Three new filtration materials and their application solutions

Author: Vanessa 5 Mar. 2025     Category: Applications

In Stuttgart, a major industrial city in Germany, on the production line of a century-old auto parts factory, the silver-gray nanofiber filter element is purifying the workshop air at a rate of 100,000 particles per second – this is a microcosm of the German industrial sector embracing the new material revolution. From chemical plants on the Rhine River to municipal projects of the Berlin Water Authority, the application of new materials such as nanomaterials and graphene is driving filtration technology to leap towards efficiency, intelligence and sustainability.

German technological breakthrough: New materials reshape the rules of the filtration industry

The 2023 report of the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany pointed out that the application of new materials has increased the filtration efficiency by an average of 40% and extended the service life by 2-3 times. Currently, there are three new materials that have been successfully applied:

Nanofiber filter material:

Technical characteristics: Ultrafine fiber layer with a diameter of 100-300 nanometers, a porosity of up to 95%, and a PM0.1 particle interception rate of 99.95% (traditional HEPA filter element is PM0.3).

Case: Mann+Hummel mass-produced nanofiber automotive air filters in its Munich factory, with a dust carrying capacity of 200g/m² (traditional filter material 80g/m²), suitable for BMW i series electric vehicles.

Graphene composite membrane:

Technical characteristics: The single atomic layer structure increases the water flux by 5 times, enhances pollution resistance, and has a desalination rate of 99.8%.

German case: Berlin Water Authority uses graphene-polymer composite membrane developed by BASF to increase microplastic removal rate from 88% to 99.5%, reducing operating costs by 30%.

Metal Organic Framework (MOFs):

Technical characteristics: Specific surface area of 7000m²/g, customizable adsorption of specific gas molecules (such as CO₂, VOCs).

German case: Covestro deployed MOFs filters at its Leverkusen plant, achieving a VOCs recovery rate of 98% and an annual emission reduction of 3,000 tons.

From laboratory to production line: Industrialization practice of new filtering materials in Germany

The German government has invested 420 million euros in the “Industry 4.0 Materials Plan” to support the research and development of new materials, giving rise to a number of benchmark projects:

1. Automobile manufacturing: Nanofilter element solves the cleanliness problem of battery workshop

In the Volkswagen ID.4 battery workshop in Wolfsburg, the traditional glass fiber filter element has a high dust penetration rate (15%), resulting in a battery defect rate of more than 5%. After replacing Evonik‘s SiO₂ nano-coated filter material: dust retention rate increased to 99.99%, workshop air cleanliness reached ISO 4 level (≤3520 particles per cubic meter), battery cell defect rate dropped to 0.3%, and annual rework cost savings of 1.2 million euros.

2. Chemical industry: Graphene adsorbent achieves zero emission of hazardous waste

Bayer replaced activated carbon with graphene-based adsorbents in the benzene treatment system of the Uerdingen chemical plant: adsorption capacity increased from 0.2g/g to 0.8g/g, desorption energy consumption reduced by 60%, hazardous waste generation reduced by 90%, and passed TÜV Rheinland circular economy certification

3. Municipal environmental protection: MOFs materials capture NOx in urban air

Hamburg deployed street lamp filters with MOFs coatings in the port area, combined with AI wind field prediction algorithms: NOx real-time adsorption efficiency reached 85%, equipment life was extended to 5 years (traditional materials 2 years), and won the 2023 German Sustainable Development Award.

Although Germany leads in the field of new material filtration, industrialization still faces two major hurdles:

Cost pressure: The price of nanofiber filter elements is 3-5 times that of traditional products, and the cost needs to be reduced by more than 50% through large-scale production (such as KraussMaffei’s nanospinning equipment).

Lack of standards: The German Institute for Standardization (DIN) is accelerating the formulation of the “Nanofiltration Material Test Specification” (Draft No. DIN SPEC 91456), and will complete the performance evaluation system of materials such as graphene and MOFs by the end of 2024.

From the laboratory in Stuttgart to the smart city in Hamburg, Germany is redefining the boundaries of filtration technology with new materials. For Chinese companies, this is both a challenge and an opportunity – contact Trenntech Filter to learn about cutting-edge application solutions such as nanofibers and graphene, and seize the commanding heights of global green technology.

Vanessa

My name is Vanessa, and I am a content writer specializing in corporate content creation. With more than 10 years of writing experience, I am committed to providing companies with high-quality, impactful content to help them stand out in a competitive market. My background covers multiple industries, including technology, finance, marketing, etc. In the process, I have accumulated rich knowledge and skills, and can deeply understand the needs of audiences in different fields, so as to create more targeted articles and content. I am good at writing blog posts, white papers, case studies, product descriptions, etc., and I am familiar with SEO optimization strategies to ensure that the content gets good exposure in search engines. At the same time, I also have good project management skills and can complete high-quality works within a tight time frame. I believe that high-quality content can not only convey information, but also build customer trust and brand image.