An air filter made out of corn protein instead of petroleum products can concurrently capture small particulates as well as toxic chemicals like formaldehyde that current air filters can’t.
The research could lead to better air purifiers, particularly in regions of the world that suffer from very poor air quality. Washington State University engineers report on the design and tests of materials for this bio-based filter in the journal Separation and Purification Technology.
“Particulate matter is not that challenging to filter but to simultaneously capture various kinds of chemical gas molecules, that’s more significant,” said Katie Zhong, professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and a corresponding author on the paper. “These protein-based air filtering materials should be very promising to capture multiple species of air pollutants.”
Read more at: Washington State University