Irradiation grafting preparation and properties of metal-organic framework/polypropylene fiber antibacterial air filtration material

In order to address the limitations of traditional polypropylene melt-blown air filtration materials, such as limited functionality and poor filtration stability, this study uses electron beam irradiation to graft metal-organic frameworks (ZIF-8) onto polypropylene (PP) non-woven fabric, efficiently producing antibacterial air filtration materials. The material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and contact angle measurements, confirming that ZIF-8 was firmly bonded to polypropylene fibers through electron beam irradiation grafting. Filtration tests show that the antibacterial air filter material exhibits efficient and stable performance. Compared to the original PP air filter material, the quality factor and filtration efficiency for PM1.0 increased by 13.02% and 12.08%, respectively. After 30 consecutive cycles and 5 washes, the antibacterial air filter material retains 97.6% and 89.6% of its original filtration efficiency, respectively. Antibacterial tests show inhibition rates of 83.31% and 85.41% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The electron beam irradiation grafting process offers a new approach for the environmentally friendly mass production of polypropylene antibacterial air filtration materials.