Electro-Blown Spun Ultra-High Molecular Weight Poly(L-Lactic Acid) Fibrous Membranes for High-Efficiency Air Filtration in Multiple Environments

The bio-based biodegradable material poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) has received extensive attention due to its inherent sustainability. Ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) PLLA possesses superior physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, but its difficulty in processing often restricts its further application. In this work, efficient preparation of UHMW PLLA fiber membranes using electro-blown spinning technology was reported for the first time. Thanks to the excellent electrostatic adsorption capacity brought by the piezoelectric properties of the prepared fiber membrane and its fluffy multi-scale structure, it demonstrates outstanding air filtration performance. The contradiction between filtration efficiency (>99.8% for PM0.3) and pressure drop (~16 Pa) has been successfully balanced. It also demonstrated excellent moisture resistance, long-term stability, and dust-holding capacity. Especially compared with low molecular weight PLLA fiber membranes, the air filtration performance of UHMW PLLA fiber membranes have demonstrated excellent chemical stability. Meanwhile, its temperature stability can also meet the needs of most scenarios in life. This ensures the feasibility of practical application of the sustainable material PLLA in the field of air filtration. And due to its excellent filtration performance, it reduces energy consumption during use, thereby achieving sustainable development throughout the material’s entire life cycle.