NaCl aerosol filtration over filter media with intrafiber porosity: can filtrate capacity be increased by wicking into this pore volume?

Abstract This paper investigates a novel fiber-based filter media wherein a NaCl filtrate is collected and reservoired not only onto the surfaces of the fibers and within their inter-fiber voidage but also within the internal porosity of high pore volume nanoporous fibers or vapor grown carbon nanofibers (VGCF) floc used to fabricate the media. This transport process is shown to occur through a NaCl dissolution into the water-filled nanopores of the fiber and a subsequent intra-fiber wicking phenomenon. The study further elucidates two distinct NaCl accommodation mechanisms which are uniquely available to filter media containing nanoporous intrafiber porosity: (1) wicking and capillary condensation of liquid NaCl aerosols directly into the intrafiber pores at high RH, and (2) dissolution of otherwise solid NaCl aerosols deposited onto fiber surfaces (at low RH) into the interior nanopores of the fiber because these pores (when hydrophilic) are saturated with water (even at low RH). To investigate these two mechanistic regimes, various media were fabricated possessing multiscale porosity in the form of: (i) embedded flocs of VGCFs (4.108 cm³ gm⁻¹ pore volume), (ii) hydrophilic and high pore volume activated carbon fibers (ACFs, 0.950 cm³ gm⁻¹) and (iii) solid graphite fibers. These media were then comparatively evaluated toward NaCl aerosol filtration at different relative humidities. Pressure drop measurements versus filtrate accumulation and SEM-EDAX VGCF demonstrated the location and transport of NaCl into the intrafiber voidage. Media containing both VGCF floc and ACF accumulated 1200% more NaCl at low RH (and a specified pressure drop) than similar media prepared from non-porous graphite fibers, with an additional 315% increase from low to high RH. A Gibbs free energy driving force model is provided to illustrate the driving forces favoring water condensation into the nanopores and solid NaCl aerosol dissolution into the water phase. Filtration efficiency and quality factor assessments for the various media are also systematically evaluated to demonstrate the observed mechanistics.