Originally Published MPMN September 2002

INDUSTRY NEWS

New Polysulfone Grade Reduces Scaling

A sulfone polymer with reduced levels of cyclic dimer is said to reduce scaling and improve productivity compared with current grades. Cyclic dimer, which is normally produced during the manufacture of polysulfone, leaves a deposit on pipes and other conduits during the manufacturing process. When this occurs, production equipment may need to be shut down and cleaned. Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (Alpharetta, GA; www.solvaymembranes.com) introduced its low-cyclic-dimer (LCD) UDEL P-3500 in July, when it presented a technical paper on the material at the International Conference on Membranes in Toulouse, France.

According to Judy Melville, global industry manager for membranes, this material represents a number of economic advantages for membrane manufacturers over UDEL P-3500, which has been in use for more than 20 years. In addition to a reduction in cyclic dimers, the material offers higher fiber strength and fewer surface defects than its predecessor. According to the firm, the LCD polysulfone also improves the stability and shelf life of the dope solution that is used during solution processing, thus increasing production efficiencies. "This is the first in a series of resins that we plan to introduce over the next several years that have been developed specifically with the needs of membrane manufacturers and their end-users in mind," says Melville.

The material is suited for the fabrication of semipermeable barriers used in medical filtration, gas separation, and a range of industrial filtration applications.

Now available in commercial quantities, the material is manufactured at the company's plant in Marietta, OH.

Copyright ©2002 Medical Product Manufacturing News