Air filtration using hollow-fibre membranes for nanoparticle removal

conference paper

en

This work aimed to determine filtration performance of polypropylene hollow-fibre membranes (HFMs) for removing submicron particles from air. Experiments were performed in a glass chamber supplied with a polydisperse submicrometric size aerosol. Two types of HFMs varying in packing density, active filtration area and pore-size distribution were tested in outside-in configuration in suction mode. By measuring the number of particles upstream and downstream of the HFM, the filtration efficiency was determined. Three air flow velocities (5, 10 and 15 cm/s) were used to compare the velocity effect on filtration efficiency. Particle counting was carried out using a TSI 3075 condensation particle counter connected to a TSI 3080 scanning mobility particle sizer in 64 particle size channels from 16.8 to 572.5 nm. The results show high efficiency, mostly higher than 99% for particles above 60 nm size. The most penetrating particle sizes (MPPS) were between 35.9 and 40 nm at 5 cm/s with efficiency of 82–86%. However, with twofold airflow velocity, MPPS decreased with efficiency decreasing to values of 72–84% and down to 69–83% at 15 cm/s. Quality factor of HFMs was in range of 0.003 to 0.028 Pa−1.

This work aimed to determine filtration performance of polypropylene hollow-fibre membranes (HFMs) for removing submicron particles from air. Experiments were performed in a glass chamber supplied with a polydisperse submicrometric size aerosol. Two types of HFMs varying in packing density, active filtration area and pore-size distribution were tested in outside-in configuration in suction mode. By measuring the number of particles upstream and downstream of the HFM, the filtration efficiency was determined. Three air flow velocities (5, 10 and 15 cm/s) were used to compare the velocity effect on filtration efficiency. Particle counting was carried out using a TSI 3075 condensation particle counter connected to a TSI 3080 scanning mobility particle sizer in 64 particle size channels from 16.8 to 572.5 nm. The results show high efficiency, mostly higher than 99% for particles above 60 nm size. The most penetrating particle sizes (MPPS) were between 35.9 and 40 nm at 5 cm/s with efficiency of 82–86%. However, with twofold airflow velocity, MPPS decreased with efficiency decreasing to values of 72–84% and down to 69–83% at 15 cm/s. Quality factor of HFMs was in range of 0.003 to 0.028 Pa−1.

Hollow-fibre membrane, filtration efficiency, pressure drop, submicron particles

12.03.2018

978-3-941655-15-7

FILTECH 2018, March 13-15, Cologne – Germany

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