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A spacer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric is produced for SO2 elimination along with antibacterial properties as textile filter. The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are first in‐situ synthesized on natural zeolite (Z) by wet chemical reduction using silver nitrate and sodium borohydride at room temperature. The prepared composite powder is characterized by energy dispersive X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Z/AgNPs powder is uniformly fabricated on the spacer polyester fabric through a new electro‐deposition method. It is then cured at 160 °C for 3 min and named PET‐Z/AgNPs. SO2 adsorption of PET‐Z/AgNPs is confirmed using a gas analyzer. The ability of the treated fabric to eliminate airborne Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram‐negative bacterium, and Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram‐positive bacterium, is also evaluated using the modified shake flask method (AATCC‐100). No bacterial growth is observed on PET‐Z/AgNPs after 2 h. Furthermore, the breakthrough time of the treated fabric for SO2 with 5 ppm concentration was 12 min at room temperature. In addition, the treated 3D filter fabric shows suitable air permeability for application in air filtration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their high capacity, nonwoven textiles have been used for a long time as potential filters to remove harmful air pollutants. In this study, needle-punch polypropylene layers were treated with powder activated carbon and nanosilver particle through pad drying and spray techniques, respectively. The morphology of treated layers was observed by a scanning electron microscope and laboratory apparatus were used to evaluate effects of microbe elimination from samples of passing polluted air. The gas adsorption efficiency of fabricated filter was measured by an air pollution device. Results showed that samples treated with activated carbon absorbed 38%, 100% and 100% of CO, NO and NO2 gases, respectively, compared with pristine samples. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were completely removed from passing air by nanosilver-coated layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]