Regenerable Air Filter Media for Adsorption of Toxic Industrial Chemicals

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) both pose a significant threat to DoD personnel both in the field as well as in established infrastructure such as large buildings. Current VOC/TIC protection technologies suffer from incomplete removal of contaminants, high operating costs, and limitation to single-use only. Recent research suggests activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are an optimal platform for continuous chemical protection due to high capacity and rapid rates of adsorption and desorption. Traditional ACFs unfortunately suffer from exorbitant costs. This SBIR Phase I project will result in the development of ultrafast, high permeability, regenerable ACFs based on a low-cost carbon-on-glass geometry. Serionix will demonstrate feasibility of this new technology through the following activities: 1) preparation of ACFs using a dip-coating method; 2)characterization of tunable TIC (ammonia, NO2) adsorption capability of the ACFs; 3) research and development of new synthesis and regeneration techniques to maximize the efficiency of the system.