The perfect mixture

They are highly sensitive systems that can knock entire companies or even industries off track if they are defective: data centers, switchgear or engine control units are exposed to harmful gases or moisture around the clock. If they are not filtered out of the air, corrosion  can occur and, in the worst cases, the entire system can fail. Together with her colleagues, Dr. Edith Kühl is researching the optimal solution to this problem. The idea is to use small, porous beads or pellets to absorb harmful gases, bind them or transform them into harmless salts. This process is called gas phase filtration and is far more than a product for its users. It is an insurance policy against an incalculably high risk.

With her fundamental research on the pellets, the chemical engineer from Lüneburg has contributed decisively to the further development of this innovative filtration process. During her PhD at the Technical University Clausthal, she was already researching different recipes in collaboration with the Business Group Freudenberg Filtration Technologies and testing their effectiveness in a specially constructed experimental plant. The challenge for the passionate scientist is that the pellets need to be both porous and as permeable as possible, but also solid. “It was an indescribable feeling when I realized that my formula actually worked,” the 29-year-old explains.