Design of biodegradable cellulose filtration material with high efficiency and breathability

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2024-07, Vol.336, p.122133-122133, Article 122133
• Main Authors: Ketoja, Jukka A., Saurio, Kaisa, Rautkoski, Hille, Kenttä, Eija, Tanaka, Atsushi, Koponen, Antti I., Virkajärvi, Jussi, Heinonen, Kimmo, Kostamo, Katri, Järvenpää, Anastasia, Hyry, Niina, Heikkilä, Pirjo, Hankonen, Nelli, Harlin, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosols - chemistry; Cellulose - analogs & derivatives; Cellulose - chemistry; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Electrospinning; Filtration; Filtration - methods; Foam forming; Humans; Nanofibers - chemistry; Particle Size; Poly(ethylene oxide); Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Regenerated cellulose; Respiratory Protective Devices; SARS-CoV-2; Usability
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122133

Using respiratory protective equipment is one of the relevant preventive measures for infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and for various occupational respiratory hazards. Because experienced discomfort may result in a decrease in the utilization of respirators, it is important to enhance the material properties to resolve suboptimal usage. We combined several technologies to produce a filtration material that met requirements set by a cross-disciplinary interview study on the usability of protective equipment. Improved breathability, environmental sustainability, and comfort of the material were achieved by electrospinning poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibers on a thin foam-formed fabric from regenerated cellulose fibers. The high filtration efficiency of sub-micron–sized diethylhexyl sebacate (DEHS) aerosol particles resulted from the small mean segment length of 0.35 μm of the nanofiber network. For a particle diameter of 0.6 μm, the filtration efficiency of a single PEO layer varied in the range of 80–97 % depending on the coat weight. The corresponding pressure drop had the level of 20–90 Pa for the airflow velocity of 5.3 cm/s. Using a multilayer structure, a very high filtration efficiency of 99.5 % was obtained with only a slightly higher pressure drop. This opens a route toward designing sustainable personal protective media with improved user experience. [Display omitted]