Industry sector: Manufacturing of basic organic chemicals
Company activity: The company specializes in the valorization and processing of rosin and turpentine extracted from pine resin via tapping, as well as the production of resins and terpenes used in numerous applications such as perfumery, adhesives, inks, chewing gum, rubber, etc.
Company type: Global group
Founding period: 1932
Contacts: Process Technicians
Company context
Our client, ranked among the world leaders in plant-based chemistry, produces ingredients derived from pine. With raw materials of plant origin, the company offers nearly 300 references enabling industries to design everyday products that meet today’s needs while preserving tomorrow’s resources.
The site where we intervened handles the production of terpenes, resins, and natural extracts, and includes an R&D platform dedicated to perfumery, industrial, health, and nutrition applications. Confronted with a particulate-filtration issue, the client sought our expertise in solid–liquid chemical separation.
Filtration challenge
The substance to be filtered is a mixture of terpenes (50% xylene / 50% polymer residues). The objective was to eliminate process-related contaminants upstream of a coalescer.
Three 40-inch filter cartridges were installed in a filter housing to achieve a flow rate of 4 m³/h.
Our client observed a major issue: significant swelling of the filter cartridges, causing leakage at the housing cover due to the pressure exerted on the spacer, which is normally intended to keep the filter cartridges in place.
In addition, the deformation of the filters made it impossible to remove the cartridges from the housing—an abnormal and cumbersome operation for the operators.
Finally, the service life of the filter cartridges was only 1 to 3 days. While resolving this issue, the client also expressed a desire to extend the filter cartridge lifetime.
Pemflow filtration solution
The operating conditions to be met were as follows:
- Mechanical strength compatible with an operating temperature of 80 °C
- A differential pressure of around 3 bar
- High particulate-retention capacity to ensure upstream protection of the coalescer
- A significant extension of filter cartridge service life
We selected an absolute-rated pleated-depth filter from the AMAZON FILTERS range, SupaPleat Plus, suitable for an operating temperature of 80 °C.
SupaPleat Plus filters offer enhanced durability thanks to their robust outer cage. The cartridge core, to ensure mechanical stability, was supplied in a reinforced polypropylene single-module construction suitable for high temperatures. In addition, the thermal bonding process seals all components, eliminating adhesives and extractables and ensuring optimal filter cartridge integrity.
The choice of a glass-fiber media is justified by its high void volume, providing a low initial differential pressure and a high retention capacity.
In this application, the filtration threshold is 10 µm absolute, ensuring reproducible performance.
Expert advice
Absolute efficiency: The term absolute is used to define a filter element whose filtration efficiency at the stated threshold is greater than 99.98%.
After installing a complete set of filter cartridges, our client reported several positive findings regarding prefiltration upstream of the coalescer:
- After inspection, the filter cartridges showed no deformation
- A uniform distribution of salt load was observed across the entire filter media
- Service life increased to 10 days, compared with 1 to 3 days previously
- The extended filter cartridge life has a significant economic impact
- The effectiveness of the prefiltration allows the coalescer to operate optimally
Furthermore, the client highlighted a coalescing effect of the glass-fiber media cartridges (the phenomenon by which two identical but dispersed substances tend to come together).
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