Samsung develops world's first reusable air filter for harmful gases

Samsung Electronics Co., the South Korean electronics giant, has developed the world’s first filter that can remove both fine dust and harmful gases from the air with one device, and can be reused for up to 20 years with water washing.

The company’s research arm, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), said on Thursday that it has used photocatalysts, which are materials that trigger chemical reactions with light, to create a new filter that can capture and break down pollutants in the air. The research result was published in the journal Nature Communications on Wednesday.

The new filter technology has several benefits over the current high-performance HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters, which need separate filters for fine dust and harmful gases and have to be replaced every six months or a year.

The new filter can collect four times more dust than the HEPA filter and can keep its performance even after water washing, due to the water-repellent nature of the photocatalysts.

The company said the new filter can last for 20 years if it is washed with water 10 times, which is 40 times longer than the HEPA filter.

Samsung plans to make prototypes and test them in various air conditioning facilities at its semiconductor business sites and other public places.

Write to Ji-Eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com