Fabrication of tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous webs and applications thereof in water-absorbent filters

A method for fabricating a filter containing tragacanthin-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers, the method comprising:

• obtaining a homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution by:
• obtaining a PVA solution by dissolving PVA in distilled water;
• and
• adding tragacanthin to the PVA solution, a concentration of tragacanthin in the homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution being between 1 w/v % and 1.7 w/v %;
• obtaining a support layer by coating a stainless steel mesh with a thin layer of a hydrophobic polymer, the coating a stainless steel mesh with the thin layer of the hydrophobic polymer comprising electrospinning a hydrophobic polymer solution onto the stainless steel mesh;
• forming a tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web on the support layer by electrospinning the homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution onto the support layer;
• and
• cross-linking the tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web by exposing the tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web to a saturated vapor of a cross-linking agent.

A method for fabricating a filter containing tragacanthin-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers, the method comprising:

• obtaining a homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution by adding tragacanthin to a PVA solution, a concentration of tragacanthin in the homogenous tragacanthin-PVA solution being between 1 w/v % and 1.7 w/v %;
• forming a tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web on a support layer;
• and
• cross-linking the tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web by exposing the tragacanthin-PVA nanofibrous web to a saturated vapor of a cross-linking agent.