Fabrication of electrospun PDMS-PVA hybrid zinc silicate incorporated nanofibrous membranes for air filtration

Development of polymeric nanofibers using the electrospinning technique has found potential candidature for tremendous applications including protective clothing, sensors, energy sectors, tissue engineering, wound healing, air filtration, liquid filtration and cosmetics. This is because of the potentiality of the electrospinning method in producing ultrathin fibers ranging from nano to micrometers. Numerous efforts have been made by researchers using electrospinning techniques to regulate the morphology of the developed fibers. Similarly, various polymers and polymer composites have been employed for the development of fibers using electrospinning techniques for different applications. In the current research work, the electrospun nanofibers were produced from a composite solution of polydimethylsiloxane-polyvinyl alcohol (PDMS-PVA) polymers and synthesized zinc silicate (ZnSiO₃) nanoparticles. Nanofibrous membranes were produced from the prepared polymer composite solution using electrospinning under high voltage. A morphological study conducted by scanning electron microscopy revealed uniform fibers with diameters ranging from 142 nm to 410 nm. Wettability studies of the electrospun nanofibrous membrane showed an increase in water contact angle from 43° for pristine PDMS-PVA to 92° for ZnSiO₃ loaded membranes thereby indicating enhanced hydrophobicity. Air filtration performance testing on the membranes demonstrated that the filtration efficiency was improved from 63° for P₀ to 92° for P₃, while the quality factor increased from 0.034 Pa⁻¹ to 0.368 Pa⁻¹. Among all the samples, the membrane P₃ demonstrated the best performance, whereas P₀ showed the lowest performance. Thus, it can be inferred that the incorporation of ZnSiO₃ greatly enhanced the air filtration capability of the composite membranes, thereby making the membranes a suitable candidate for air filtration applications and air quality management.