Development of nanofiber based membrane for water harvesting from air
Project no. 21516 · Status: Kapanmış · 2020
Summary
In this project, it is aimed to develop a composite material consisting of nanofibers and nanoparticles and micro particles to capture water in the form of gas in the air. For this, a composite surface with hydrophilic / hydrophobic structure inspired by nature is planned. For this purpose, nanofiber surfaces were produced from the hydrophilic polyamide 6 and chitosan blend using the electrospinning method. The effect of the polyamide / chitosan blend ratio, flow rate, distance between needle and cylindrical collector and applied voltage on the morphology of nanofibers produced was determined by scanning electron microscope. In order to obtain hydrophobic zones, polycaprolactone, which is a hydrophobic polymer, was electrosprayed onto PA6/CH nanofibers. As a result, a surface consisted of nanofibers and irregular nanoparticles was obtained. A stainless steel mesh was used for water harvesting tests. Water harvesting capacity of unprocessed mesh wire, PA6/CH nanofiber coated mesh wire and PCL sprayed PA6/CH nanofiber coated mesh wire. Surprisingly, no significant difference was observed between the average water harvesting capacity of unprocessed mesh wire and the PA6/CH nanofiber coated mesh wire. Addition of PCL to the structure further decreased the water harvesting capacity.