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Filter-Focus

National Nonwovens Filtration e-newsletter

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Table of Contents:

	Introducing “Filter-Focus”
	Filtration Challenge 1
	Enhancing with finishes & treatments
	Filtration 2001

National Nonwovens Introduces “Filter-Focus”

National Nonwovens presents Filter-Focus, a filtration e-newsletter. Filter-Focus will be distributed quarterly to a select number of valued filtration customers and associates. Discussed in this newsletter will be recommended solutions to challenges facing the filtration industry. We will also share with you National Nonwovens’ latest technologies, products, and related industry events.

We hope you find this first edition of Filter-Focus useful.

Below is the first part in National Nonwovens continuing Filtration Challenges series,
which discusses solutions to the industry’s difficult challenges.

Filtration Challenge 1: Lightweight Filtration Fabrics with Uniform Webs

Challenge: Design a lightweight, cost effective, and durable filtration material that has a consistent, uniform web.

Solution: National Nonwovens’ lightweight, needlepunched filtration materials starting at 3.5 oz/yd2.

Our innovative needlepunching process has significant fiber entanglement that provides strength and permeability without voids. The result - high strength, efficient, uniformed webs. Needlepunching is stronger than the melt-blown process, and provides more loft then spun-bonding. The needlepunching process is also more efficient than the high-loft process that is too open in their design for this lightweight challenge. Although hydro-entanglement has many similar features, needlepunched filtration materials are more cost effective and process friendly.

	Needlepunch	Hydro- entanglement	Melt Blown	Spunbonded
	Needlepunch	Hydro- entanglement	Melt Blown	Spunbonded
Weight (oz/yd²)	up to 256	< 8.0	< 5.0	< 8.0
Thickness (inch max)	1 +	.100	.125	.100
Tensile Strength	good	good	poor	excellent MD fair CMD
Tear Strength	good	good	poor	good
Modulus Variation	good	poor	poor	poor
Mechanical Stability	good	good	poor	good
Permeability Range (cfm)	high	low	medium	low
Width of Production (inch)	up to 500	up to 180	< 100	200
Durability	excellent	good	poor	good
Depth Loading	good	poor	poor	poor
Abrasion Resistance	good	good	fair	good

We precisely control thickness, produce wide-width webs up to 90 inches, and can implement any type of fiber into the design including:

    Polyester

    Aramids

    Polypropylene

    Nylon/polyamide

    Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS)

    Homo-polymer-acetate

Applications: Applications are very broad ranging from substrate carriers to pre-filters and shell fabrics in conjunction with melt-blown filter medias. Filtration for sectors our technology applies to include:

    Wet filtration

    Dry filtration

    High temperature filtration

    Metal filtration

Several of the specific product applications include:

    Pleated cartridges and wraps for pleated cartridges

    Off-road vehicles

    Construction

    Face masks

    Medical composites for blood filtration

Enhancing with Finishes & Treatments

A fiber matrix in any orientation may not be sufficient to provide all of the attributes for the required filter. The addition of post-processing can enhance the capabilities of the filter to increase its: efficiency, chemical resistance, durability, abrasion resistance, cleanability, and thermal stability.   The following post-treatments are essential and should be provided by the nonwoven manufacturer for today’s filtration fabrics.

    Chemical treatment: PTFE (fluorocarbon), Silicone, Hydrophilic & Hydrophobic finish, Latex impregnation

     Electrostatic charging

     Membrane, film addition

     Heat set

     Singe

     Glaze

     Press

Each of these treatments must be able to be applied to the fabric in various amounts. The construction of each product must be mechanically stable to prevent any degradation of the formation, strength, and density while undergoing additional post-treatment and processing.   Clearly, needlepunch nonwovens provide the highest degree of product stability while offering a wide range of other attributes for filtration needs.

Filtration 2001 • International Conference & Expo
December 4-6, 2001 • Navy Pier • Chicago, Illinois USA
Booth #403

This year, we will feature our innovative pre-filters with weights ranging from 3.5 to 6.2 oz. The material is designed for maximum resiliency, high depth-loading capacity, and maximum modulus with a unique composite structure that increases its strength and efficiency. Other filter medias displayed include PurusFelt^®, sub-micron filtration, and Dual Density filtration composites.

Contact INDA for registration information and directions.

Market Trends and competition are creating a more demanding environment requiring more innovation and technology. The key to engineering new technology is with the commitment by material suppliers to generate new ideas that can be transformed into new products providing increased performance over traditional materials. The new emerging needlepunch technology reflects our commitment to the filtration market. At National Nonwovens, we will continue to manage new technology to bridge today’s products and technology to meet the future market demands.

Coming up next issue….
In the next Filter-Focus, we will discuss Composite Filtration.

Please email us your challenges