An electrospun polycarbonate nanofibrous membrane for high efficiency particulate matter filtration

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) pollution poses a significant threat to human health. Air filtration is an effective way to eliminate PM pollution. In this study, nanofibers of polycarbonate (PC), a polymer that has been widely used in engineering due to its favorable properties, were obtained using the electrospinning technique and applied to filter PM. The results revealed that the PM is either intercepted by the nanofibers or captured on the surfaces of the fibers by inertial impaction or diffusion. The filtration efficiency of this PC membrane was higher than those of both polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polystyrene (PS) membranes with similar fibrous morphologies, suggesting that polarity is the most influential factor shaping the interaction of particles and fiber surfaces. Moreover, fiber diameter and membrane thickness also influence filtration efficiency by varying the odds that particles and fiber surfaces will meet.