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 fine 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 attack, 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 will apply this expertise to create its bio-eAFs, which will be extremely 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 will be made of bio-friendly materials that will degrade almost completely within two months following disposal. With this Phase I project, DiPole will deliver a high-performance filter prototype that can help to protect consumers during wildfires and other high pollution events, but will not further contribute to the problem of environmental pollution. The prototype will be designed for use in commercial HVAC systems, but DiPole also plans to develop versions of its filters that can be attached to box fans or adhered to window screens, to ensure the benefits of bio-eAFs are accessible even to those who do not have air conditioning.