automotive filtration insight
Environmentally customized cabin air filters
New activated carbon solution for cabin air filtration
Marketed under the name micronAir Gas Shield, the latest innovation from Freudenberg Filtration Technologies brings a new level of protection against harmful gases and unpleasant odors for vehicle passengers.
The new adsorption filters combine a complex mixtures of carbons, impregnations and resin technologies to create a selection of three regionally customized combinations.
Customers can choose the activated carbon mixture that matches their priorities, such as combining protection against specific gases with an additional focus on coarse dust, fine dust or allergens. This ensures ultimate protection for car passengers around the world.
Environmentally customized cabin air filters
Across the world, different regions are often characterized by distinct environmental conditions, whether varying concentrations of nitrogen, high levels of carbon or sulfur oxides, or unhealthy levels of hydrogen sulfide. The new micronAir Gas Shield solutions enable automotive manufacturers to equip their vehicles with different adsorption capabilities for any given region.
The new premium activated carbon combinations are available in three versions: Standard Protection, Odor Protection and Premium Protection. ‘Standard Protection’ focuses on filtering out acid gases such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide, organic substances, VOCs and ozone. ‘Odor protection’ additionally targets especially noxious molecules such as ammonia, ‘Premium Protection’ is further designed to adsorb aldehydes.
Fast response to an urgent need
As cities continue to grow in both size and population density, air pollution has become one of the world’s most pressing health issues. Although extreme air pollution in China and India regularly makes the headlines, this health issue is an increasing global concern.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine out of ten people worldwide breathe bad air. This can either directly cause or exacerbate severe respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) or asthma. As well as causing misery for sufferers, these conditions place an additional burden on hard-pressed healthcare services around the world.
Protecting vehicle passengers is critical
People traveling in vehicles are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. Especially in dense traffic, cars, trucks and buses create a ‘tunnel’ effect, channeling high concentrations of polluted air directly into the vehicle. Based on Freudenberg’s proven combi filter concept, the new micronAir Gas Shield solutions are highly effective in dealing with these varying extreme conditions.
The secret lies in the quality of the ingredients and the way in which they are deployed, as Barry Kellar, Global Vice President Automotive Filters at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies explained: “We exclusively use top-quality activated carbon and have evolved our activated carbon layers based on our research findings and 30 years of experience. The combination has enabled us to develop three regionally customized formulas that can satisfy all customer requests.”
Extensive testing
Both the nonwoven and activated carbon components have been extensively tested at the Freudenberg Filtration Technologies Science Lab in Weinheim, Germany. “Since different activated carbons, impregnations and resin technologies help to adsorb different gases, it is important to have the right mixture”, said Kellar.
The expertise and long experience of Freudenberg’s scientists played a decisive role in developing the new filters. As Kellar concluded: “We carefully analyzed our customers and the challenges they face in their respective regions. As a result, our new product range can be matched with their specific priorities, whether the focus is on coarse dust, fine dust or allergens.”
With no immediate prospect of a reduction in global air pollution, the new premium micronAir Gas Shield could not have come at a better time.