Fibre Blend and Web Arrangement for Optimized Dust-Holding, Hydrophobic, and Thermal Properties of Needle-Punched Nonwovens

Abstract

PM2.5 filters with hydrophobicity and thermal resistance are preferable for automobile cabins, engine air intake, and indoor applications, safeguarding against moisture ingress, microbial growth, and temperature fluctuations, and ensuring optimal air quality. This study explored the effects of blending five fibres with different web arrangements and fibre blend compositions on needle-punched dust-holding, hydrophobic, and thermal properties. Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polypropylene (PP), polyester (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were blended in different proportions to produce the samples. The method included opening, blending, carding, web laying, and needle punching to produce eight samples with cross-laid, parallel-laid, and pre-needled parallel-laid web configurations. Standard test methods were employed for the characterization. The results showed a dust holding capacity of > 3,423,000 particles/cm2, the highest WCA of 133.12°, and the highest thermal resistance of 0.24255 m2KW−1. Based on the ANOVA analysis, web arrangement and pre-needling did not have a significant impact on the hydrophobicity of the samples. N0, N1, and N2 showed similar high water contact angles (~ 126°), indicating that the hydrophobicity was more affected by the chemistry of the fibre blend than by the web structure. Turkey’s analysis of other samples strengthened this idea. However, they had a substantial impact on the porosity, air permeability, dust-holding capacity, and thermal properties at a P-value ≤ 0.05. The findings provide insightful information regarding the complex interactions among fibre content, web layout, and pre-needling to develop sophisticated needle-punched PM2.5 filters.