<p>Innovative filter materials have been developed for pre-filters designed to capture aerosol particles, specifically dust, from the air, including at the inlets of gas turbine units (GTUs). The composition and structure of these materials were determined based on the analysis of existing data, calculations, and laboratory tests at All-Russian Thermal Engineering Institute (JSC VTI, Moscow, Russia). The filter materials were measured for their fractional collection efficiency of standard synthetic dust, as well as their dust holding capacity under operating conditions representative of industrial environments. Mathematical calculations and experiments demonstrated the promise of needle punching as a technology for producing multilayer filter materials with optimized layer structures. These materials are suitable for use both in standard pre-treatment stages of inlet air filter systems (IAFS) and in self-cleaning air filters. Laboratory experiments at JSC VTI confirmed the validity of the calculations and the selection of optimized multilayer filter materials produced by this technology. The developed materials showed higher dust holding capacity and particle collection efficiency than the best-performing monolayer materials.</p>