Electrospinning Machine | Bioinspired Wet-Laid Electrospun Short Fiber Hybrid Networks for Aerosol Filtration

Challenge: Removing particulate matter using air filters is a key strategy for protecting public health. However, designing fiber-based filters typically requires a balance between filtration efficiency and pressure drop, which remains a significant challenge. 

Method: The team of Chao Deng from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, inspired by the microstructure of penguin feathers, proposed a scalable and innovative wet-laid hybrid fiber network (WHFN) air filter with a biomimetic structure. 

Innovation 1: An amphiphilic diblock copolymer was used to modulate the surface charge and surface energy of hydrophobic electrospun short fibers, effectively mitigating fiber aggregation in aqueous processing systems. Simultaneously, electrostatic repulsion ensured that the large pores formed between the coarse short fibers were uniformly allocated by the electrospun short fibers, resulting in a hybrid fiber web structure with a uniform pore size distribution. 

Innovation 2: The WHFN exhibited excellent performance, including high filtration efficiency (91.91% for PM1 and 100% for PM2.5), low pressure drop (92.6 Pa), and robust mechanical strength (7.5 MPa). This work provides a simple and effective strategy for manufacturing promising high-performance wet-laid filters. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202511218