Swedish research-based biomaterials startup Adsorbi has announced the commercial launch of Arbomax, a new family of high-capacity cellulose-based filter media engineered for active airflow environments, and the company’s first product designed for removing gaseous pollutants in recirculating airflow systems such as air purifiers and HVAC systems used in households, commercial buildings and industrial environments.

Developed in close collaboration with some of the world’s largest air purification and filtration companies, Arbomax captures gaseous air pollutants such as aldehydes, ammonia (NH₃), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and organic acids. It is designed to perform effectively in recirculating airflow systems, combining high adsorption capacity with pollutant retention to prevent re-release after capture. At the same time, it offers an improved sustainability profile compared to activated carbon. The launch marks Adsorbi’s entry into a rapidly growing segment of the global air filtration market.

Founded in 2022 from research at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Adsorbi has built a commercial track record in passive airflow applications. Its first product protects artwork in museums and archives from pollutants causing deterioration, and its second removes household odors from everyday items.

Arbomax brings Adsorbi’s core cellulose chemistry into entirely new use cases. Where the company’s earlier materials operate in slow or static airflow, the Arbomax product family is engineered for active airflow. The first Arbomax product is designed for air purifiers and HVAC systems in applications such as chemical production, laboratories, electronics manufacturing, aviation cabins, households and retail spaces. Addressing the key technical hurdle to using cellulose in active airflow filtration involved multiple years of research, surface chemistry development and iterative testing with major industry partners prior to commercial launch.

“Active airflow filtration is where cellulose-based materials can make the biggest impact, replacing fossil-based adsorbents in applications across buildings, vehicles and manufacturing facilities worldwide. Arbomax helps customers achieve cost savings and sustainability objectives at the same time,” says Hanna Munge, CEO and co-founder at Adsorbi.

The dominant material in molecular filtration today is activated carbon, most often derived from coal or coconut shells, resulting in a product with an environmental cost that is increasingly difficult to justify as industrial buyers face mounting ESG obligations, for example, the recently revised EU Ambient Air Quality Directive. Arbomax offers a credible alternative. Its cellulose raw material is sourced from sustainably managed Nordic forests, and the product is manufactured in Europe, giving it a supply chain transparency that coconut-derived carbon, linked to land-use pressure and deforestation in tropical regions, lacks.

Independent analysis shows that Arbomax achieves a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional activated carbon materials, including both widely used broad-spectrum carbons and coconut-shell-based alternatives. For procurement teams seeking materials that satisfy both performance specifications and sustainability audits, Arbomax offers a choice that requires no compromise between the two.

The material is produced in Sweden at Adsorbi’s manufacturing facility. Arbomax is designed to extend filter lifetime, reducing maintenance requirements, replacement frequency and associated system downtime.  Its low carbon footprint provides a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil-based adsorbents, supporting both operational efficiency and environmental goals.

Arbomax is for use across environments where recirculated air can concentrate harmful gaseous pollutants, including commercial buildings like offices, schools and retail spaces, healthcare facilities, households and industrial manufacturing sites for products such as paints, coatings, adhesives and construction materials. In these settings, pollutants like formaldehyde are commonly emitted from materials, processes or indoor sources, creating sustained exposure risks. 

“The science behind Arbomax has been rigorously validated, and it has been exciting to see how far we can take the technology. Aldehydes, ammonia, SO2 and organic acids are pollutants present at every level of industry and cause real harm to human health and the environment. This launch marks our transformation from passive to active airflow applications, entering the largest applications of the air filtration industry and it’s just the beginning,” says Dr. Kinga Grenda, CTO and co-founder of Adsorbi.

The global air filtration market continues to expand, driven by tightening indoor air quality regulations, rising corporate ESG obligations and growing awareness of the health consequences of gaseous pollution in occupied buildings and industrial environments. Arbomax is the first cellulose-based filter media engineered for active airflow molecular filtration to reach commercial launch.

Adsorbi will showcase Arbomax at Filtech, an international filtration technology conference and exhibition, in Cologne this June.