Date-Palm Adsorptive Ventilation Filter
Official patent title
Method for making an adsorptive air filter
Arabic title: طريقة تصنيع مرشح هواء امتزازي
Invention
Invention
Problem
Many indoor-air treatment approaches require frequent replacement, specialized energy sources, or operating conditions that limit routine use, creating a need for a practical adsorptive filter made from accessible materials.
Why it matters
Air quality is important in hospitals, schools, offices, homes, and laboratories, where airborne contaminants can affect occupants and sensitive activities.
Approach
The disclosed method converts date-palm biomass into cellulose nanofibers and activated carbon, blends them with a polyalkylene-glycol binder, deposits the mixture on a porous substrate, and dries it into a solid filter.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include air-filter manufacturers, building and laboratory ventilation teams, date-palm biomass processors, and materials developers seeking bio-derived filtration media.
Potential value
The method combines two date-palm-derived adsorbent components in a defined, binder-supported filter architecture that can be produced on several porous substrate types.
Background
Background
Indoor ventilation systems use technologies such as HEPA or ULPA filtration, ultraviolet treatment, and ionization, but each can involve replacement, maintenance, wavelength, deposition, or ozone-related limitations. The patent identifies date-palm pruning waste as a source of cellulose nanofibers and activated carbon. It therefore addresses two linked technical needs: forming an adsorptive filtration medium for airborne contaminants and defining a route that uses palm biomass as the carbon and cellulose feedstock rather than relying only on conventional filter materials.
Technology overview
Technology overview
Bleached date-palm solids are treated with NaOH at 125–175 °C to isolate cellulose nanofibers. Separate palm waste is carbonized at 500–600 °C under inert gas and activated with NaOH at 700–800 °C. The two materials are mixed with a polyalkylene glycol, including polyethylene glycol, and sonicated. The suspension is filtered onto a porous membrane, paper, or polyester substrate and dried. Claimed formulations include 20–40 wt.% activated carbon, 20–40 wt.% cellulose nanofibers, and 10–30 wt.% binder.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- Potential use in replaceable filters for building ventilation and indoor-air systems.
- Potential use in laboratory or educational-space air-cleaning equipment.
- Potential integration into portable air-treatment or recirculation units.
- Potential use as a platform for valorizing date-palm biomass in filtration products.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- Uses cellulose nanofibers and activated carbon derived from the same date-palm biomass class.
- Defines processing temperatures and composition ranges for reproducible development work.
- Supports several porous substrates, including membranes, paper, and polyester.
- Combines a fibrous matrix, adsorptive carbon, and a polymeric binder in one filter.
Development stage
Development stage
Patent publication describing a fabrication method; commercialization and independent filtration-performance validation were not established.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The disclosure may support licensing or collaborative development with filtration, HVAC, and palm-biomass processing companies. Product development would still require independent testing of particle capture, pressure drop, service life, emissions, biodegradability, manufacturing consistency, and compliance with the standards of each intended market.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- B01D39/18Separation
- B01D39/20Separation
CPC
- B01D39/18Separation
- B01D39/2062Separation
- B01D46/0001Separation
- B01D46/0036Separation
- B01D46/543Separation
- B01J20/20Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/28028Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/2803Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/3007Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/3042Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/3071Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/3078Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J20/3085Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- D21C3/02Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor
- D21C9/001Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor
- D21C9/002Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor
- D21C9/02Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor
- D21H11/12Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
- D21H11/18Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
- D21H17/53Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
- D21H17/74Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
- D21H21/22Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
- D21H27/08Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
- B01D2239/025Separation
- B01D2239/0266Separation
- B01D2239/0283Separation
- B01D2239/0407Separation
- B01D2239/086Separation
- B01D2239/10Separation
- B01D2239/1291Separation
- D21C11/0007Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor
- D21C11/125Production of cellulose by removing non-cellulose substances; regeneration of pulping liquors; apparatus therefor
- D21H17/63Pulp compositions and their preparation; impregnating or coating paper; treatment of finished paper; paper not otherwise provided for
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorTarek Ahmed Yousef
- InventorOsamah Abdulrahman Aldaghri
- InventorSaad Shaaban
Keywords
Keywords
- air filter
- adsorption
- date-palm biomass
- cellulose nanofibers
- activated carbon
- polyethylene glycol
- indoor air
Patent document and drawings
Patent document and drawings
The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.