Adsorption Characteristics of Activated Carbon Fibers in Respirator Cartridges for Toluene

Respirator use has been shown to be associated with overall discomfort. Activated carbon fiber (ACF) has potential as an alternative adsorbent for developing thinner, lightweight, and efficient respirators due to its larger surface area, microporosity, and fabric form. The purpose of this pilot stud...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-08, Vol.18 (16), p.8505
Main Authors: Balanay, Jo Anne G., Oh, Jonghwa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activated carbon
Adsorbents
Adsorption
Air flow
Air temperature
Carbon fibers
Cartridges
Configurations
Laboratories
Microporosity
Outdoor air quality
Photoionization
Pollutants
Pore size
Protective equipment
Relative humidity
Respirators
Scanning electron microscopy
Specific surface
Surface area
Surface chemistry
Toluene
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Summary:Respirator use has been shown to be associated with overall discomfort. Activated carbon fiber (ACF) has potential as an alternative adsorbent for developing thinner, lightweight, and efficient respirators due to its larger surface area, microporosity, and fabric form. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the adsorption characteristics of commercially available ACF in respirator cartridges with varying ACF composition for toluene protection. Seven ACF types (one cloth, six felt) with varying properties were tested. Seven ACF cartridge configurations with varying ACF composition were challenged with five toluene concentrations (20–500 ppm) at constant air temperature (23 °C), relative humidity (50%), and air flow (32 LPM). Breakthrough curves were obtained using photoionization detectors. Breakthrough times (10%, 50%, and 5 ppm) and adsorption capacities were compared among ACF cartridge configurations to determine their suitable application in respiratory protection. Results showed that ACF cartridges containing the densest ACF felt types had the longest average breakthrough times (e.g., ~250–270 min to reach 5 ppm breakthrough time) and those containing ACF felt types with the highest specific surface areas had the highest average adsorption capacity (~450–470 mg/g). The ACF cartridges demonstrated breakthrough times of
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18168505