Protective Facial Mask Filters Made from Timber Wood Wastes: An Useful Recycling Approach

Anti-pollution masks have been experiencing a noteworthy importance in protecting people from hazardous health effects imparted by pollution gases. Incorporating elements with good adsorption properties in mask could enhance the filtration of air in a fine quality. Activated carbon has been well acknowledged in terms of evincing adequate adsorption properties. This peculiar property of activated carbon made it to be appraised where air filtration comes into light. This work deals with a novel methodology for measurement study on the pollutant gas adsorption effect of activated carbon particle pellets incorporated in the protective facial mask for better adsorption of main pollutant gases utilizing recycled wood wastes. The resulted mask is up to the par and adsorption capability is well appreciated enough to resist the passage of dust particles through nostrils. Easily available and scraped industrial wood waste materials were utilized to synthesize activated carbon. This was characterized by fixed carbon percentage, bulk density and scanning electron microscopic morphology study. The effectiveness of adsorption of gases like NO_x, CO and CO₂ was analysed using AVL gas analyser.