Zeyad Bady, from Egypt, has been awarded the special EuChemS prize for his project on ”High particulate matter filtration efficiency Nano-fibrous membrane” which was selected as best Chemistry project at the 2019 edition of the EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS).

EUCYS is an important student science fair in the EU, showcasing the best of student scientific achievement in the EU and beyond. Each year it brings together talented students from more than 40 countries in a different European city, with this year taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria. EuChemS has sponsored since 2011 (the International Year of Chemistry) a special prize for Chemistry.

Zeyad’s project looks at how particulate pollution has led to catastrophic health and environmental consequences. As a result, new approaches have been done to increase the efficiency of the air filtration equipment. Here a novel nanofibrous air filter made via electrospinning process is demonstrated, which has attractive attributes of high filtering efficiency and low resistance to air flow. The filter could be manufactured with a transparency of 90 % and an efficiency of > 85% under intense smoke exposure. Consequently, the filter could be applied as a muzzle, an alternative for catalytic converters of car exhausts or fabric filters used in the treatment of factories emissions. Additionally, the filter is made from hydrophilic polyacrylonitrile which makes it recyclable and efficient in humid circumstances.

Found out more about EUCYS2019 here and more about previous awardees here.