Stable and reusable electrospun bio-composite fibrous membranes based on PLA and natural fillers for air filtration applications

IF 8.6 2区工程技术 Q1 ENERGY & FUELS

Sustainable Materials and Technologies Pub Date : 2024-10-11 DOI:10.1016/j.susmat.2024.e01146

Roberto Scaffaro , Maria Clara Citarrella

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Abstract

Today, air pollution due to fine dust is one of the most critical environmental challenges. To mitigate the potential further environmental impact of air filtration devices, it is essential to explore the use of biodegradable polymers combined with natural fillers, preferably sourced from waste materials, to develop stable, reusable and UV-resistant air filters suitable for outdoor applications. In this work, composite fibrous membranes based on polylactic acid (PLA) and natural fillers were prepared via electrospinning and tested for air filtration applications. Air filtration performances were evaluated at different flow rates, temperature and humidity condition, aiming to simulate outdoor conditions. The addition of 10 wt% of Opuntia Ficus Indica (OFI), Posidonia Oceanica Leaves (POL) or lignin (LIG) particles to PLA solution led to a decrease in fibers diameter increasing membranes filtration performances. PLA/OFI, PLA/POL and PLA/LIG composite membranes exhibited filtration efficiencies of 97.2 %, 99.4 %, 99.6 % for PM₃ at a flow rate of 32 L/min, and pressure drops of 114, 103, 105 Pa, respectively. The membranes demonstrated stability maintaining good filtration efficiency across different environmental conditions and after multiple reuse cycles. The addition of OFI and LIG powders also provided effective UV resistance, crucial for ensuring the longevity and performance of air filters exposed to outdoor conditions. These findings underscore the potential of these biodegradable composite membranes for sustainable indoor and outdoor air filtration solutions.

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基于聚乳酸和天然填料的稳定且可重复使用的电纺生物复合纤维膜，用于空气过滤应用

如今，微尘造成的空气污染已成为最严峻的环境挑战之一。为了减轻空气过滤装置可能对环境造成的进一步影响，有必要探索使用可生物降解的聚合物与天然填料（最好是从废弃材料中获取）相结合，以开发适合户外应用的稳定、可重复使用和抗紫外线的空气过滤器。在这项工作中，通过电纺丝技术制备了基于聚乳酸（PLA）和天然填料的复合纤维膜，并进行了空气过滤应用测试。在不同的流速、温度和湿度条件下对空气过滤性能进行了评估，旨在模拟室外条件。在聚乳酸溶液中添加 10 wt% 的鸦片（Opuntia Ficus Indica，OFI）、海芋叶（Posidonia Oceanica Leaves，POL）或木质素（Lignin，LIG）颗粒会导致纤维直径减小，从而提高膜的过滤性能。聚乳酸/OFI、聚乳酸/POL 和聚乳酸/LIG 复合膜对 PM3 的过滤效率分别为 97.2%、99.4% 和 99.6%，流速为 32 升/分钟，压降分别为 114、103 和 105 帕。在不同的环境条件下和多次重复使用后，膜仍能保持良好的过滤效率。添加 OFI 和 LIG 粉末还能有效抗紫外线，这对确保暴露在室外条件下的空气过滤器的寿命和性能至关重要。这些发现强调了这些可生物降解复合膜在可持续室内外空气过滤解决方案方面的潜力。

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来源期刊

Sustainable Materials and Technologies Energy-Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

CiteScore

13.40

自引率

4.20%

发文量

158

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： Sustainable Materials and Technologies (SM&T), an international, cross-disciplinary, fully open access journal published by Elsevier, focuses on original full-length research articles and reviews. It covers applied or fundamental science of nano-, micro-, meso-, and macro-scale aspects of materials and technologies for sustainable development. SM&T gives special attention to contributions that bridge the knowledge gap between materials and system designs.