Nanofiber Web Filter Medium for Liquid Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional filter media face challenges in achieving high efficiency and stability due to limitations in pore size uniformity, permeability, and weight, leading to low flow rates and high differential pressures, especially when using hydrophobic polymers like PVdF, and struggle with handling and manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A filter medium is created by laminating a lightweight nanofiber web on a porous nonwoven fabric, using a transfer method to achieve uniformity in pore size, permeability, and weight, and incorporating ion exchange resin particles and Ag nanoparticles for enhanced filtration and antimicrobial properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional filter media are used to achieve high filtration efficiency, then pore size uniformity and filtration performance are improved, but weight increases and differential pressure increases, leading to reduced flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
The filter medium is divided into two distinct layers: a porous nonwoven fabric layer providing structural support and a nanofiber web layer providing fine filtration. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high pore size uniformity in the nanofiber layer without requiring the entire filter medium to be heavy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining porous nonwoven fabric (providing strength and porosity) with nanofiber web (providing fine filtration and uniform pore size). This composite approach enables the filter medium to achieve high filtration precision while maintaining low weight, as the nanofiber layer is lightweight yet effective for fine particle separation.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional filter media are used to achieve high filtration efficiency, then pore size uniformity is improved, but differential pressure increases, reducing pass flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the filter into a support layer and a filtration layer, the nanofiber web can be designed with optimal pore size uniformity for high filtration efficiency while the porous nonwoven fabric layer maintains high permeability to minimize differential pressure, thus preserving high pass flow rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous nonwoven fabric layer serves as a highly permeable support structure that allows fluid to pass through with minimal resistance, while the nanofiber web layer provides the fine pore structure for uniform filtration. This dual-porous structure reduces overall differential pressure and maintains high flow rates.
3Reliability
If hydrophobic polymers like PVdF are used to achieve stable filtration performance, then reliability is improved, but handling and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter medium is segmented into a porous nonwoven fabric layer that provides mechanical strength and ease of handling, and a nanofiber web layer that provides stable filtration performance. This allows the hydrophobic nanofiber layer to maintain its filtration stability while the supportive nonwoven fabric layer improves handling and manufacturing characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines the reliable filtration properties of hydrophobic nanofibers with the ease of handling characteristics of porous nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric layer acts as a manageable substrate that simplifies manufacturing while the nanofiber layer ensures consistent filtration performance.
4Productivity
If nanofiber web is laminated on porous nonwoven fabric to reduce weight and differential pressure, then pass flow rate is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nanofiber web is formed and prepared in advance as a separate layer with controlled pore size and uniform structure, then laminated onto the porous nonwoven fabric. This preliminary preparation of the nanofiber layer allows for optimized filtration properties while the lamination process integrates it with the support layer, achieving high pass flow rate with manageable manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a filter medium with excellent air and water permeability, reduced differential pressure, and improved handling properties, enabling efficient filtration and pathogen removal while reducing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a nanofiber web (13) which is laminated on one side of the porous support (11) and is made of nanofibers (25) having fine pores of a three-dimensional structure, through which a liquid to be treated passes
Implementation Method 2
the ion exchange resin particles (15) are dispersed inside or outside the nanofibers (25)
Implementation Method 3
the Ag nanoparticles (17) are dispersed inside or outside the nanofibers (25), to thereby kill a variety of pathogens present in the filter medium
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are filter media for liquid filters and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a thin filter layer is formed and the content of nanofibers weighs light, by laminating a low weight nanofiber web on a porous nonwoven fabric, and thus a less differential pressure is applied before and after filtering, to thereby increase a pass flow rate. The filter medium includes: a porous support that plays a strength support role; and a nanofiber web that is laminated on one side of the porous support and is made of nanofibers of a polymer material, in which the nanofiber web comprises fine pores of a three-dimensional structure, through which a liquid to be treated passes, wherein content of the nanofibers is less than 5 gsm.