The impact of fiber dispersion on filtration and tensile properties of glass fiber filter paper

Air quality control has become increasingly important in many industrial areas. Glass fiber filter paper is widely used for the collection of airborne particulate matter. Since glass fiber is fragile, fiber dispersion is believed to be important for controlling filter paper properties. In this paper, the impact of fiber dispersion on filtration performance and tensile properties was studied. Two types of glass fiber filter paper prepared from six different dispersing methods were used to analyze the impact of dispersion on filtration and tensile properties. Rotational viscosity was used to characterize the fiber dispersion process. Dispersing strength and time had no significant effect on filtration properties, namely the pressure drop, penetration and figure of merit. The fiber composition should be the determining factor of filtration properties. Dispersing strength and time had little effect on the virgin tensile strength of glass fiber paper, while the tensile strength retention after folding was highly affected by dispersion. It is suggested that fiber cutting should be reduced in the fiber dispersion process for higher tensile strength retention.