Fighting Fires with Filters - Electrospinning Biodegradable Materials for High-Performance Indoor Air Filters

Millions of Americans are affected by the smoke from wildfires each year. This smoke contains harmful particulate matter (PM2.5) and gaseous pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which, when inhaled, can cause respiratory irritation and other health effects such as increased risk of asthma, bronchitis, heart attach, or stroke. As the frequency and intensity of wildfires continues to increase, new and innovative air filtration technologies are needed to ensure people can breathe cleaner, safer air during these high-pollution events. To directly address this need, DiPole Materials, an advanced materials manufacturer, is developing biodegradable indoor air filters made of electrospun nanofibers, "bio-eAFs." DiPole has expertise in developing filter products via electrospinning, a low-cost, highly tunable manufacturing process that uses strong electrical fields to draw polymers out of solution and create nonwoven nanofiber materials. The company is applying this expertise to create its bio-eAFs, which will be affordable, adaptable, and effective -- able to reduce PM2.5 levels at an efficiency of 95%, with less back pressure and lower energy usage than existing high-efficiency filtration products. DiPole is targeting the $3.5 billion residential air filter market, which is growing quickly with increasing consumer awareness about the effects of air quality on human health. A key innovation that will set bio-eAFs apart in the market is the fact that they are made of bio-friendly materials that will degrade almost completely within two months following disposal. In a Phase I SBIR project, DiPole developed a high-performance filter prototype, designed for use in commercial HVAC systems, that demonstrates a high particulate removal efficiencies and low pressure drops across the face of the filter. DiPole's bio-eAF material was able to match performance of, and in some cases outperform, existing commercial filter materials in early testing. In Phase II, DiPole will advance the bio-eAF product toward commercialization by further enhancing the performance of the material, developing a fully biodegradable filter cartridge, and establishing a scaled manufacturing and marketing plan, working with strategic partners. DiPole's vision for bio-eAFs is they will protect consumers during wildfire smoke pollution events, but will not further contribute to the problem of environmental pollution.