Molecular filters with activated carbon against toxic gases & odors
Did you know that indoor air can be many times more polluted than outdoor air and people sometimes spend more than 90% of their lives indoors*? According to the WHO, seven million people die of air pollution each year - both from outdoor and indoor air**. While eating and drinking is a human right, clean air is not yet so.
Like water and food, clean air is essential for all animate beings. Air impurities like toxic gases or odors impair our lives, result in less work efficiency and in the worst case, they can make us ill. Effective air purification of the supply and exhaust air through individually optimized filter media is a decisive factor that prevents health problems, increases life expectancy and also cuts cost in many production processes.
* Source: https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality
** Source: https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1
Applications
Our products
Molecular filters typically use a range of activated carbon, impregnated media, chemical catalysts and oxidizers to remove harmful gases including volatile organic compounds, odors, and nitrous oxides from an air flow. In doing so, these filters eliminate smells, odors and toxic air pollution, prevent corrosion and protect valuable products, processes or artefacts.
How does molecular filtration work?
The physical principle of adsorption is the main function of our filter media. Here, molecules accumulate on the surface of a solid by Van-der-Waals attraction forces. This reversible process works better, the larger the molecule and the higher the boiling point of the molecule is. For light molecules with very low boiling points we use the principle of chemisorption to eliminate them from air. In this process, the molecule reacts with the surface of the filter medium and is bonded irreversibly to it.
The solids we use are called adsorbents and are characterized by their large inner surface area which is build up by an intricate system of pores (e.g. activated charcoal, silica gel, molecular sieves or ion exchange resins). For example, a teaspoon (ca. 6 g) of activated charcoal has an inner surface area of 7.140 m., which is the size of a FIFA standard soccer field. Considering, that the size of odor molecules are in the range of 1 nm., there is much place to capture the contaminants from polluted air.
We have the solution to these problems
- Molecular filtration is used to remove acids, bases, gases, odors or scents
- Protects life and material surfaces
- Improves health, increases motivation and performance
- Increases productivity of machines and products
- Minimizes the CO2 balance
- Adsorption filters remove harmful substances, e.g. from cleanrooms or prevent odors in the kitchen
Did you know?
Activated carbon is a sustainable product.
For our molecular filters, it is obtained from coconut shells, a renewable raw material. In use, activated carbon acts like a kind of molecular safety net for gases and odors. They are deposited on the large inner surface of the activated carbon. This process is called adsorption.
Unlike classic particle filters, which have to be thrown away when they are saturated, activated carbon can be reactivated by heat so that no waste is produced. For example, our ceramic air circulation filters for kitchen extractors can be regenerated several times in the oven at around 200 degrees Celsius.