Work

Effects of droplet deposition on aerosol capture efficiency of bipolarly charged fibers

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: , surface tension, electrical conductivity…) and quantify their impact on fiber capture efficiency. It was found, in particular, that droplet's electrical conductivity and permittivity have the most adverse impact on the performance of an electret fiber. This is perhaps because higher droplet conductivity results in severe fiber charge neutralization, and higher droplet permittivity leads to a stronger fiber charge shielding. In contrast, fiber wettability was found to have a negligible impact on fiber efficiency. The work presented in this paper offers valuable insights into the complex nature of electret filters used in different industrial and environmental applications.

Source: Soft Matter

DOI: 10.1039/d4sm01105h

Authors: Amit Kumar, Sashank Gautam, Nishant Bhatta, Hooman V. Tafreshi, Behnam Pourdeyhimi

Institutions: North Carolina State University, The Nonwovens Institute

Language: English

Topic: Aerosol Filtration and Electrostatic Precipitation

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Awards: G7419953539, TITLE: ENABLING MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION, SUPPLY CHAIN DIVERSIFICATION AND ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PPEPURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO DEVELOP BIO-DEGRADABLE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) PRODUCTS, BY DEVELOPMENT AND SCALE UP OF ELECTROSPUN FILTRATION MATERIALS, ALONG WITH EASILY DEPLOYED ROBOTIC PPE PRODUCTION LINES. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DESIGN, DEVELOP, AND PRODUCE NEW BIOPOLYMER-BASED NONWOVENS MATERIAL; DEVELOP ELECTROSPUN FILTRATION MATERIALS; AND DEVELOP TWO SELF-CONTAINED, FULLY AUTOMATED AND RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE MANUFACTURING CELLS FOR PPE (E.G., SURGICAL MASKS, REUSABLE COMMUNITY MASKS, CAPS, BOOTIES).EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF BIODEGRADABLE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) PRODUCTS AND ALTERNATIVE FILTRATION MATERIALS AND GREATER CAPABILITIES TO SURGE-PRODUCE PPE AT LOCAL POINTS OF NEED.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SMALL AND MEDIUM MANUFACTURERS, AS WELL AS STATE GOVERNMENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM BIODEGRADABLE PPE AND ALTERNATIVE FILTRATION MATERIALS THAT REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRODUCE QUALITY, COMPETITIVE, PRODUCTS AND ENSURE A RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAIN FOR PPE; AND TOOLS THAT ENABLE MANUFACTURERS TO RAPIDLY CHANGE THEIR AUTOMATION LINES TO SUPPLY PPE PRODUCTS DURING A PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, MANUFACTURERS, AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS INDIRECTLY, WILL BENEFIT FROM THE GREATER OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AND READY ACCESS TO PPE. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT PLANS TO SUBAWARD FUNDS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO THRUSTS: 1) BIODEGRADABLE PPE MATERIALS; 2) ELECTONSPUN PPE MATERIALS; AND 3) PPE LINE AUTOMATION ASPECTS OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT.