Presentation Title
Improvement of Efficiency in Atmospheric Filtration Systems through Carbon Nanotube Coating Methods
Faculty Mentor
David R Cocker III
Start Date
18-11-2017 12:30 PM
End Date
18-11-2017 1:30 PM
Location
BSC-Ursa Minor 99
Session
Poster 2
Type of Presentation
Poster
Subject Area
engineering_computer_science
Abstract
As Third World countries rapidly develop, there is a need for improved materials which counteract increased pollution produced by industrial growth and manufacturing. By enhancing common materials with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), many practical avenues are available in which CNTs may improve a material’s effectiveness to combat pollution. Enhancing air filtration systems with CNTs can potentially improve both their efficiency, and ability to filter harmful particulates from the atmosphere. Much in the way CNT membranes improve water purification (by allowing frictionless passage of water while rejecting pollutants), applying CNTs to air filters is expected to produce similar results. The degree to which CNTs improve standard filters will be tested by way of various CNT coatings on various surfaces. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with pore sizes varying from 0.4 μm to 5 μm will first be used on quartz fiber, cloth, and organdy filters. The least expensive raw SWNTs (AP-SWNTs) will be used with very small amounts of SWNT powder in the μg range to prepare samples.
A custom instrument will be assembled for parallel testing of filters to assess improvements, or hindrances, between coated and non-coated filters. Comparisons will be made between coated filters to determine optimum CNT coating methods which yield the highest efficiency at the lowest cost. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mono-nitrogen oxides (NOX) will be introduced into the system as well, in order to analyze whether CNT coated filters are capable of purifying heavily polluted atmospheres, as increasing VOC and NOX levels are large environmental concerns.
Improvement of Efficiency in Atmospheric Filtration Systems through Carbon Nanotube Coating Methods
BSC-Ursa Minor 99
As Third World countries rapidly develop, there is a need for improved materials which counteract increased pollution produced by industrial growth and manufacturing. By enhancing common materials with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), many practical avenues are available in which CNTs may improve a material’s effectiveness to combat pollution. Enhancing air filtration systems with CNTs can potentially improve both their efficiency, and ability to filter harmful particulates from the atmosphere. Much in the way CNT membranes improve water purification (by allowing frictionless passage of water while rejecting pollutants), applying CNTs to air filters is expected to produce similar results. The degree to which CNTs improve standard filters will be tested by way of various CNT coatings on various surfaces. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with pore sizes varying from 0.4 μm to 5 μm will first be used on quartz fiber, cloth, and organdy filters. The least expensive raw SWNTs (AP-SWNTs) will be used with very small amounts of SWNT powder in the μg range to prepare samples.
A custom instrument will be assembled for parallel testing of filters to assess improvements, or hindrances, between coated and non-coated filters. Comparisons will be made between coated filters to determine optimum CNT coating methods which yield the highest efficiency at the lowest cost. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mono-nitrogen oxides (NOX) will be introduced into the system as well, in order to analyze whether CNT coated filters are capable of purifying heavily polluted atmospheres, as increasing VOC and NOX levels are large environmental concerns.