Electrospun Polymer Composite Membrane with Superior Thermal Stability and Excellent Chemical Resistance for High-Efficiency PM2.5 Capture.

Abstract

To address the challenge of high-temperature air filtration, a novel electreted polysulfonamide/polyacrylonitrile-boehmite (PSA/PAN-B) composite nanofiber based filter was developed via electrospinning for effective high-temperature dust removal. In this study, the spinnability of PSA was greatly improved by adding a small amount of PAN as an auxiliary polymer, and the introduction of a boehmite electret further significantly reinforced the properties of PSA fibers. As a result, the PSA/PAN-B membrane exhibited a high filtration efficiency (up to 99.52 ± 0.32%), low pressure drop (45.16 ± 1.39 Pa), excellent flexibility, good mechanical properties, high thermal stability (up to approximately 300 °C), and superior chemical resistance. Through data analysis and 3D simulation, the important benefits of the boehmite electret in the optimization of the PSA fibrous membrane performance were determined: it increases the charge storage capacity, constructs a rough surface morphology, improves the specific surface area, and enhances the mechanical properties. More importantly, the PSA/PAN-B film possessed a robust PM2.5 purification capacity, and the particulate matter removal efficiency was kept unchanged after high-temperature, acid, or alkali treatment-a performance derived from the intrinsic molecular structure of PSA. The PSA/PAN-B composite fibrous membrane, with excellent comprehensive properties, is a promising candidate for air filters, especially in harsh environments, further broadening the applications of PSA and providing new insight into the design of high-performance filters with high-temperature and corrosion resistance.