Manufacturer Powell selected PPS paper over polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) papers in the development of the product, Thermal Shield, because of its greater chemical and thermal stability. Powell believes that the paper gives comparable performance at a highly competitive cost.
Thermal Shield is a high-density, calandered paper made with a proprietary grade of Fortron PPS from Ticona, the technical polymers business of the Celanese Group. The paper is an FDA-compliant material that withstands ongoing exposure to a wide range of chemicals at temperatures above 220°C (428°F).
"Thermal Shield is a cutting-edge product that gives extended service in the spiral-wound filters used in dairy filtration," said Kennie Thompson, national sales manager at Powell. "It stands up to repeated exposure to hot water and caustics having a pH of 12.
"In addition to dairy filtration, it also can be used in the soft drink, juice and other sectors requiring liquid filtration where cleaning solutions and high-temperature water are applied in sanitising equipment. The paper's high performance in membrane applications can help manufacturers make significant improvements in filter design and performance."
Thermal Shield resists chlorine, solvents, oils, dyes and most acids and bases at elevated temperatures. It has minimal shrinkage and maintains excellent tear strength and other mechanical properties, even after extended heat aging. Its chemical and thermal stability give it distinct advantages over PP, polyester and aramid papers in water and air filtration, wire wraps and other industrial uses.
Powell produces nonwoven substrates, reinforcements and casting surfaces for electrical insulation, pressure sensitive tapes and filtration membranes. Its substrates provide smooth casting surfaces and reinforcement for membranes used in reverse osmosis and nano- and ultra- filtration. water filtration, decorative fabrics and elsewhere.
Ticona Technical Polymers produces and markets a broad range of engineering polymers and achieved sales of €675 million in 2003. Ticona has approximately 2,000 employees at production, compounding and research facilities in the USA, Germany and Brazil.