A novel preparation of anti-layered poly(vinylalcohol)–polyacrylonitrile (PVA/PAN) membrane for air filtration by electrospinning

Abstract

A novel 3D filtration medium for airborne particles was prepared using an electrospinning technique, wherein PVA and PAN were used as a reinforcing agent and a bulk material for the filtration membrane, respectively. In order to improve the filtration efficiency and mechanical property of the membrane, the membrane was modified by a certain concentration mixture of GA, acetone and acetic acid, which could reduce the number of hydroxyl groups, promote its stability and increase the compactness via a bond between fibers. Simultaneously, the mechanical property of the membrane was measured by a tensile tester, and the results demonstrated that the maximum strain and toughness reached 144.58% and 5.33 J g⁻¹, respectively. After that, the membrane was used as an air purification material for testing air particles content and the particles intercept principle has been discussed. The filtration performance of the membrane demonstrated that the membrane possessed excellent removing efficiency for air suspension with lower pressure drop compared with commercial masks under the same testing conditions. The filtration efficiency for the particles, sized 0.3 to 7 μm, was found to be approximately 99%. Furthermore, we also developed an effective avenue to fabricate a filtration medium based on the a steel wire for applications in ultra condition.