Samsung Electronics has launched a new air filter technology that collects particulate matter and decomposes Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) simultaneously. The device can be used for 20 years through simple water washing.
Researchers said every single filter can remove either PM or VOCs, limiting air purifiers’ space efficiently. But conventional air purification filters need frequent replacement because of their short life cycle of six months to a year.
As such, researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) developed and implemented an unprecedented air filter technology that applies photocatalysts such as copper oxide (Cu2O) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) for the first time and verifies the viability for commercialization.
Samsung Air Filter Technology
Hyuk Jae Kwon, the lead author at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), highlighted that the project started by listening to suggestions from manufacturers and users of air purification filters. He said the ceramic catalyst filter technology will help implement compact air purification systems. It will significantly reduce disposable waste as well as the cost burden associated with frequent filter replacement.
According to the Samsung study that was published in Nature Communications journal, the filter is designed to capture PMs first in the porous ceramic wall at the inlet channel, where the inorganic membrane is coated and decomposes VOC gases on the photocatalyst on the outlet channel under a single-pass airflow.
How does the Air Filter work?
It’s a combination of two different filters – for dust and gas. Moreover, it increases dust loading capacity by four times compared to conventional filters – from five grams per liter to 20.
And since the SAIT-developed Cu2O/TiO2 photocatalyst is insoluble, the air filter technology says the device is regenerable by simple water-washing and still retains its initial PM and VOC gas removal performance. The filter, assuming ten times of regeneration through water-washing, can be used for 20 years, lasting up to 40 times longer lifespan than the conventional High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.
Samsung Electronics intends to produce prototypes for air conditioning facilities at office buildings, bus terminals, and underground parking lots in its semiconductor campuses.
