How Graphene-Based Self-Cleaning Filters Could Benefit the Aerospace Industry

By Ibtisam AbbasiReviewed by Lexie CornerApr 15 2025

The aviation and aerospace industry demands extreme precision and stringent safety standards, with various filtration systems playing a crucial role in protecting passengers and ensuring optimal aircraft performance.¹ Systems such as air filters, hydraulic and fluid filters, environmental control systems (ECS), and water recycling units are all essential for safe and efficient operation.

With growing interest in sustainable, high-performance technologies, graphene-based filters are gaining attention. They have not only shown greater efficiency in removing impurities compared to conventional systems, but are also emerging as a key component in the development of next-generation technologies for future aerospace and space exploration programs.

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Graphene-Based Air Filtration Systems in the Aerospace Sector

Limitations of Traditional Aerospace Filters

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters have long been used in aerospace to maintain cabin air quality. They effectively trap particles like dust, pollen, and bacteria, helping to keep the cabin air clean.²

However, HEPA filters have limitations. They struggle to capture gases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and smaller pathogens under 0.3 microns. These filters also require regular replacement and maintenance, which can be costly and time-consuming, necessitating the need for highly efficient novel filtration frameworks.

AEROGrAFT (Graphene Flagship Program)

AEROGrAFT is part of the broader Graphene Flagship initiative, which supports the development and commercialization of graphene and other 2D materials across Europe. The project focuses on advancing next-generation aerospace filtration systems using graphene-based materials.

The primary goal of AEROGrAFT is to develop high-quality, self-cleaning aerographene foams—a highly porous and lightweight form of graphene foam that can be reheated for sterilization. These filters are designed to efficiently capture pollutants that conventional systems may miss, while also reducing maintenance time, particularly in military aircraft, commercial aviation, and space applications.

Graphene offers added functionality to traditional filters, enabling properties such as environmental monitoring, self-sterilization, and automated cleaning.

Initially, aerographene foams were limited to small, lab-scale sizes (around 1 cm³). Over the past three years, however, the project has scaled up production significantly, developing new geometries and larger volumes. AEROGrAFT has also established a large-scale test facility to replicate real aircraft conditions, and its materials are now qualified to DO-160G standards for aerospace use.

AEROGrAFT Industrial Collaboration

Early testing identified aerographite as a promising material for aerospace applications due to its low density and conductive properties. To advance its potential, the AEROGrAFT team partnered with Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel to develop multiple material variants.

Subsequently, a collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden resulted in a scalable method for producing highly porous, lightweight aerographene. In the second phase of the project, these materials were evaluated in air filtration scenarios, confirming their active self-cleaning capabilities under operational conditions.³

Uses in Environmental Control Systems

Environmental Control Systems (ECS) regulate cabin pressure, air quality, and temperature, ensuring safe and comfortable conditions for passengers and crew.

In these systems, lightweight graphene filters offer advantages due to their high thermal conductivity and large surface area, which enable the effective removal of airborne viruses and microorganisms. Their self-cleaning capability also reduces maintenance demands, making them particularly well-suited for applications in UAVs and spacecraft where manual servicing is limited.

Major Players and Developments

Rice University LIG Filters

Several academic and commercial efforts are underway to develop graphene filters suitable for aerospace use. One notable example comes from Rice University, where researchers created flexible, self-sterilizing filters using laser-induced graphene (LIG).

These filters consist of a porous, conductive graphene foam that effectively captures pollutants, bacteria, and fungi. The material also demonstrates high electrical conductivity, enabling Joule heating to raise the filter’s temperature above 300 °C—sufficient to decompose harmful byproducts.

Tested using a standard commercial vacuum filtration system, the filters operated for over 100 hours while consistently neutralizing pathogens.⁴ While designed for aerospace use, they also show strong potential for use in clinical environments such as hospitals.

Zentek – ZenGUARD™ Technology

ZenGUARD^TM is a graphene-based filtration coating gaining traction in HVAC systems and military aviation. Filters enhanced with ZenGUARD are designed for easy integration into modern HVAC infrastructure and have been associated with reduced carbon emissions.

The technology was evaluated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, specifically at the Aerospace Research Center’s Centre for Air Travel Research. When tested against standard MERV-8 filters, ZenGUARD-coated filters showed a marked reduction in airborne pathogens and viruses, highlighting their improved filtration efficiency and potential for aerospace use.⁵

Graphene Composite Air Filtration Technology

Graphene Composites (GC), a UK-based company, has developed GC Halo—a specialized coating for air filters designed to neutralize viruses and bacteria on contact. The coating is formulated using a combination of graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles, offering both mechanical filtration and antimicrobial action.

Tests have shown that GC Halo filters are up to 99 % effective against pathogens such as coronavirus, E. coli, and black mold.⁶ This antiviral capability makes them a strong candidate for integration into ECSs in commercial aircraft, where maintaining clean cabin air is essential.

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Liquid Filtration Application

Jet Fuel Filtration

Aviation fuels, including jet propulsion and other hydrocarbon-based fuels, are highly susceptible to microbial contamination. The growth of microorganisms in fuel can lead to serious issues in both military and commercial aircraft, such as storage tank corrosion, fuel pump failure, engine degradation, and hardware damage.

Graphene oxide (GO) has shown significant potential as a filtration and sterilization medium for jet fuel.

Researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Dayton Research Institute tested GO nanomaterials as filtration media. They found that GO columns trapped over 95 % of bacterial contaminants without impeding fuel flow. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the bacteria adhered strongly to the GO surfaces, preventing reintroduction into the fuel system.

Further research involved silver-decorated GO coatings, which demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial performance, particularly against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.⁷ These findings support the potential of graphene and graphene-silver composite filters in improving jet fuel purity and mitigating microbial degradation.

Hydraulic Fluids and Lubricating Systems

Hydraulic and lubricating fluids are critical for the operation of aircraft machinery. Without them, the engines and mechanical systems in military aircraft, commercial planes, and spacecraft would fail. Graphene-based lubricating oils have shown considerable promise, particularly in the automotive sector and in high-performance engine testing.

Studies have demonstrated that graphene-enhanced lubricants can reduce the friction coefficient by up to 40 % compared to conventional lubricants. These formulations also improve anti-corrosion and wear resistance properties.

In one study, nano-graphene lubricating oil tested according to ASTM G181 standards showed improvements in tribological performance and anti-wear characteristics by approximately 29–35 % and 22–29 %, respectively.⁸

While graphene membranes for contaminant removal in hydraulic fluids remain in the early stages of research, no definitive published results have yet confirmed their effectiveness. However, ongoing development suggests potential future applications in maintenance and reliability for aerospace systems.

Water Recycling

Graphene has also shown strong potential in water recycling systems used in modern spacecraft. NASA researchers have investigated graphene-based materials as filtration media for reclaimed and recycled water in life support systems (LSS).

Graphene-based materials (GBMs) offer exceptional adsorption properties and antimicrobial activity, which has led to growing interest in their use for spacecraft life support systems (LSS). On the International Space Station (ISS), the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) treats wastewater through multiple filtration stages.

Existing graphene-based technologies have demonstrated high efficiency in removing both organic and inorganic pollutants, with performance comparable to current WPA media such as AmberSorb 4652 and AmberLite resins (IRN-150, IRN-77, IRA67).⁹ Graphene performed similarly to AmberSorb 4652 in eliminating toxic organic compounds.

Experts have noted that immobilizing graphene nanoparticles onto support materials helps prevent issues associated with nanoplatelet aggregation during adsorption. In this way, graphene-based filters are pioneering the next generation of ultra-high-capacity filtration systems for water recycling in space applications.

Explore More

Graphene-based filtration systems for aerospace and defense applications are no longer just a concept—they are rapidly maturing, with real-world testing and growing interest from both industry and government organizations.

As agencies like DARPA explore the potential of nanomaterials for mission-critical environments, graphene could play a key role in next-generation air filtration, hydraulic fluid purification, and environmental control systems.

For more information on how nanomaterials and advanced membranes are transforming filtration technologies, explore the following articles:

• Graphene Membranes: Applications in Modern Water Purification
• Innovative Membrane Creates Energetic Barrier Against PFAS Contamination
• The Role of Nanosponges in Oil Spill Cleanup
• How to Assess Nanotoxicity: Key Methods and Protocols
• How is Nanocellulose Used in Water Purification?

References and Further Reading

1. Chase Filters & Components, (2024). Guide to Aerospace Filters. [Online]. Available at: https://chasefiltercompany.com/blog/guide-to-aerospace-filters/#:~:text=Aerospace%20filters%20ensure%20that%20clean,is%20safer%2C%20convenient%20and%20reliable. [Accessed on: April 02, 2025].
2. FACC. (2020). Air quality in aircraft cabins. [Online]. Available at: https://www.facc.com/en/BEyond-Blog/Air-quality-in-aircraft-cabins [Accessed on: April 03, 2025].
3. Graphene Flagship Annual Report 2022. (2023). [Online]. Available at: https://780207571.flowpaper.com/GrapheneFlagshipAR2022SinglepagesWEB/#page=4 [Accessed on: April 03, 2025].
4. Stanford, M. et. al. (2019). Self-sterilizing laser-induced graphene bacterial air filter. ACS nano, 13(10), 11912-11920. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b05983
5. Zentek. (2024). ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters. [Online]. Available at: https://www.zentek.com/zenguard-overview/zenguard-hvac/ [Accessed on: April 04, 2025].
6. Graphene Composites (2022). GC HALO™ air filtration: unique trap-and-kill protection against covid, flu and bacteria. Company, News. [Online]. Available at: https://graphenecomposites.com/gc-halo-air-filtration-unique-trap-and-kill-protection-against-covid-flu-and-bacteria/ [Accessed on: April 04, 2025].
7. Ruiz, O. et. al. (2015). Graphene oxide-based nanofilters efficiently remove bacteria from fuel. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 97, 168-178. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2014.10.008
8. Kuang, X. et al. (2024). Effect of nano-graphene lubricating oil on particulate matter of a diesel engine. Sci Rep 14, 10797. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61694-z
9. Fernandez et. al. (2024). Graphene-based Filtration Media for Spacecraft Potable Water Systems: An Early Investigation. 53rd International Conference on Environmental Systems. Kentucky. Available at: https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/4ad2e172-9349-450d-9723-4a2861ab7c3a/content

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