Light stabilizer-modified hydrocharging melt-blown nonwovens with superior charge stability for air filtration

Particulate matter poses substantial risks to human health, air visibility, climate, and ecological equilibrium. Electret materials are instrumental in air purification and personal protection, as they significantly enhance filtration efficiency without increasing pressure drop. Despite these advantages, developing electret filters with both high filtration efficiency and stable performance under thermal conditions and prolonged storage has proven challenging. In this study, we introduce a novel electret melt-blown filter fabricated through hydrocharging technology supplemented with the light stabilizer UV3346. The interaction of water and air molecules with melt-blown fibers generated abundant positive and negative charges, thereby amplifying the electrostatic attraction effect. Concurrently, UV3346 mitigated the formation of reactive free radicals and minimized charge exchanges, thus enhancing charge storage stability. Owing to the incorporation of UV3346, the UV3346/PP-0.8 melt-blown nonwovens, having a basis weight of 22 g/m(2), demonstrated a filtration efficiency of 99.55 %, a low pressure drop of 59.45 Pa, and marginal decrease in filtration efficiency after heat treatment at 130 C-degrees. Notably, the filtration efficiency experienced only a 0.30 % reduction after a two-year storage period, markedly outperforming commercial alternatives. This study is expected to inform future work on high-performance air filtration materials suitable for both air purification and personal protection equipment.