Premium for synthetics

Ludwigsburg, February 17, 2022 – Climate change is one of the biggest dangers facing mankind and requires urgent action. According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, commercial vehicle traffic was responsible for around 38 percent of CO₂ emissions from EU-wide road traffic in 2019. In view of the CO₂ fleet emission targets introduced by the EU in 2019, the commercial vehicle sector must also contribute to the climate and energy goals of the Union and reduce its CO₂ emissions. This is where synthetic fuels can play a role. Synthetic fuels can be produced sustainably from biomass – for example straw – or organic waste such as used vegetable oil. Electrofuels or e-fuels are synthetic fuels produced using renewable electricity from water and carbon dioxide, for example. Synthetic fuels allow greenhouse gas-neutral operation of conventional gasoline and diesel engines.

The premium MANN-FILTER brand of the global filtration specialist MANN+HUMMEL already offers various fuel filters for commercial vehicles that are compatible with synthetic fuels. Dr. Björn Schmid, Director of Material Development at MANN+HUMMEL, explains: "Synthetic fuels can be aggressive to some types of elastomer seals and can leach plasticizers from the fuel filter sealing ring. As a result, a seal can lose up to ten percent of its volume. In the worst case, this can even cause fuel to flow out and the filter to come loose while driving."

The seal materials in MANN-FILTER fuel filters for synthetic fuels according to DIN EN 15940 have been tested, are ideally suited for the application, and have the relevant OE approvals. They ensure a permanent hold and a complete seal of the filter.

MANN+HUMMEL has already started series production of these highly efficient fuel filters for various commercial vehicle manufacturers. In the independent automotive aftermarket, for example, the MANN-FILTER WK 11 052 is available in original equipment quality for Volvo and Renault trucks. This is just one of the MANN-FILTER fuel filters for synthetic fuels, and the range is being consistently expanded.

"The mobility of the future will certainly consist of a mix of different drive technologies, and liquid fuels will be required for a long time, such as in the area of long-distance heavy goods traffic. Here, synthetic fuels can make an additional contribution to effective climate protection in transport," says Schmid. To meet the challenges ahead, MANN+HUMMEL engineers are developing the filters of tomorrow in the vehicles of today. After all, customers should also be able to rely in the future on: MANN-FILTER – Perfect parts. Perfect service.