Achieving Both Superior Fine Dust Filtration and Enhanced Breathability
Chung-Ang University announced on the 24th that the research team led by Professor Usanghyuk of the Department of Chemical Engineering has developed a "bioinspired adsorption-enhanced filter" with far superior particle capture capabilities compared to conventional filters. The team achieved this by mimicking the principle by which the thin layer of mucus surrounding human nasal hair effectively filters airborne particles.
Usanghyuk (right) Professor of Chemical Engineering at Chung-Ang University, Junyong Park PhD student at Chung-Ang University, Chansik Moon Master's graduate. Chung-Ang University
Air filters are widely used in all air conditioning units and air purifiers in various indoor facilities, including homes, offices, factories, clean rooms, data centers, hospitals, and hotels, and their usage continues to increase steadily.
However, conventional filters have consistently faced issues such as reduced performance and re-dispersion of dust due to their weak adsorption force at the nanonewton (nN) level, which prevents them from effectively capturing dust. In particular, air conditioning units face the serious environmental problem of generating large amounts of plastic waste due to frequent filter replacements caused by their short lifespan.
The research team, inspired by the way nasal hair covered with mucus in the nasal cavity effectively captures airborne particles, developed a filter material that forms a thin and stable liquid film inside the filter. This enables powerful dust adsorption based on capillary force at the micronewton (μN) level.
This adsorption-enhanced material maintains excellent dust collection performance while minimizing the reduction in air permeability, allowing the filter to be used for a longer period even as it collects more dust.
It has been reported as the first filter capable of achieving higher efficiency at faster airspeeds and suppressing the re-dispersion of collected dust.
This technology can be immediately applied without modifying existing air conditioning or air purification equipment.
As a result, it is being evaluated as a breakthrough air purification technology that not only ensures high air quality and more than doubles filter lifespan?thereby reducing both filter consumption and maintenance costs?but also dramatically reduces the hundreds of millions of tons of filter waste generated annually.
In addition, it is expected to drive a paradigm shift in global filter technology, as it enables even more effective filtration in facilities that require fast air processing, such as subways, power plants, and factories.
Professor Usanghyuk of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Chung-Ang University, who led the research, stated, "The significance of this research lies in the development of a fundamental technology that can lead global innovation in the fields of filtration and air purification. We expect that this will serve as an opportunity to pioneer and secure a new segment in the filter material market, which is expected to continue growing."
This research achievement was made possible not only through research funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea's Mid-Career Research Program and Cooperative Hub Establishment Project, but also with the support of demonstration research from various institutions, including the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL), Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd., the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Seoul Facilities Corporation.
Additionally, the materials startup Wise & Erop Co., Ltd. played a role in securing foundational technology for mass production of the material in the global market through optimization and commercialization.
The research results were published in the world-renowned journal 'Nature' under the title 'Bioinspired capillary force-driven super-adhesive filter.'
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