The quality of the world’s respiratory air is the greatest health issues. This was true even before the Covid-19 pandemic, and conditions have not improved. Lanaco, a New Zealand-based manufacturer of natural fibre air filters, specialises in using wool to help the world breathe better. Lanaco’s innovations in air filter technology have even been recognized (and used) by NASA. Read on to discover more.
Making Air Safe to Breathe with Wool Filter Technology
Lanaco is tackling the air quality issue head-on through its development of wool filter technology. These innovative filters use wool fibres to remove toxic particles, whether from atmospheric air pollution, environmental issues, viruses, pollens or bacteria.
By finding a way to use wool in its technology, Lanaco has been able to reduce its use of synthetic material. Not only has the filter technology improved, but the wool brings with it attributes that synthetic fibres don’t have. Wool fibre biodegrades naturally, whereas synthetic fibres, at the end of life, end up in landfill. Less use of synthetic fibres also means fewer microplastic fibres in our rivers and oceans. As with any fibre, wool fibres shed too, but because wool is natural and protein-based, wool fibres do not contribute to microplastic fibre pollution.
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Introducing EcoStatic™
Lanaco calls its technology EcoStatic™: an electrostatic, wool-based air filter. Its performance is equal to other filter materials – and better in some cases. It is extremely effective at removing harmful particles from the air. It is also easier to breathe through natural wool fibres than fossil-fuel based synthetic filters. Since wool is environmentally friendly and 100% biodegradable, it also provides genuine sustainability.
Even NASA is making use of EcoStatic™. Its Artemis space mission features EcoStatic™ air filters for the critical emergency life support system. Synthetic fibres are particularly unsuitable for this purpose. If a fire breaks out on board the craft, hot, toxic particles mix with the water vapour from the fire extinguishing system. This forms a film that clogs a synthetic air filter in under ten minutes. Wool filter technology does not have this drawback. The wool filter opens the life-saving window to more than an hour, allowing ample time for the astronauts to deal with the situation.
Other Applications
EcoStatic™ filters can also be used in the automotive industry, providing cabin filters for the interior of vehicles. They can be deployed in healthcare, where their capacity to be effective in high humidity environments will prove very useful. It is also perfect for all types of PPE for medical and industrial environments.
Learn All You Need to Know About the International Wool Industry
You can learn more about the Latest Wool Air Filter Technology from Lanaco by watching this short clip on the IWTO Youtube Channel.
For more information on the wool industry around the world, take a look at our fact sheets, statistics and guidelines.