Engineered Janus Nano/Microfibrous Webs From a Combination of Electro-Blowing and Melt-Blowing for Air Filtration.

The study aims to manufacture composite fibrous media using a combination of Polypropylene (PP)–Polylactic Acid (PLA)–Zinc Stearate (ZnSt) (75PP-25PLA-ZnSt) Melt-Blown (MB) as a substrate, and Electrically Assisted Solution Blow Spun (ESBS) Gelatin (G-12120) nanofibrous webs were collected on the substrate surface. The gelatin nanofibrous webs fabricated by ESBS are designated as NF, while those from MB 75PP-25PLA-ZnSt fabrics are labeled as MF. Herein, NF/MF and MF/NF/MF layered nonwoven fabrics are fabricated to filter PM 0. 3 aerosols from the aerosol-polluted environment. The fabricated filter samples were characterized morphologically using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), air permeability, surface wetting characteristics, and aerosol filtration performance. The results demonstrated that the successfully produced composite filter membrane exhibited relatively smooth morphological structures with mean fiber diameters of 1 7 0. 5 6 ± 7. 3 3 and 7 0 5. 6 7 ± 2 0. 4 5  nm from the ESBS and melt-blowing processes, respectively. NF/MF-5 double-layer composite filter membrane has a Quality Factor (QF) of 0.05 Pa − 1 . This filter sample also exhibits a high air permeability of 185 mm/s and a filtration efficiency of 78.36%. Therefore, this research provides a new insight showing that composite membranes with high filtration performance made from biodegradable polymers could be utilized for creating an eco-friendly environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]