[Courtesy of Samsung Electronics]
Currently, air purification filters should be replaced every six months or a year. VOCs contained in everyday items such as beauty products, wax, and paint are organic chemicals evaporated into the air due to high vapor pressure. Particulate matter (PM) is microscopic dust particles with harmful substances including heavy metal and carbon composites. Both PM and VOCs are known to be carcinogenic. Most facilities have separate filters for PM and VOCs.
Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) created the air filter technology that simultaneously removes PM and VOCs by combining two different filters for both materials. After removing PMs through coated inorganic membrane attached to the filter's entrance, the solution decomposes VOCs at the outlet channel through coated photocatalyst. Photocatalysts cause chemical reactions by absorbing bright light.
Samsung said dust collection capacity has increased by four times compared to conventional filters. Thanks to its waterproof features, the solution's performance can be maintained even when the filter is washed using water. Using the new technique, the company will build a prototype and verify its performance at bus terminals and underground parking garages at its semiconductor factory.
"This project started from listening to suggestions from manufacturers and users of air purification filters," SAIT researcher Kwon Hyuk-Jae Kwon said in a statement on February 16. "We plan to expand the research into accelerating the commercialization of long-lifetime filters in the future."
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
