A breath of fresh air: polypropylene at work for better air quality

It is common knowledge that the quality of our air has a direct impact on the quality of our lives. Health risks associated with air pollution often vary from common allergies to fatigue and in some cases include outbreaks of chronic diseases such as asthma. As a result, governments have become increasingly wary about air quality issues which have opened a window of opportunity for industry to leverage its know-how and deliver sustainable, cost-effective solutions to this health challenge. 

Unlike other health challenges, the issue of air quality shares a direct connection to our ability to preserve our environment and protect against climate change. Indeed, reducing our CO2 emissions will ultimately affect our environment which in turn improves the overall quality of our air. But the issue of air quality is not only isolated to that of outdoor air quality. It also encompasses the air we breathe indoors.

In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even urban, industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors.

How plastics can aid in indoor air quality

Plastics play an important part in fostering clean indoor air quality by providing a cost- and energy efficient alternative to filter indoor air. Typically, Heating Ventilation and Air conditioning (HVAC) installations in buildings and homes depend on filter elements composed of fibrous filter media to capture submicron particles from the filtered air.

While the filter elements can be made of a variety of filter media (paper, glass fibre, synthetics) polypropylene (PP) based filters provide a cost effective solution offering high filtration efficiency and a low pressure build up during its life cycle. Polypropylene based filters can provide better performance versus paper based systems often allowing a longer filter life time or enabling downsizing of the filter at constant performance level.

The energy cost is a dominant element in an HVAC system’s total operating cost. The selection of the optimum filter that offers long filter life time and low pressure drop generates substantial energy cost savings in every HVAC installation. A rising pressure drop over the filter media increases the energy that is required to circulate a given flow of air.

Therefore the selection of high performing HVAC filters helps to cut energy costs and contributes to an improved energy efficiency of commercial & industrial buildings.

Advancing research to leading edge fibre performance

As a reflection of our extended commitment to this health challenge, Borealis has invested in a state-of-the-art meltblown pilot centre to support the development of improved meltblown solutions for existing and new markets.

The centre, located at our International Innovation Centre in Linz, Austria, enables us to perfect our insights in the relations between polymer, fibre structure and final web properties. This capability will lead us to new polymer solutions that will enable meltblown structures to address new application fields.

Through joint developments with industry partners from a variety of applications, we aim to develop innovative polyolefin solutions that will lead meltblown structures into new markets.