What are activated carbon air filters?
Carbon air filters are the filters most commonly used to remove gases. They are designed to filter gases
through a bed of activated carbon (also called activated charcoal) and are usually used to combat
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from common household products. They are also often
used to remove odors from the air, such as the smell of tobacco smoke. They cannot remove fine
particles like mold, dust, or pollen from the air. Activated Carbon filters have the ability to capture gas
molecules and hold them. The Activated Carbon filter surface is made up of millions of tiny pores, the
gas and odors fall into these pores and are trapped there until the air filter is disposed.
First, what is charcoal or carbon? These interchangeable terms refer to the remnants of
incomplete combustion. Picture the charred piece of wood that is left over after a
campfire. Only the readily combustible material in the wood has burned away, either
because of insufficient heat or poor supply of oxygen. The black char that remains is
mostly carbon. The industrial process of making charcoal accomplishes it by heating a
substance in a vacuum chamber, which releases all the volatile compounds and leaves
behind all the carbon. Wood is commonly used to make charcoal, but coconut shells and
coal are also used. Each substance creates a slightly different kind of charcoal.
https://molekule.com/blog/activated-carbon-air-filter/
Carbon Air Filters
Carbon air filters make use of activated carbon to neutralize and/or absorb elements such as chemicals
and gases. The filter serves to neutralize the chemicals and gases as they travel through the air filter –
but carbon can also be enhanced in such a way that it actually absorbs these chemical compounds as
well. Carbon air filters are ideal at removing cigarette smoke, and are suited to industries where
chemicals are a concern.
https://www.apcfilters.com/4-types-air-filters/
Sponge filters
Carbon nanotube sponges show effective filtration for nanoparticles and dye molecules with different sizes
and concentrations from water. The three-dimensional interconnected porous structure formed by
entangled nanotubes can trap nanoparticlesand molecules by physisorption without the need for chemical
functionalization.
Nanoparticles Effect on Health
This in-depth piece briefly explains how the human body can assist in removing larger air pollutants
from our respiratory tract. The main focus is on how scientists are just now starting to understand the
negative effects of these smaller, microscopic nanoparticles on our bodies.
Far smaller particles, called nanoparticles, can sneak past this first line of defense. These airborne
particles are measured in the billionths of a meter. (Nano is a prefix meaning a billionth.) These particles
can pass all the way into the lungs. Once they settle on lung cells, the pollutants can begin blocking the
movement of oxygen into — and carbon dioxide out of — the blood.
The largest nanoparticles are only 100 nanometers across. Scientists are just starting to understand how
soot and other nanoparticles interact with the body. Experts already know these pollutants are small
enough to slip inside cells. There, they can damage DNA, proteins and other cellular structures. That
leads to all kinds of health problems — and not just in the elderly. Kids experience them, too.
Nanoparticles also damage blood vessels. These ultra-small molecules impair the ability to smell. They
can even cause issues with learning and memory. Brains exposed to nanoparticles develop abnormal
features similar to those found in people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. And that has
scientists worried.
To make matters even more alarming, once these damaging nano-particles have been inhaled into the
lungs, they move into the bloodstream and end up polluting the brain.
https://www.oransi.com/page/air-pollution-nanoparticles-high-efficiency-air-filters-necessity
What is Polypropylene (PP), and What is it Used For?
Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic “addition polymer” made from the combination of propylene
monomers. It is used in a variety of applications to include packaging for consumer products, plastic
parts for various industries including the automotive industry, special devices like living hinges, and
textiles. Polypropylene was first polymerized in 1951 by a pair of Phillips petroleum scientists named
Paul Hogan and Robert Banks and later by Italian and German scientists Natta and Rehn. It became
prominent extremely fast, as commercial production began barely three years after Italian chemist,
Professor Giulio Natta, first polymerized it. Natta perfected and synthesized the first polypropylene resin
in Spain in 1954, and the ability of polypropylene to crystallize created a lot of excitement. By 1957, its
popularity had exploded and widespread commercial production began across Europe. Today it is one of
the most commonly produced plastics in the world.
What are the Characteristics of Polypropylene?
Some of the most significant properties of polypropylene are:
Chemical Resistance: Diluted bases and acids don’t react readily with polypropylene, which makes it a
good choice for containers of such liquids, such as cleaning agents, first-aid products, and more.
Elasticity and Toughness: Polypropylene will act with elasticity over a certain range of deflection (like all
materials), but it will also experience plastic deformation early on in the deformation process, so it is
generally considered a "tough" material. Toughness is an engineering term which is defined as a
material's ability to deform (plastically, not elastically) without breaking..
Fatigue Resistance: Polypropylene retains its shape after a lot of torsion, bending, and/or flexing. This
property is especially valuable for making living hinges.
Insulation: polypropylene has a very high resistance to electricity and is very useful for electronic
components.
Transmissivity: Although Polypropylene can be made transparent, it is normally produced to be naturally
opaque in color. Polypropylene can be used for applications where some transfer of light is important or
where it is of aesthetic value. If high transmissivity is desired then plastics like Acrylic or Polycarbonate
are better choices.
