EPA Nanotechnology and the Environment ... - Mechatronics

Nanotechnology and the Environment: Applications and Implications STAR Progress Review Workshop
Development of High Surface Area Material and Filter Media
Jayesh Doshi
eSpin Technologies, Inc., Chattanooga, TN
Abstract
The 21st Century has begun with the promise of
nanotechnology, which is expected to harness novel properties
of materials and unique features of phenomena at
the nanometer scale. This is likely to lead to significant
breakthroughs that will have major implications for environmental
protection. Nanotechnologies developed in the
coming years will form the foundation of significant
commercial platforms. This project focuses on providing
a feasibility demonstration of producing nonwoven
webs of electrospun nanofibers at a commercial scale
for specific environmental applications. The applications
targeted are those that require the use of webs such as
high surface area material or filtration media. These applications
are well suited to address the problems of
adsorbing gaseous pollutants (where high surface area
of nanowebs is very attractive) or filtering particles
smaller than 3 microns from effluent gases or liquids
economically (where superior efficiency of nanowebs
in capturing submicron particles is very attractive). Alternatively,
such filters will increase the particle-loading
capacity of the filters, or reduce the pressure drop for a
variety of filtration end uses.
Initially, the nanofibers will be electrospun from a
solution of polyacrylonitrile in dimethylformamide in the
form of a nonwoven mat. This mat will be further processed
to convert it into activated carbon fiber NanoFilter
media. The web architecture will be tailored to achieve
the desired filter performance and gas adsorption by varying
fiber diameter, fiber orientation, fiber-packing fraction
within the nanoweb, activation level, and nanoweb
thickness.
This project will be carried out by eSpin Technologies—a
small, high-technology startup company based
in Chattanooga, TN, that specializes in providing custom-made
electrospun nanofibers—in collaboration with
academic centers and major corporations. Together, this
group possesses the skills and facilities needed to successfully
conduct the work under this project.
At the end of the Phase I and Phase II efforts, eSpin
will have successfully developed nanofiber-based high
surface area NanoFilters made from activated carbon
for the removal of gaseous pollutants. With the active
collaboration of eSpin’s partners, these products will be
commercialized in the United States and in the international
marketplace. Apart from providing technology leadership
to U.S. companies, the proposed effort also will
help fulfill the mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to improve the quality of air and water.
The Office of Research and Development’s National Center for Environmental Research 67