Valorising biomass into multifunctional air filters

Important results from the project

We verified the hypothesis that this type of material can perform well as a filter and successfully tested in operational environment, moving the Technology Readiness Level from 2 to 4. A good compatibility between this biobased material and Racoon special coating was obtained which significantly increases the market potential moving the Market Readiness Level from 1 to 2. Even if we did not perform a sustainability analysis the simple fact that we could successfully replace the petroleum-based body of the filter with biomass the Sustainability Readiness Level will be lifted above 1.

Expected long term effects

Concept wise, we demonstrated that it’s possible to utilize waste products and combine with the special coating from Racoon one could make a new sustainable product which can stand out among the competition as a high-value, multifunctional filter. The final goal, reaching beyond the scope of this project, is to establish sustainable biobased air filters to be used not only in harsh environments (mining) but also in homes and public facilities. Such products do not exist today, and we believe that such a product would be very attractive on the market.

Approach and implementation

In order to produce the body of the filter we explored several biobased materials that would be suitable for a simple foaming process and form a stable porous structure comparable to the existing polyurethane sponge like material. The most promising results were obtained by using a combination of two biobased materials. This material was characterized using standard methods for filter materials and its performance was tested in real wheel loader machines and compared to present air filters. On top of that, we have put together the future value chain of scaling up this process.