Applications Limited Only by Your Imagination
Porous metal media is a unique material that exhibits a wide range of definable flow and filtration properties. It is a true engineering media from which design engineers can develop any number of unique product solutions. Applied Porous Technologies, Inc. supports equipment manufacturers, end users, resellers, and research organizations.
The unique combination of a sintered powdered metal construction offered in a variety of corrosion-resistant materials such as 316LSS also offers some strong benefits over other porous media technologies. In many applications, our media functions as a cost-effective, direct replacement for brass and bronze powdered metal media, providing a stronger and more corrosion-resistant option. In some applications such as in medical components and semiconductor products, 316LSS is also a more generally accepted material. In filter applications, porous metal media can replace woven screen products, for a more rigid structure that will withstand higher pressure and allow backflushing without the need for additional internal support structures. Our media has also been used successfully as a replacement for ceramic media, providing corrosion- and temperature-resistant operation while eliminating the cracking and breaking issues often associated with ceramics.
Filtration
This
is the most obvious use for any porous material. Applied Porous
Technologies,
Inc. media, components, and assemblies are used in
a wide assortment of filtration devices for filtering of both
gasses
and liquids.
High mechanical strength and corrosion-resistance
make this media well-suited for
aggressive environments and will offer such benefits
as long life and cleanability. Some existing
applications
include:
• Solvent filters for chromatography systems
• Polymer filters for processing molten plastic materials
• Catalyst recovery filters in petrochemical plants and food and
beverage applications
• Gas filters for chemical processing
and
semiconductor manufacturing applications
• Sensor covers to protect
delicate instruments in harsh environments (such as smoke
stacks and exhaust pipes)
• Line filters for chemical
analyzers
• Syringe filters
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Flow Control
Devices, Breathers, and Pressure Equalizers
Applied Porous Technologies, Inc. media is available with very specific and controllable
flow characteristics that can be incorporated into
devices to control
the flow of gases or liquids in and out of a process.
Some examples of these devices in use include:
• Small fitting-mounted
flow restrictors that replace expensive micro valves and
orifice devices used in gas leak detectors
in the mining
industry or in other analytical equipment
• Vent plugs that allow internal pressure of systems to come
to equilibrium
with outer atmospheres such as in space vehicles,
automotive (truck and train) brake systems, and instrument
cabinets used
in harsh environments
• Vacuum delay valves in
automotive carburetors
• Pump priming vents for pharmaceutical
micropumps
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Flame Arrestors
Applied Porous Technologies, Inc. porous metal media can be produced
to allow free flow of gases but to not permit flames,
sparks,
or other ignition sources to pass through the porous
structure. This
somewhat
unique property makes the media an excellent
material for
use in
flame arrestor devices.
• Gas detectors for mining operations
• Oxygen sensor
covers in turbine and jet engine inlet cones
• Protective covers for electronic process sensors
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Spargers
The media can be used in devices to introduce a gas into a liquid.
Gas passing through the porous media into the liquid is
transformed into many small bubbles that result in a ratio that
maximizes the liquid's gas absorption.
Sample applications include:
• Carbonation of beverages
• Addition of CO2 to neutralize acidic waste stream in
paper processing
• Aeration of sewage effluent to increase biological
activity
• Addition of air into
fermentation processes such as beer brewing or fuel ethanol
production
• Introducing hydrogen into refinery cracking operations
• Increasing the oxygen content in fish farming plants
• Adding ozone to a water treatment stream
• Introducing nitrogen into food products such as beverages
and cooking oils to remove oxygen and extend shelf life
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Rollers and
Applicators
Uniform porosity makes the media an excellent material for use
in applicators and roll-handling equipment. Materials such
as
inks and coatings can be pumped through the porous media
and efficiently
pressed
or rolled onto a substrate. Some applications
include:
• Finish coatings for printing papers
• Solvent-based adhesive
coating of tapes
• Ink jet printer plates
• Air
rollers for handling sensitive films with no direct surface-to-surface
contact
Fluidizers
Air or nitrogen gas passing through the media can cause a dry material,
such as a powder, to move with properties similar to a liquid.
This enhances the flow characteristic of the material and aids
in both
transporting
and processing.
• Fluidizing cones
on silo outlets to aid dry process
chemical flow into a reactor
• Moving dry goods, such
as cereals,
through
process tubing
• Loosening of bulk
dry chemicals after transport prior to dumping
Gauge Snubbers
Gauge Snubbers are porous metal discs placed between a process line and a pressure
gauge or delicate sensor. These provide a dampening
effect that absorbs the effects
of pressure spikes and protects sensitive devices.
Silencers
Exhaust ports on compressors, gas cylinders, and valves can create
dangerous noise levels. Porous metal silencers muffle the
noise while allowing free flow of the escaping gases. Sample
applications
include:
• Vehicle or train air brakes
• Gas-activated process
valves in chemical plants
• Air and vacuum pump discharge mufflers
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