Nanofibers for Sustainable Filtration: A Waste to Energy Approach

Air, a crucial requirement of human life, has been increasingly polluted day by day with rapid growth of industries, especially fossil fuel-driven ones, deforestation and urbanization. It has been severely affecting our lives and environment. One active as well as passive source of air pollution is cigarette smoke which has various health concerns. This smoke on the one hand releases complex aerosols like vapor oxides, tar and particulate pollutants in the surroundings, and on the other hand, cigarette buds get accumulated in land and ocean, thus affecting the ecological aspects of the environment, which demands for the requirement of efficient smoke filtration with proper disposal of used filters. This study analyzed the use of PAN nanofibers in cigarette smoke filtration with reusability in energy applications. PAN nanofibers showed 42.61% porosity with increased tortuosity; yet permeability was at par with commercial cigarette filters. The nanofiber filters gained weight up to 115% because of absorbed pollutants after a complete cigarette smoking test. Positive electrical conductivity upon carbonization and catalytic contribution in electrochemical tests was observed for the nanofiber filters.