Enhancing the filtration efficiency and wearing time of disposable surgical masks using TENG technology

Ruichao Zhang; Qi Xu; Suo Bai; Jun Hai; Li Cheng; Guoqiang Xu; Yong Qin

doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.105434

Enhancing the filtration efficiency and wearing time of disposable surgical masks using TENG technology

Nano Energy. 2021 Jan:79:105434. doi: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.105434. Epub 2020 Oct 5.

Authors

Ruichao Zhang¹, Qi Xu², Suo Bai¹, Jun Hai³, Li Cheng¹, Guoqiang Xu³, Yong Qin¹

Affiliations

¹ Insitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
² School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry Lanzhou University and Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented human and health crisis. And the shortage of protective equipment, especially the personal protective disposable surgical masks, has been a great challenge. Here, we developed an effective and simple scheme to prolong the lifetime of disposable surgical masks without changing their current structure, which is beneficial to solve the shortage of personal masks. After electrifying the meltblown PP filter by the new-developed single-electrode-based sliding triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) charge replenishment (NGCR) technology, the processed filter is bipolar charged and has a filtration efficiency beyond 95% for the particulate matter (PM) ranging from PM_0.3 to PM_10.0. Further, we demonstrate the 80 °C dry heating is an effective decontamination method. This method is compatible with single-electrode-based sliding TENG charge replenishment technology. The 80 °C dry heating and the NGCR technology can make up an effective regeneration procedure for the mask. Even after ten cycles of simulated 4 h wearing process and such regeneration procedure, the filtration efficiency of the disposable surgical masks PM_0.3 is still higher than 95%.

Keywords: COVID-19; Decontamination; Disposable surgical masks; Filtration; Meltblown nonwoven filter; Triboelectric nanogenerator.