SESU – Cellulose-based functional aerosol filters for air filtration

The SESU project aims to create new functional low-carbon wood-based materials to replace currently used synthetic fiber materials, including polyester and viscose, in air purification applications such as purification of contaminants, fine particles, viruses and microbes from respiratory air.

Funders

Project information

Project duration

-

Funded by

European Structural and Investment Funds - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Funding amount

131 500 EUR

Project coordinator

University of Oulu

Unit and faculty

Fibre and Particle Engineering
Faculty of Technology

Contact information

Project leader

Contact person

Project description

Project objectives

  • Develop a new cellulose-based production concept for local low-carbon raw materials and industrial operators towards commercial filters
  • Create a specific approach that brings together local producers and processors (e.g., paper mills) of fibrous raw materials, in particular SMEs, to develop new energy-sufficient bio-based filter materials to manufacture
  • Develop new and functional bio-based end products from local raw materials (representative samples from various bioeconomy companies in the region are available for research) and to promote the business and know-how generated around new functional products.
  • Improve the sustainability and competitiveness of companies in the region in terms of material and energy efficiency (low carbon, which arises from, among other things, the utilization of fibre fractions with green technology and the replacement of oil-based materials)

The project aims to create new functional low-carbon wood-based materials to replace currently used synthetic fiber materials (including polyester and viscose) in air purification applications such as purifications of contaminants, fine particles, viruses and microbes from respiratory air. The majority of these products can be replaced by material-efficient domestic wood-based applications based on renewable materials. The idea is to utilise bio-based fibre sources in the forest industry and further process them into new types of high-performance porous materials to be used in environmental and air purification applications. The project supports networks and cooperations for the utilisation of regional material flows.

The project consists of four work packages.
WP1: Low-carbon wooden raw materials used in the project and requirements for selected applications
WP2: Production of new low-carbon materials for chosen air purification applications
WP3: Testing and comparison of manufactured materials with existing products
WP4: Techno-economical evaluation of manufacturing concepts

Research groups

Nanostructured lignocelluloses