Free-Standing Ultrafine Nanofiber Papers with High PM_0.3 Mechanical Filtration Efficiency by Scalable Blow and Electro-Blow Spinning

Particulate matter of 0.3 μm in diameter (PM0.3) poses a serious threat to the environment and human beings. Ultrathin and -light nanofibrous filters with excellent filtration properties can significantly prevent the detrimental effects of these particles. Here, we develop free-standing polyamide PA-66 ultrafine nanofiber papers for PM0.3 filtration using effective and scalable blow and electro-blow spinning techniques. The smallest average fiber diameter is 61.7 nm, which is 2–3 orders of magnitude smaller than that of conventional textiles. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) nonwovens are selected to fabricate free-standing nanofiber papers of various polymers, including polyamide, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and poly(ethylene oxide) owing to the smooth surfaces of the nonwovens. This underlying principle can be used to create similar free-standing nanofiber papers from other commodity polymers in the future. Mechanisms of capturing particulate matter with different nanofiber morphologies are discussed. Salt and oil particulates are used to characterize the filtration properties. PA-66 papers are promising reusable filters owing to their mechanical particle-capture mechanism. The blow-spun PA-66 papers show filtration performance of 98.75% efficiency and a pressure drop of 125.44 Pa owing to the “slip” effect caused by the ultrasmall diameter. In the electro-blow spinning process, a supplementary voltage supply is conducive to separating nanofiber bundles into random-oriented nanofibers. Electro-blown spun papers possess an ultrahigh efficiency of 99.99% with a reduced areal density of 0.9 g m–2. These PA-66 papers can be used in a variety of applications, such as reusable personal protective equipment, industrial waste gas treatment, and central ventilation purification systems.