Air filter with sorbent particles

1. An air filter for use in a residential HVAC system, comprising:

(a) filtration media having opposed first and second major surfaces and a perimeter edge region, the filter media including:

(i) a nonwoven base layer; and

(ii) a sorbent layer including adhesive fibers and from about 100 to about 500 g/m 2 of sorbent particles comprising granular activated carbon; wherein the adhesive fibers have a ratio of length to diameter of at least about 10,000 or more and are present in an amount of between about 2 wt % and about 20 wt %; and wherein the adhesive fibers bond and adhere to the sorbent particles and bond and adhere the sorbent layer to the nonwoven base layer; and

(b) a frame arranged around at least a portion of the perimeter edge region of the media.

2. A filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the filtration media is pleated.

3. A filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sorbent layer has a basis weight of about 100 g/m 2 to about 625 g/m 2 .

4. A filter as defined in claim 2 , further comprising a support structure attached to at least one of the first and second major surfaces.

5. A filter as defined in claim 4 , wherein the support structure is a wire mesh.

6. A filter as defined in claim 5 , wherein the wire mesh is planar.

7. A filter as defined in claim 5 , wherein the wire mesh follows a contour of the pleated filtration media.

8. A filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven base layer includes a first plurality of fibers of a first size and a second plurality of fibers of a second size, and further wherein the first size is at least 25% larger than the second size.

9. A filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven base layer comprises electrostatically charged fibers.

10. A filter as defined in claim 9 , wherein the nonwoven base layer has a basis weight of about 20 g/m 2 to about 150 g/m 2 .

11. A filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the filter has a media butane removal capacity of at least about 0.2 g/m 2 when measured according to the test method described in the specification.

12. The air filter of claim 1 , comprising:

(i) a thickness of no greater than about 1.5 inches,

(ii) an initial pressure drop of no greater than about 0.32 inches of water pressure as measured according to ASHRAE 52.2-2007 at a face velocity of 1.5 meters per second, and

(iii) an initial E1 particle removal efficiency as measured according to ASHRAE 52.2-2007 of at least about 10%.

13. An air filter as defined in claim 12 , having a media butane removal capacity of at least about 0.2 g/m 2 when measured according to the test method described in the specification.

14. An air filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fibers are meltblown.

15. An air filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fibers have greater elasticity than polypropylene fibers having the same caliper.

16. An air filter as defined in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fibers comprise polyolefin copolymers.