The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Thin liquid film dust filters with small pores are widely used for air purification in daily life. Dust, or particulate matter (PM), is captured at the filter pores; thus, smaller pores enhance PM capture efficiency. However, smaller pores also reduce air permeability and increase pressure drop, creating a trade-off. This dilemma arises from weak adhesion between solid PMs and dry solid filter surfaces. Inspired by the human nose, which uses thin mucus on nasal hairs for filtration, we design a filter with a thin, non-volatile liquid coating at the pore surface. This liquid layer strongly adheres PMs, boosting capture efficiency without sacrificing airflow. The coated filter shows exceptional performance in high-speed filtration with no PM re-dispersion. Moreover, suppressed re-dispersion enables novel bi-directional filtration. This Particle Removing Oil-coated (PRO) filter presents a new dust filtration paradigm for fast, efficient air cleaning.