High‐Temperature Particulate Matter Filtration with Resilient Yttria‐Stabilized ZrO2 Nanofiber Sponge

Abstract Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant in many regions, jeopardizing ecosystems and public health. Filtration at pollutant source is one of the most important ways to protect the environment, however, considering the high‐temperature exhaust gas emissions, effective removal of PM and related pollutants from their sources remains a major challenge. In this study, a resilient, heat‐resisting, and high‐efficiency PM filter based on yttria‐stabilized ZrO 2 (YSZ) nanofiber sponge produced with a scalable solution blow spinning process is reported. The porous 3D sponge composed of YSZ nanofibers is lightweight (density of 20 mg cm −3 ) and resilient at both room temperature and high temperatures. At room‐temperature conditions, the YSZ nanofiber sponge exhibits 99.4% filtration efficiency for aerosol particles with size in the range of 20–600 nm, associated with a low pressure drop of only 57 Pa under an airflow velocity of 4.8 cm s −1 . At a high temperature of 750 °C, the ceramic sponge maintains a high filtration efficiency of 99.97% for PM 0.3–2.5 under a high airflow velocity of 10 cm s −1 . A practical vehicle exhaust filter to capture particles with filtration efficiency of >98.3% is also assembled. Hence, the YSZ nanofiber sponge has enormous potential to be applied in industry.