In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and global shutdown, consumer trends related to health and safety have changed. Among these increased demand for improved indoor air quality continues to impact all aspects of the filtration market due largely to a change in perception of this subject by politics, the general public as well as the media, coupled with a greater awareness regarding indoor air quality than was evident before Covid-19.

According to NPD, which tracks the sale of small appliances, the U.S. market for air purifiers and filters in 2021 was approximately $1.1 billion. The category more than doubled in size in 2020 compared to 2019 during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Consumer needs for improving indoor air quality, driven by stronger and longer allergy seasons, the impact of weather events including wildfires, and heightened interest in overall health and wellness are expected to drive the continued growth of air purifiers and filtration units.

“Particularly at the peak of the pandemic, sales of mobile air handling units in Europe rose sharply,” says Cornelius Wunderlich, senior sales manager, filtration products, Sandler. “The demand for these products is expected to remain high and long term, strengthened by state subsidies for building renovation or rebuilding, e.g., in schools, kindergartens, or public buildings.”

As the world reopens, buildings not equipped with modern air conditioning or ventilation systems are looking to upgrade. The increase in demand is evident in different areas—new construction projects for public buildings and schools as well as in the building of new private homes with air conditioning units.

State-of-the-art air handling units demand that a large filtration surface is provided in the smallest possible installation space, which will lead to a continuously rising demand for pleatable filter media. Moreover, customers increasingly ask for additional functionalization of filter media, to achieve flame-resistance or bactericidal properties. Air handling technology itself has also improved. For example, sensors enable the real-time measurement of parameters such as temperature, humidity, particle concentration, or pressure drop, allowing for a comprehensive analysis and real time evaluation of the indoor air quality.

“Sandler nonwoven filter media for use in air handling / air conditioning units offer a high stability and high mechanical resistance,” Wunderlich adds. “The synthetic media are resistant to 100% moisture and are produced without any additional chemical binders. The synthetic polymers allow thermal disposal at the end of the filter’s service lifetime.”

In response to increasing demands for more media options, Sandler has expanded its portfolio with various fully synthetic pleatable EPA and HEPA class media. They are based on high electrostatic charge as well as on very fine fibers. This enables the separation of the smallest particles such as viruses or bacteria at a high air-permeability.

To improve the sustainability of its filter media, Sandler is also investigating a new approach: the use of granules in the meltblown production process which are based on residual raw materials.

One of Sandler’s specialties is the so-called submicron technology which enables very fine fibers to be generated during the meltblown process. These fibers feature a diameter of considerably less than 1µm, creating a very large inner surface of the filter medium. Sandler also offers multi-layer products, which are combined by different bonding technologies. Hence, the filtration performance of its products can be adapted and adjusted to the specific needs, respectively.

Like many companies, Sandler invested in new meltblown capacity during the pandemic largely to meet spikes in demand for materials supporting face masks, respirators and other healthcare related markets. This demand led to a doubling of consumption ofr meltblown in 2020, growing from $808.9 million to $1.6 million in a short period, according to a report from Smithers. This consumption spike has receded since the threat of the pandemic has decreased and consumption is expected to fall back to about $1 billion, leaving meltblown manufacturers expanding their roles in other markets for the materials, like filtration media.

Late last year, Alkegen, which added three meltblown units—two in New Hampshire and one in France—during the 2020-2021 time period, added three high efficiency filtration (HEF) products to its portfolio. One of these, TriboStatiX, is a new air filtration media that meets the requirements for a MERV 13 high performance pleat media manufactured on a new best-in-class asset. The media provide lower initial resistance, reducing the amount of energy required in the HVAC unit and lowering overall operating costs. TriboStatiX improves indoor air quality through consistent filtration performance and high dirt holding capacity, providing longer service life and reduced energy demand.

“With TriboStatiX, customers can expect high performance with longer service life,” says John Albert, global growth leader. “This means changing out filters less frequently for a more sustainable solution.”

Alkegen’s new molecular filtration media, LydAir GP, offer superior performance with expanded capabilities. State of the art manufacturing facilitates exceptional uniformity and layering of a wide range of functional adsorbents including activated carbon and ion exchange resins. Additionally particulate filter media can be laminated in line providing a combination media for both molecular and particle filtration. LydAir GP offers 20%-30% better performance per specific gram of media, which results in higher efficiency and product performance that can be engineered to meet specific application demands.

Another filtration media specialist, Ahlstrom has launched a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter media portfolio from its brand-new production machine in Turin, Italy, supporting its customers in their ambition to offer best performing and premium quality filters to the most demanding end-uses. Uniqueness of Ahlstrom’s offering comes from state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies which deliver best reliability in performance as well as lower environmental impact.

Last year, Ahlstrom completed work on the new line at its Turin plant, described as a state-of-the-art line specifically designed to produce glass microfiber media. The line was intended to serve applications where glass microfiber media is required, supporting growth initiatives in industrial filtration as well as in absorbed glass matt (AGM), a key component in Lead Acid Batteries. In addition, the new line will also be able to deliver online saturated filter media, supporting the increasing global demand for filtration media.

“This investment supports our company’s strategic ambition to maintain a leading position in growth niches of the global filtration markets such as cleanrooms, HVAC and hydraulic applications,” says Giuseppe Costa, vice president, Filtration & Performance Solutions Asia and EMEA. “Additionally, the company is making a strong step into the energy storage market by bringing onstream a platform which will be fully qualified for the manufacture of AGM media.”

Ahlstrom has used its long experience and extensive competences to develop the complete range of filtration materials which are protecting people and equipment in closed environments. Today, the product range covers options from ISO Coarse 85% to ISO ePM1 80% rating (ISO16890:2016) in a standard version and in a high permeability version for the most challenging requirements. All products have limited flow restriction and extended dust holding capacity with excellent consistency.

“The need for high quality HVAC filter media for demanding end-uses is growing as people have become increasingly aware of the impact of good air quality to their health. Our new offering guarantees reliability and protection, and it contributes to lower environmental impact through longer filter life and lower energy consumption, in alignment with our purpose to Purify and Protect with Every Fiber for a Sustainable World,” says Tamara Quatrano, VP R&D and Product Development Filtration.  

On the nonwovens level, Massachusetts-based Hollingsworth & Vose reports strong growth for its filtration media products driven by increased public awareness of the importance of sustainability and emission reduction, as well as government regulations and corporate air quality policies.
“We see a huge opportunity in indoor air quality (IAQ), particularly in schools, creating better learning environments for students, teachers and staff at a time when the need is greater than ever,” says CEO Josh Ayer.

The company’s Technostat filter media, which is used in MERV 11-13 filters, is playing a key role in how schools are making improvements to their indoor air quality. In fact, Technostat is the go-to choice of many prominent filter manufacturers who make the MERV 13 panel filters used in U.S. schools. This is not only because Technostat meets stringent industry ratings, but also because it is the leading electret media product in the market. It can capture small particles and offers high efficiency filtration with a low pressure drop, which means cleaner air with lower energy consumption in an HVAC system. 

Earlier this year, the company announced it would invest $40.2 million to expand its operation in Floyd County, VA. The project will add more than 28,000 square feet to an existing facility to accommodate new production equipment to meet increased demand for advanced materials and filtration media. Virginia successfully competed with Georgia for the project, which will create 25 new jobs.

“We’ve been a part of the Floyd, VA community since 1976. This facility is essential to serving both our global and domestic customers,” says Ayer. “We chose Virginia for this expansion because of its positive business environment and strong support from the Commonwealth of Virginia and Floyd County.”

Last year, H&V completed work on a capacity expansion for Technostat at its site in Hatzfeld, Germany. The investment is allowing the company to support growth of its key customers and its growth markets due largely to concerns over indoor air quality.

Both investments are helping meet increasing demand for filtration media driven by public awareness of the importance of sustainability and emission reduction. Government regulations and corporate air quality policies will expedite the demand for green buildings with sustainable, healthy spaces that adhere to LEED standards. Additionally, cabin air filtration will play a huge part in the transportation sector as it moves toward more energy-efficient vehicles, such as hybrids and EVs. “The demand for filtration in the future may evolve, but it’s not going away,” Ayers predicts.