Patent ID: 7279028

Claim:
An electrostatic filter suitable for collecting aerosol particulates carried in a fluid stream passing through the electrostatic filter, the electrostatic filter comprising: a first porous electrode formed from a conductive material having a porosity of at least 90%; a dielectric mat formed from a high porosity non-woven fiber having pores that have a void fraction of at least 97%, wherein the fibers have a maximum cross sectional thickness that is less than 100 microns and a length to maximum thickness ratio of greater than 10, and wherein the dielectric mat has a tortuosity of at least 1.7; and a second porous electrode formed from a conductive material having a porosity of at least 90%, the first and second porous electrodes being arranged to sandwich the dielectric mat, and arranged such that in operation a fluid stream to be filtered passes through the electrodes and the dielectric mat and the first and second porous electrodes may have a sufficiently high potential difference applied thereto to facilitate the creation of an induced electrostatic field within the dielectric mat, whereby the fluid stream passing through the dielectric mat would be subjected to electrostatic forces that are substantial enough to cause at least some of the particulates within the stream to adhere to the fibers of the dielectric mat.