Moldable and plastic-free nonwoven aerosolized particulate filters made from oil palm empty fruit bunch and hairy cellulose fibers
Author(s)
Smaradhana, Dharu Feby
Li, Joanne
Lee, Koon-Yang
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Addressing the environmental impact of conventional air filters made from fossil-derived polymers is critical for advancing sustainable air filtration materials. This study presents plastic-free nonwoven air filters produced from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers using (hairy) cellulose fibers as binders through a manufacturing process akin to papermaking. Refining the cellulose fibers introduces ″hairy″ microfibrils and fines, which enhance the structure and performance of the nonwovens. With only 10 wt % hairy cellulose pulp refined for 30 min, the EFB/hairy cellulose fiber nonwoven achieves a filtration efficiency of ∼98% for PM1 and a high quality factor of ∼36 kPa−1, demonstrating excellent filtration performance with low pressure drop. These nonwovens also exhibit exceptional formability, allowing direct molding from the never-dried state or remolding via steam rewetting with minimal loss in filtration efficiency (less than 1.5%pt). Lifecycle assessment (LCA) results indicate that the production of EFB/hairy cellulose fiber nonwovens has significantly lower impacts in global warming potential and all end point categories (human health, ecosystem quality, and resource scarcity) compared to polyester-based air filters. Our work paves the way for upcycling oil palm waste into high-value air filtration materials, reducing the reliance on fossil-derived air filters.
Date Issued
2025-05-05
Date Acceptance
2025-04-01
Citation
ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2025, 13 (17), pp.6209-6221
ISSN
2168-0485
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
6209
End Page
6221
Journal / Book Title
ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
Volume
13
Issue
17
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under CC-BY 4.0 .
License URL
Subjects
agricultural waste
AIR
biobased fibers
Chemistry
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
CYCLES
Engineering
Engineering, Chemical
FRACTION
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
green composites
LCA
MATTER
MEDIA
PAPER
Physical Sciences
PM2.5
Science & Technology
Science & Technology - Other Topics
STRENGTH
sustainable air filtration
sustainablematerials
Technology
TORTUOSITY
waste valorization
WATER-RETENTION VALUE
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-04-23