Lignin: The Wood By-product Transforming Car Filters

Reducing emissions in the automotive industry is not limited to the electrification of vehicles. Research by brands and auxiliary companies and suppliers in the sector goes beyond and achieves significant advances beyond reducing the CO2 emitted from car exhausts.

For example, the company MANN-FILTER has developed a new generation of filters that use lignin, a biopolymer derived from wood, as a substitute for fossil-based resins, achieving significant savings in oil and CO2.

In a significant step towards more sustainable production, MANN-FILTER has announced the development of this new line of filters that incorporates a revolutionary material in its filter media: lignin.

This biopolymer, one of the most abundant in nature, is obtained as a by-product of the paper industry from wood, offering an ecological and high-performance alternative to the traditionally used fossil-based resins.

Lignin plays a crucial role both in plants, where it provides rigidity and strength, and in the new MANN-FILTER filters. Its function is to give the filter media the same robustness, resistance to chemicals present in synthetic oils, waterproofing, and, in the case of truck air filters, even flame protection. The adoption of this material not only maintains the technical properties of the filters but also generates a positive environmental impact.

The replacement of phenolic resins with lignin has tangible and measurable benefits. During production, the new technology allows for a reduction in the CO2 footprint by up to 5% and the amount of crude oil by approximately 27%.

To illustrate this saving, the company has provided a concrete example: with just the C 17 237 reference, an air filter, MANN-FILTER managed to save 3.93 tonnes of CO2 and over 4,500 litres of crude oil throughout 2024. These figures demonstrate the large-scale potential of lignin, and therefore, the company plans to convert more and more references in its catalogue to this technology.

MANN-FILTER's initiative aligns with the urgent need to make internal combustion vehicles already on the roads more sustainable. Despite the European Union only registering zero-emission cars from 2035, millions of petrol and diesel vehicles will continue to be used worldwide for many more years.

In this context, advanced filtration solutions, such as those based on lignin, play a vital role. They contribute to improving sustainability in existing vehicles, helping to reduce their environmental impact and demonstrating that innovation in the supply chain and components can be as crucial as the development of fully electric vehicles.

Additionally, the cellulose used in the filter media comes from certified sources, reinforcing the company's holistic commitment to the environment.