 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Wool Proves Its Worth In Respirator Market
Canberra, Australia (SPX) Jul 02, 2008 Cutting-edge wool textile technology developed by CSIRO for industrial air filtration systems has found its first lucrative commercial application in the manufacture of respirators for the personal protective equipment (PPE) market. Developed in collaboration with Australian Wool Innovation Ltd. and Michell Pty Ltd, the new filters consist of a combination of wool and synthetic fibres. Project leader Dr Jurg Schutz says independent tests confirmed the new filters outperform a range of commercially available competitive products. "The secret to efficient fibre-based filtration is the application of an electrostatic charge to the fibres during production of the non-woven filter mat," he says. "These electrostatic charges attract dust and pollutant particles, and hold them in the filter, greatly improving efficiency." CSIRO's researchers optimised the wool/synthetic fibre blend ratio, and developed manufacturing processes for the production of the electrostatically-charged filter material. One of Australia's largest wool exporters, Michell Pty Ltd, provided financial support for CSIRO's fibre selection trials and an independent assessment which confirmed that the wool-rich filters out-performed 100 per cent-synthetic filters. The company's Managing Director, Peter Michell, says his company has recently secured a commercial commitment from one of the world's major producers of personal respirators for the production and Australian distribution of over 500,000 personal respirators and refill cartridges fitted with wool-rich filters in the next year. "This proves that while the transfer of laboratory technology to successful commercial manufacturing is a very high-risk process, collaborations between CSIRO, AWI and Michell Pty Ltd can result in commercial success," Mr Michell says. Other industrial applications for wool-rich industrial filters are under development as wool begins to regain the market share in filter media that it held decades ago. Related Links Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
Growth hormone in dairy cows a greenhouse-gas plus: study
Washington (AFP) July 1, 2008Giving one million dairy cows a growth hormone makes them produce more milk would cut greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 400,000 cars off the road, a US study found. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |
