Electric Charge Holding Structure for Electretized Air-Filter Medium

The present invention relates to a means retaining intact the surface charge density on electretized air-filter media for a longer period of time and in high density conditions.

A method for manufacturing a filter medium for air-filters wherein porous sheet material comprising synthetic fiber or the like is electretized is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Sho-51-115234, entitled "Method for electretizing porous sheet material", the applicant being the present applicant. Another disclosure of this sort by the same applicant is in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Sho-51-116837, entitled "Method for manufacturing a filter medium for air-filters". The electret according to said two disclosures adsorbs fine particles suspended in the air by the coulomb force of the positive and negative charges on its two sides. At the same time, it must meet the same conditions that are required of ordinary air-filter media, such as suitable mesh fineness and low susceptibility to air resistance.

The present invention is concerned with such air-filter media and is intended particularly for the production of means capable of retaining high surface charge density and high adsorption capacity for a longer period of time.

The concept of this invention is similar to causing a short in the magnetic force lines for the purpose of longtime retention of magnetic force, as often employed in the area of a permanent magnet. The invention applies this idea to electret as an air-filter medium. The invention concerns a structure adapted for long time service as a high performance filter under actual use conditions and is not intended for application to filter media in storage. Needless to say, any filter medium in storage can be satisfactorily preserved only if it is wrapped with aluminum foil or the like.

Therefore, the present invention concerns a structure in which both surfaces are covered with a conductive coating, a metal sheet or the like having the finest possible mesh without impairing the air permeability thereof and in which the lines of electric force from both surfaces covered with such metal coatings, metal sheet or the like are shorted by a suitable number of short circuit lines.

Further details will be apparent from the following description with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) show examples of the structure of electretized filter medium according to the present invention;

FIG. 2(a), (b) and (c) show examples of the metal sheet according to this invention;

FIG. 3 shows a performance comparison of a medium having the structure according to this invention and one not having such a structure.

FIG. 1(a) as well as FIG. 1(b) shows a structure wherein an electretized filter medium (1) is covered with a metal coating or metal sheet (2) on both sides and wherein the metal coating or metal sheet on both sides is shorted by shorting lines or shorting foil (3).

It is to be noted that the shorting lines (3) or the like must be provided in a suitable number over the entire surface. Especially in the case where a metal sheet is used, shorting lines (3) or the like serve as a means to fix the metal sheet on both surfaces and, therefore, must be of adequate strength. The shorting lines may be in belt form over the entire surface. It is also possible for a metal sheet to be folded in two to enclose a filter medium between, its free ends being fixed with suitable electrically conductive material.

FIG. 1(a) is a typical example of the case where metal coating is used, and FIG. 1(b) is a typical example of the case where a metal sheet is used. Metal coating can be obtained by vacuum evaporation coating or spraying of aluminum or silver-aluminum, and in any case, it is necessary that coating should be applied thinly so as not to lose porosity. The metal sheet may be of the form shown in FIG. 2(a) and 2(c). Various other forms of metal sheet can be used as well. Various kinds of conductors having suitable properties may be used with some variation depending upon whether the coating form or the sheeting form is employed. Among such conductors are aluminum, silver, copper, brass, iron, stainless steel and carbon fiber.

According to the method as above-described, it is possible to obtain an electretized filter medium having a longer service life. At the same time, it is possible to increase the strength of the filter medium itself, especially where it is covered with a metal sheet.

The following examples are exemplary of the method of the present invention:

(1) An electretized filter medium obtained by injecting corona discharge electrons or ions into a non-woven cloth of 6 polypropylene fiber, 500 g/m.sup.2, 5 mm thick, was covered with a metal sheet of No. 26 stainless steel, 18-mesh, on both its surfaces, whereby the electric force lines on the both surfaces were shorted. The filter medium was used with a filtering apparatus, and then subjected to long-time air exposure on a dust collection efficiency measuring instrument. Electric potential measurements were done by a rotary sector type instrument. The non-woven cloth was removed from the metal sheet at the time of the measurements. The measurement results are shown in FIG. 3 as curve (a).

(2) An electretized filter medium obtained by injecting corona discharge electrons or ions into a non-woven cloth of 6 polypropylene fiber, 500 g/m.sup.2, 5 mm thick, was covered with a metal sheet of aluminum wires aligned at 5 mm intervals (the structure as shown in FIG. 2(c), whereby the electric force lines on both surfaces were shorted. The filter was used with a filtering apparatus, and then subjected to long-time air exposure on a dust collecting efficiency measuring instrument. Electric potential measurements were done by a rotary sector type instrument. The non-woven cloth was removed from the metal sheet at the time of the measurements. The measurement results are shown in FIG. 3 as curve (b).

The performance of an electretized filter medium in which both surfaces were not shorted is shown in FIG. 3 as curve (c). It will be clear from FIG. 3 that in a filter medium having a structure according to the present invention, the surface charge density retained after an initial sharp drop is more than twice as much as that of a filter medium of the other type.