PTFE Replaces EPDM
In municipal wastewater plants, dairies, carbonated
beverage factories, and in pulp and paper mills,
SSI's PTFE membranes have been proven since 2004
to improve fouling resistance to such an extent
that cleanings are in most cases such that cleaning
frequency is reduced by a factor of 5 to 10 as
compared to standard EPDM membranes from the industry's
leading manufacturers. SSI PTFE has replaced EPDM,
silicone and polyurethane tube membranes, and
EPDM disc membranes from a number of different
manufacturers, including our own EPDM products
which are well accepted as being among the best
in the business.
PTFE Disc Membrane
Besides reducing maintenance, the thin film PTFE
surface layer acts as a barrier layer to protect
the EPDM or other substrate material from damage
due to exposure to solvents, fats and greases
which have caused traditional EPDM membranes to
creep, lose weight and chemically oxidize.
And by reducing the amount of foul ants that can
accumulate on the membrane surface, SSI diffusers
with PTFE layered membranes are much more likely
than conventional diffusers to retain their initial
efficiency and headloss. Research from UCLA researchers
Prof. Michael Stenstrom and Dr. Diego Rosso has
proven that particularly in plants with short
MCRT, the drop-off in SOTE as a result of fouling
is quite significant during the first two years
of operation of the diffuser.
The net result of SSI PTFE layered membranes
is a longer membrane life, with less maintenance
and higher operating efficiency throughout the
diffuser's lifetime.
The success of our PTFE diffusers
will cause a paradigm shift in the industry. No longer will
comparisons of diffusers be made primarily based
on initial clean water efficiency, but now towards
predictive short and medium term in-process trials
in which the fouling resistance of a membrane
is considered. Though the initial efficiency
of SSI's PTFE membranes is among the top tier
in the industry, we nonetheless welcome such a shift. |
