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Niu Z, He Q, Chen C. A PM 2.5 pollution-level adaptive air filtration system based on elastic filters for reducing energy consumption. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135546. [PMID: 39173385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Exacerbated by human activities and natural events, air pollution poses severe health risks, requiring effective control measures to ensure healthy living environments. Traditional filtration systems that employ high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are capable of effectively removing particulate matter (PM) in indoor environments. However, these systems often work without considering the fluctuations in air pollution levels, leading to high energy consumption. This study proposed a novel PM2.5 pollution-level adaptive air filtration system that combined elastic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filters and an Internet of Things (IoT) system. The developed system can effectively adjust its filtration performance (i.e., pressure drop and PM2.5 filtration efficiency) in response to real-time air quality conditions by mechanically altering the structures of TPU filters. Furthermore, while operating in varied pollution conditions, the proposed system demonstrated remarkable reductions in pressure drop without notably compromising the pollution control capability. Finally, the energy consumption of the pollution-level adaptive air filtration system was estimated when applied in mechanical ventilation systems in different cities (Hong Kong, Beijing, and Xi'an) with various pollution conditions. The results revealed that, compared to a traditional fixed system, the annual energy consumption could be reduced by up to ∼26.4 % in Hong Kong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuolun Niu
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qiguang He
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Chun Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China; Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T. 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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2
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Simatupang CA, Strezov V, Boontanon SK, Pongkiatkul P, Boontanon N, Jindal R. Numerical Analysis of Indoor Air Characteristics and Window Screen Influence on Particulate Matter Dispersion in a Childcare Center Using Computational Fluid Dynamics. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2024; 18:11786302241259352. [PMID: 38868365 PMCID: PMC11168052 DOI: 10.1177/11786302241259352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Indoor exposure to outdoor pollutants adversely affects health, varying with building dimensions and particularly ventilation that have critical role on their indoor dispersion. This study assesses the impact of outdoor air on indoor air quality in a child care center. Computational fluid dynamics was utilized to analyze the dispersion of particulate matter, with a specific focus on window screens featuring 6 distinct pore sizes ranging from 0.8 mm to 2 mm and 2 different thicknesses of 0.5 mm and 0.1 mm. Results indicate that the presence of a window screen offers significant advantages in controlling particle infiltration compared to scenarios without a screen, as larger particles tend to pass directly through the window within the breathing zone. The scenario without window screens minimizes pressure drop but lacks enhanced particle capture capabilities. However, for effective particle reduction, the window screen with a pore size of 0.8 mm (R0.8T2) and a thickness of 0.5 mm proves to be the most beneficial, achieving the particle filtering efficiency of approximately 54.16%, while the larger window screen with a pore size of 2 mm and a thickness of 1 mm exhibits the lowest efficiency at about 23.85%. Nonetheless, screens with very small sizes are associated with a high-pressure drop, impacting energy efficiency, and overall window performance. Larger pores with smaller thicknesses (0.5 mm) reduced particle count by approximately 45.97%. Therefore, the significance of window screen thickness beyond pore size for particle reduction efficiency is highlighted, emphasizing screens' role in indoor air quality and health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Ariella Simatupang
- Graduate Program in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Vladimir Strezov
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Suwanna Kitpati Boontanon
- Graduate Program in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Prapat Pongkiatkul
- Department of Environmental Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narin Boontanon
- Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Ranjna Jindal
- Environmental Engineering and Management Program, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change, School of Environment and Resources Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, Thailand
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Yang Y, Li X, Zhou Z, Qiu Q, Chen W, Huang J, Cai W, Qin X, Lai Y. Ultrathin, ultralight dual-scale fibrous networks with high-infrared transmittance for high-performance, comfortable and sustainable PM 0.3 filter. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1586. [PMID: 38383519 PMCID: PMC10881466 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45833-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Highly permeable particulate matter (PM) can carry various bacteria, viruses and toxics and pose a serious threat to public health. Nevertheless, current respirators typically sacrifice their thickness and base weight for high-performance filtration, which inevitably causes wearing discomfort and significant consumption of raw materials. Here, we show a facile yet massive splitting eletrospinning strategy to prepare an ultrathin, ultralight and radiative cooling dual-scale fiber membrane with about 80% infrared transmittance for high-protective, comfortable and sustainable air filter. By tailoring antibacterial surfactant-triggered splitting of charged jets, the dual-scale fibrous filter consisting of continuous nanofibers (44 ± 12 nm) and submicron-fibers (159 ± 32 nm) is formed. It presents ultralow thickness (1.49 μm) and base weight (0.57 g m-2) but superior protective performances (about 99.95% PM0.3 removal, durable antibacterial ability) and wearing comfort of low air resistance, high heat dissipation and moisture permeability. Moreover, the ultralight filter can save over 97% polymers than commercial N95 respirator, enabling itself to be sustainable and economical. This work paves the way for designing advanced and sustainable protective materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Yang
- Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou, 362801, P. R. China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Xiangshun Li
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Qiaohua Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
- College of Textile Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Jianying Huang
- Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou, 362801, P. R. China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, P. R. China
| | - Weilong Cai
- Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou, 362801, P. R. China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohong Qin
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China.
| | - Yuekun Lai
- Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou, 362801, P. R. China.
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, P. R. China.
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Fabrication of Laminated Micro/Nano Filter and Its Application for Inhalable PM Removal. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15061459. [PMID: 36987239 PMCID: PMC10052305 DOI: 10.3390/polym15061459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of 0.3 µm is inhalable and brings great threats to human health. Traditional meltblown nonwovens used for air filtration need to be treated by high voltage corona charging, which has the problem of electrostatic dissipation and thus reduces the filtration efficiency. In this work, a kind of composite air-filter with high efficiency and low resistance was fabricated by alternating lamination of ultrathin electronspun nano-layer and melt-blown layer without corona charging treatment. The effects of fiber diameter, pore size, porosity, layer number, and weight on filtration performance were investigated. Meanwhile, the surface hydrophobicity, loading capacity, and storage stability of the composite filter were studied. The results indicate that the filters (18.5 gsm) laminated by 10 layers fiber-webs present excellent filtration efficiency (97.94%), low pressure drop (53.2 Pa), high quality factor (QF 0.073 Pa−1), and high dust holding capacity (9.72 g/m2) for NaCl aerosol particles. Increasing the layers and reducing individual layer weight can significantly improve filtration efficiency and reduce pressure drop of the filter. The filtration efficiency decayed slightly from 97.94% to 96.48% after 80 days storage. The alternate arrangement of ultra-thin nano and melt-blown layers constructed a layer-by-layer interception and collaborative filtering effect in the composite filter, realizing the high filtration efficiency and low resistance without high voltage corona charging. These results provided new insights for the application of nonwoven fabrics in air filtration.
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Song JY, Kim S, Park J, Park SM. Highly Efficient, Dual-Functional Self-Assembled Electrospun Nanofiber Filters for Simultaneous PM Removal and On-Site Eye-Readable Formaldehyde Sensing. ADVANCED FIBER MATERIALS 2023; 5:1088-1103. [PMID: 37235136 PMCID: PMC9996567 DOI: 10.1007/s42765-023-00279-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution containing particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds has caused magnificent burdens on individual health and global economy. Although advances in highly efficient or multifunctional nanofiber filters have been achieved, many existing filters can only deal with one type of air pollutant, such as capturing PM or absorbing and detecting toxic gas. Here, highly efficient, dual-functional, self-assembled electrospun nanofiber (SAEN) filters were developed for simultaneous PM removal and onsite eye-readable formaldehyde sensing fabricated on a commercial fabric mask. With the use of an electrolyte solution containing a formaldehyde-sensitive colorimetric agent as a collector during electrospinning, the one-step fabrication of the dual-functional SAEN filter on commercial masks, such as a fabric mask and a daily disposable mask, was achieved. The electrolyte solution also allowed the uniform deposition of electrospun nanofibers, thereby achieving the high efficiency of PM filtration with an increased quality factor up to twice that of commercial masks. The SAEN filter enabled onsite and eye-readable formaldehyde gas detection by changing its color from yellow to red under a 5 ppm concentrated formaldehyde gas atmosphere. The repetitive fabrication and detachment of the SAEN filter on a fabric mask minimized the waste of the mask while maintaining high filtration efficiency by replenishing the SAEN filters and reusing the fabric mask. Given the dual functionality of SAEN filters, this process could provide new insights into designing and developing high performance and dual-functional electrospun nanofiber filters for various applications, including individual protection and indoor purification applications. Graphical Abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42765-023-00279-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yeong Song
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, 63-2 Busan University-Ro, Geumjeong-Gu, Busan, 46241 South Korea
| | - Seongmin Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, 63-2 Busan University-Ro, Geumjeong-Gu, Busan, 46241 South Korea
| | - Jaeseong Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, 63-2 Busan University-Ro, Geumjeong-Gu, Busan, 46241 South Korea
| | - Sang Min Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, 63-2 Busan University-Ro, Geumjeong-Gu, Busan, 46241 South Korea
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Synthesis of Transparent Electrospun Composite Nanofiber Membranes by Asymmetric Solvent Evaporation Process. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2023.131264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
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Polyvinylidene fluoride multi-scale nanofibrous membrane modified using N-halamine with high filtration efficiency and durable antibacterial properties for air filtration. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 628:627-636. [PMID: 36027773 PMCID: PMC9381945 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.08.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Particulate matter (PM) pollution and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have increased demand for protective masks. However, typical protective masks only intercept particles and produce peculiar odors if worn for extended periods owing to bacterial growth. Therefore, new protective materials with good filtration and antibacterial capabilities are required. EXPERIMENTS In this study, we prepared multi-scale polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibrous membranes for efficient filtration and durable antibacterial properties via N-halamine modification. FINDINGS The N-halamine-modified nanofibrous membrane (PVDF-PAA-TMP-Cl) had sufficient active chlorine content (800 ppm), and the tensile stress and strain were improved compared with the original membrane, from 6.282 to 9.435 MPa and from 51.3 % to 56.4 %, respectively. To further improve the interception efficiency, ultrafine nanofibers (20-35 nm) were spun on PVDF-PAA-TMP-Cl nanofibrous membranes, and multi-scale PVDF-PAA-TMP-Cl nanofibrous membranes were prepared. These membranes exhibited good PM0.3 interception (99.93 %), low air resistance (79 Pa), promising long-term PM2.5 purification ability, and high bactericidal efficiency (>98 %). After ten chlorination cycles, the antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus exceeded 90 %; hence, the material demonstrated highly efficient filtration and repeatable antibacterial properties. The results of this study have implications for the development of air and water filtration systems and multi-functional protective materials.
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Shao Z, Chen H, Wang Q, Kang G, Wang X, Li W, Liu Y, Zheng G. High-performance multifunctional electrospun fibrous air filter for personal protection: A review. Sep Purif Technol 2022; 302:122175. [PMID: 36168392 PMCID: PMC9492398 DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
With the increasingly serious air pollution and the rampant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19), preparing high–performance air filter to achieve the effective personal protection has become a research hotspot. Electrospun nanofibrous membrane has become the first choice of air filter because of its small diameter, high specific surface area and porosity. However, improving the filtration performance of the filter only cannot meet the personal needs: it should be given more functions based on high filtration performance to maximize the personal benefits, called, multifunctional, which can also be easily realized by electrospinning technology, and has attracted much attention. In this review, the filtration mechanism of high–performance electrospun air filter is innovatively summarized from the perspective of membrane. On this basis, the specific preparation process, advantages and disadvantages are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, other functions required for achieving maximum personal protection benefits are introduced specifically, and the existing high–performance electrospun air filter with multiple functions are summarized. Finally, the challenges, limitations, and development trends of manufacturing high–performance air filter with multiple functions for personal protection are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zungui Shao
- Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Huatan Chen
- Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qingfeng Wang
- Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Guoyi Kang
- Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China
| | - Wenwang Li
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China
| | - Yifang Liu
- Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Gaofeng Zheng
- Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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PDMS/PVDF Electrospinning Membranes for Water-in-Oil Emulsion Separation and UV Protection. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:biomimetics7040217. [PMID: 36546917 PMCID: PMC9776350 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7040217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
With industry development, the separation of oily wastewater is becoming more critical. Inspired by organisms such as lotus leaves, biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces with micro-nano structures have shown great potential in this regard. In this work, PDMS/PVDF oil-water separation membranes with designed microstructures were prepared by electrospinning technology. The membrane-forming effect of electrospinning with different ratios of PDMS and PVDF was studied. The study found that membranes with high PDMS content were more likely to form microspheres, and PDMS tended to concentrate on the microspheres. The results also showed that the microspheres would bring better hydrophobicity to the membrane. When the ratio of PDMS to PVDF is 1:2, the membrane has a water contact angle of up to 150° and an oil contact angle of 0°. At this ratio, the separation efficiency of the membrane for the water-in-oil emulsion is 98.7%, and it can still maintain more than 98% after ten separation cycles, which is a good candidate for oil-water separation. Furthermore, microspheres enable the membrane to achieve macroscopic uniformity and microscopic phase separation so that the membranes have both good elongation and fracture strength. In addition, the PDMS/PVDF membranes also exhibit excellent UV resistance, and their UV protection factor is greater than 185, making them a potential UV protective material.
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Cheng Y, Li J, Chen M, Zhang S, He R, Wang N. Environmentally friendly and antimicrobial bilayer structured fabrics with integrated interception and sterilization for personal protective mask. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Air pollution control for indoor environments using nanofiber filters: a brief review and post-pandemic perspectives. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL ADVANCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceja.2022.100330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Dual-Structure PVDF/SDS Nanofibrous Membranes for Highly Efficient Personal Protection in Mines. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12050482. [PMID: 35629808 PMCID: PMC9144173 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12050482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Pneumoconiosis in miners is considered a global problem. Improving the performance of individual protective materials can effectively reduce the incidence of pneumoconiosis. In this study, the blend membrane of sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyvinylidene fluoride with a dual structure was prepared using electrospinning techniques, and the morphological structure, fiber diameter, and filtration performance of the nanofiber membranes were optimized by adjusting the PVDF concentration and SDS content. The results show that the incorporation of SDS enabled the nanofiber membranes to show tree-like and beaded fibers. Compared with the original PVDF membrane, the small content of tree-like fibers and beaded fibers can improve the filtration efficiency and reduce the resistance of the fiber membrane. The prepared nanofiber membrane has excellent comprehensive filtration performance, and the quality factor is 0.042 pa−1 when the concentration of PVDF is 10 wt% and the addition of SDS is 0.1 wt%. Furthermore, after high-temperature treatment, the membrane could still maintain good filtration performance. The PVDF/SDS blend nanofiber membrane has outstanding filtration efficiency and good thermal stability and can fully meet the personal protection of miners in underground high-temperature operation environments.
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