In-line plasma pre- and post-treatment as parts of technology for manufacturing of nanofiber-based filters with the improved performance properties
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Fibrous filter devices represent a simple and economical method for efficient removing particles at a submicrometric-size scale from air and water streams. Usually, a small fiber diameter increases filtration efficiency. Therefore, many techniques are emerging for the synthesis and processing of fibrous materials at the submicrometric/nanometric level. Among them, electrospinning is one of the most efficient techniques used for the fabrication of nanostructured membranes for water and air filtration from synthetic polymers. Such media can be applied to produce filters and protective aids with FFP3 filtration efficiency, including protection against viruses with increasing importance precisely in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. The key point for creating a functional nanofiber membrane for air and water filters is to meet basic properties such as filtration efficiency, improved water flux, mechanical resistance, and resistance to fouling and chemicals. The advanced nanofiber-based filters’ design and manufacturing urgently require new environmental-friendly and cost-effective surface treatment without using organic solvents and caustic solutions. Moreover, self-supporting electrospun nanofiber layers usually have poor mechanical properties. Therefore, the nanofibers are deposited on a polymer textile substrate while being requesting strong adhesion between the nanofiber layer and the substrate. To address this need, as an alternative, the atmospheric-pressure plasma offers to be used for both surface activation (plasma pre-treatment) of the substrate to achieve its higher adhesion to the electrospun nanofiber layer and post-treatment of this layer for the improvement of the performance properties of water nanofiber filters. In this contribution, we present the applied research results focused on the transfer and adjustment of the diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) technology for the specific high-throughput nanofiber filter production needs of NAFIGATE Corporation a.s. within the joint project. The tape peel force measurement results confirmed that a few seconds lasting plasma pre- treatment of polymer textile substrates carried by DCSBD promotes its adhesion force significantly. Plasma post-treatment of the nanofiber layer resulted in higher wettability and water flux confirmed by strike-through time and gravimetric measurements. The SEM analysis of morphology revealed that the treatment did not destroy the surface of nanofibers due to the gentle character of the plasma. At the final stage of the project, the DCSBD technology was successfully tested for in-line pre- treatment of the PP nonwoven substrate prior to electrospinning and post-treatment of PVDF nanofiber layer for better wettability and utilization for the water filters in the production premises of NAFIGATE Park s.r.o. |
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