Plastics

The production of plastic materials is nearly always carried out via a liquid. This may be a melt or a solution of monomers and polymers in water or organic solvents. We support companies that produce and process polymers with our filter systems for polymer melts and other high viscosity liquids like polymer solutions, resins, or adhesives. By taking account of the specific rheological properties of the liquids and applying numerical flow simulation, we are able to develop filter components and systems that are optimally adapted to the separation task. These are based on our proven Leaf Discs, filter candles with graduated filter units, and our screen changers that have been specially designed for melt filtration. In the case of unknown filtration tasks, laboratory scale research and development can be conducted with a range of melt filters.

Polymerisation

Polymerisation is the first basic step in plastics production. Depending on the monomers, it can be carried out in bulk, in a solution, or in an emulsion. If monomer solutions are introduced into the reactor, they are first filtered to separate impurities. Filtration is also used after polymerization to recover monomer residues from polymer solutions/suspensions and to return them to the polymerization reactor. Thermoplastics are an important class of plastic raw materials, like polyamide (PA), polymethyl methaycrylate, polycarbonate, or polyether ether ketone (PEEK). After polymerisation, these materials are either directly granulated for further processing elsewhere, or they are directly

Fibre production

There is an increasing demand for nonwovens for the production of technical textiles, including filter media, textiles for the clothing industry, hygiene articles, etc. Synthetic fibres form a large share of the raw materials. In addition to the well-known polyesters, nylon and viscose, which is based on natural resources, are used. Polyurethane fibres are essential parts of elastic textiles. High performance fibres from chemically and thermally resistant polymers, as well as bi- or multi-component fibres, enable new technical applications. In addition to the production of nonwovens, synthetic fibres are used for stabilizing materials, in tyres for example. To obtain required technical fea

Film production

There are three processes for film production depending on the polymer used. These are extrusion from the melt, stretching (mono- and biaxial) of a deformable solid, or casting of a polymer solution. Casting is used with polymers that do not melt or which only melt under disintegration, like polyimides. Casting processes are also of interest for the production of ultra-thin films from thermoplastic polymers, like polyester or polycarbonates. Filtration is an essential step within film production to pre-treat melts or polymer solutions. Depth filters retain undissolved polymers or gels from solutions, which would be detectable as specks within the cast film. These specks would significant

Membrane production

Most technical membranes for gas and liquid filtration with filter grades in the sub-micron and the molecular range are made from polymers. Producing flat sheet membranes is quite similar to foil production, while hollow fibre membranes are made by spinning through a ring spinneret by means of a central air or water jet. The chemical composition of the casting and spinning solution respectively, as well as the process parameters, influence the pore size distribution of the membrane. Colloids or solid particles in the solution must be avoided in order to exclude membrane defects (like outsized pores) or embeddings that affect mechanical stability. Leading membrane producers use Seebach filt

Cable sheathing

Power cables are insulated by sheathing with plastics like polyethylene or polypropylene. The higher the voltage and the more extreme the conditions surroundings of the cable, the higher the demands on stability and freedom of defects in the sheathing. This is particularly true for submarine cables that connect offshore wind power turbines with each other or with the land. Again our melt filter systems ensure the highest purities of the melts prior to sheathing.

Production of polymer products

Polymer melts are used for the production of polymer products by injection moulding, and for the production of foils or fibres. The melts can be classified on the basis of their viscosities and flow behaviour depending on the temperature, their chemical structure, and the level of polymerisation. Melt filter systems ensure that polymer melts entering processing machines are free of particles and gels. This prevents defects in the finished products. We are the market leader in the design of customized and product-specific melt filter systems and their optimum adaption to existing production plants. We produce filter candles, filter discs, and complete melt filter systems. Problems with gels a