in Particuology today.

The particulate matter released into the air by vehicles and factories is extremely harmful to both people and the environment.

Globally, countries face the challenge of pollution caused by exhaust gas. Particulate pollution poses a particular threat to people because it damages the respiratory and central nervous systems.

Better air filters have been developed by scientists in an effort to reduce air pollution and enhance environmental quality.

The air filters being developed, however, have not yet functioned effectively in difficult conditions, where high temperatures, high humidity, or the necessity for prolonged filtering introduce additional challenges.

The study team created a three-dimensional particle capture system in order to create a better air filter. To make a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge, they employed a straightforward sacrificial template technique.

Next, they used an in-situ loading method to coat the sponge skeleton with polydopamine (PDA). The PDA coating was then used to grow a lot of ZIF-8 particles.

Metal-organic frameworks, or ZIF-8, are a type of porous materials with a wide range of structural and chemical tunability. Metal-organic frameworks have a lot of potential for use in the filtration and gas adsorption industries.

The composite sponge’s many pores allow for good airflow, while the ZIF-8 particles improve the sponge’s capacity for filtration.

In order to recreate an industrial high temperature environment, the team tested their sponge at high temperatures (250 degrees Celsius) and high humidity (90 percent relative humidity).

The outcomes in the high humidity and temperature conditions demonstrate the composite sponge’s excellent potential for industrial use.

The composite sponge was also put through additional testing in settings appropriate for filtering automotive emissions. The sponge may be utilized in various situations as needed because it is easily shaped and has structural stability.

Therefore, the team constructed the composite sponge to fit at the mouth of the exhaust pipe.

The composite sponge removed particulate matter with almost 99 percent effectiveness in the automotive exhaust tests, which emulated the exhaust released by automobiles during regular operation.

The composite sponge continued to operate superbly even after 65 hours of filtration.

Yuekun Lai, a professor at Fuzhou University, said, “This study provides a new idea for designing 3D high-efficiency air filters that can adapt to harsh environments.”

The composite sponge is appropriate for use in applications ranging from industrial chimneys to kitchen fans since it has strong structural stability and is easily molded.

“In the next step, our research team will explore gas filters that can adapt to higher temperatures, as well as ways to treat certain components of air pollutants, not just particulate matter filtration,” Lai added. 

In this manner, the researchers might broaden the application possibilities for gas filters and enhance their potential for practical applications. 

“Our ultimate goal is to achieve a gas filter that can be used in a variety of environments, and a high-efficiency filter material with a variety of functions,” Lai said.

Source: 10.1016/j.partic.2022.09.001

Image Credit: Getty

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