Farideh Golbabaie - Professor, Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Somayeh Farhang Dehghan - Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Majid Habibi Mohraz - Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran.
Elham Akhlaghi Pirposhteh - PhD Student, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

The present study aims to investigate the role of the electrostatic mechanism in the filtration process of Polyacrylonitrile nanofibers containing single-walled carbon nanotube. The nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning using ۱۶wt% Polyacrylonitrile polymer (PAN) solution, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) at a ratio of ۹۹:۱ along with N and N-Dimethylformamide solvents. Initial filtration efficiency was tested as per ISO ۲۹۴۶۳:۲۰۱۱ standard inside a test rig. An electrostatic discharge test was performed via the chemical treatment of the filter media with Isopropyl alcohol in accordance to EN۷۷۹ standard. Mean initial filtration efficiency of the nanofiber media in the capturing of ۱۰۰nm and ۲۰۰nm particles were ۹۵.۹۲% ±۲.۷۴ and ۹۷.۲۶% ±۱.۱۱ respectively, while for particles between ۸۰nm to ۲۵۰nm, this was ۹۶.۷۳% ±۲.۷۴. The efficiency of the untreated media was ۰.۲% to ۱.۲% higher than the PAN/SWNT media after electron discharge using Isopropyl alcohol with an even bigger difference being observed at lower particle size ranges. After treatment with Isopropyl alcohol, the pressure drop of the filtration media was increased from ۱۶۴.۷ Pa to ۱۸۵.۳ Pa. The reduction in filtration efficiency observed after the electrostatic discharge test indicates that the electrical charge of the electrospun nanofibers is influential in its initial efficiency for removing the submicron particles.

Nanofibers, Carbon Nanotubes, Filtration, Efficiency, Electrostatic