Ahlstrom Fibre-Based Filter Media

Ahlstrom is a high-performance fibre-based materials company, partnering with leading businesses worldwide to help them stay ahead. We aim to grow as an eco-friendly company, with products designed for a clean and healthy environment.

Ahlstrom is one of the leading global filter media manufacturers on the market and our filter media is used in various industries and applications.

Electroadsorptive technology for water purification and filtration

Ahlstrom Disruptor® filter media reduces a wide range of submicron particulates, pathogens, trace pharmaceuticals and cellular debris with its naturally occurring electropositive charge. Disruptor® is specifically engineered to have this charge field cover the entire depth and void volume of the media. By accomplishing submicron ‘filtration’ with a charge field rather than with mechanical pores, Disruptor® has a much smaller pressure drop and much greater flow rate compared with ultrafiltration membranes of similar efficiency.

Independent testing has shown Disruptor® to reduce MS2 virus at more than 99.99%. It can reduce a wide range of bacteria at more than 99.9999%, including E. coli, Pseudomonas and Legionella. Removal of three-micron spheres (as a surrogate for cryptosporidium) is more than 99.95% efficient. Disruptor® has been proven to reduce certain species of colloidal metals, hazardous compounds such as PCBs and trace pharmaceuticals including BPA, a known hormone inhibitor.

University testing has shown Disruptor’s® combination of electroadsorption and depth filtration to effectively reduce low molecular weight organic acids and polysaccharides from fresh, brackish and salt water. These organic materials are now considered the main cause of fouling for hollow fibre and reverse osmosis membranes.

Water filtration applications for membrane biofoulant removal

Ahlstrom’s unique Disruptor® technology is creating many new application opportunities across the entire spectrum of water filtration. With the filtration efficiency of ultrafiltration membranes and the pressure drop of a two-micron nonwoven media, Disruptor® can be considered an alternative to membranes in many residential and commercial applications. These include point-of-entry and point-of use-devices, such as:

• Whole house filters
• Countertop, tap and under-counter filters
• Water dispenser ice machines
• Food and beverage preparation

With the ability to reduce membrane biofoulants, such as organic acids, bacteria and cellular debris, Disruptor® is an effective pre-filter to protect reverse osmosis membranes from biofouling. By reducing membrane biofouling, Disruptor® extends the performance and life of RO membranes by increasing the time between clean-in-place treatment, as well as reducing the volume of reject water. Energy savings are also achieved because clean membranes operate at reduced pressure drop, which saves energy.

Opportunities for improving RO membrane performance include industrial and municipal wastewater, water re-use, municipal drinking water and desalination.

PAC and silver treatment for bacteria inactivation

Ahlstrom Disruptor® PAC also contains powdered activated carbon (PAC) with an average particle size of only eight microns. Activated carbon at this particle size has a very high pore size-to-weight ratio, which produces remarkably high dynamic adsorption. Disruptor® uses no adhesives or binders to retain the carbon, which means significantly more active sites remain available for adsorption of chlorine, iodine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), disinfection by-products (DPBs) and organic acids from water.

Since it is naturally non-toxic, Disruptor® is effective in removing bacteria from water but does not inactivate the retained bacteria. For applications that require growth inhibition of bacteria retained by the media, all Disruptor® grades are available with a silver treatment registered safe for use in potable water.

Large pore volumes for high loading capacities

High Flow is an exciting addition to our Disruptor® family of filter media. High Flow was commercialised in 2013 and is designed with a large pore volume that is not totally covered by the boehmite charge field. This feature reduces the efficiency of the media but increases its capacity for colloid, particulate and organic acid loading.

When High Flow is used as a prefilter to our standard Disruptor® grades in more turbid waters, the life and efficiency of the two layers significantly outperforms a single layer of Disruptor®. High Flow can also be used as a standalone filter when high levels of organic contaminants must be reduced, such as to protect reverse osmosis membranes from biofouling.