Together with dedicated partners and customers, geosynthetic products manufacturer and supplier Fibertex is setting a new standard in filter media by challenging the way filtration is used.

“The local team works closely with customers to design filtration systems to suit exact requirements, by combining quality filter media with the latest filtration technologies and advanced manufacturing processes,” explains Fibertex South Africa commercial executive Sefton Fripp.

He notes that Fibertex is a leading manufacturer of a comprehensive range of nonwovens and performance-based materials used in diverse industries. The company also develops advanced filtration solutions that contribute to a cleaner environment.

“The global operation designs and manufactures a wide range of high-performance air and liquid filter media, including pleated, needlepunch, spunlace and thermally bonded filter media. These materials enhance filtration in diverse applications, including dust collection, gas turbines, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), automotive, protective facemasks and liquid filtration.”

Fibertex nonwoven materials, impregnated with activated carbon, are designed to absorb odours, smoke and liquids, says Fripp.

This durable material, which ensures extended service life, is designed for clean handling and further processing of the media into filters. Typical applications of this durable material include air purifiers; HVAC; cabin air; cook hoods and fryers; packaging materials; vacuum cleaners and appliances and chemical protection suits; as well as facemasks and respirators.

Further, he notes that Fibertex has developed advanced pleatable products for air filtration, based on in-house product nanofibres, which are combined with tailored nonwovens.

“The main benefits of Fibertex nanofibre layers – being a purely mechanical filtration layer – are greater efficiency and durability of the filtration layer during the lifetime of the product.”

The Pleatex filter media range – which can be pleated on all types of pleating machines – offers high-efficiency and a low pressure drop – through pure mechanical filtration.

Fripp explains that the Pleatex media does not lose efficiency owing to electrical discharge in the presence of moisture and air pollutants, like electret meltblowns. Additionally, these filter products do not contain any harmful, small fibre shreds, as is the case with conventional fine glass fibre-based filtration products.

Pleatex filter media containing nanofibres can achieve filtration efficiencies up to High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) level 13, according to EN 1822 and ISO 35H, according to ISO 29463.

All products in this range conform with the latest ISO 16890 requirements and also adhere to the lowest energy consumption standards in ventilation systems.

In addition to Pleatex filter media, he adds that Fibertex manufactures a range of needlepunch, carded, thermally bonded and spunlace air filtration products.

All Fibertex filtration products can be treated with permanent plasma coating or non-permanent impregnations, to enhance hydrophobicity, oleophobicity or hydrophilicity. Anti-static treatment is also available.

Surface filtration products have been developed for many applications, including dust collection and air pollution control media for cartridges and bags, engine air intake media for heavy-duty vehicles, gas turbine inlet air media and dust collection appliances, such as industrial vacuum cleaner media, says Fripp.

Depth filtration products – both pleatable and flat media types – are suitable for HVAC media, protective facemask and respirator media, cabin air and engine air intake media of passenger vehicles, as well as appliance media and HEPA filters.

Liquid Filtration

The company’s liquid filtration solutions encompass a full range of needlepunch filter media, with high flow capacity and good retention properties, from one μm to 200 μm.

He adds that Fibertex filter media are manufactured with FDA/EC compliant materials, for safe use in food applications and other critical functions.

Pleatable media are available with or without a nanofibre layer, on a pore size range from 0.8 μm to 100 μm. Fibertex nanofibres can be utilised in liquid filtration products and as separation media.

Additionally, Fibertex Nanofibres, which provide a uniform pore size structure, minimise resistance against liquid flows, compared to conventional melt blown and glass fibre layers and traditional membranes, says Fripp.

Typical applications for liquid filter media include industrial processes and oil filtration, chemical and ceramic filtration, industrial coolant oil filtration, food and beverage filtration, machine tool emulsion filtration, evaporation, swimming pools and spas, as well as EDM filtration and syringe filters.

He concludes that Fibertex continuously invests in technological advancements, to meet exact market requirements in diverse industries.

Apart from offering filtration solutions, key areas of business are acoustics, bedding, building, composites, concrete, flooring, furniture, healthcare and geotextiles.