The bi-annual Filtrex Innovation Award 2022, that recognises innovation in the filtration industry, is inviting applicants to share the creative ideas behind their innovation and how it benefits society. The award celebrates the continuous efforts for excellence by manufacturers of nonwoven based filtration products and/or elements.

This year the following four entries were shortlisted: Eco filtration media with lignin-based impregnation by Ahlstrom; Trupor for Microfiltration by Hollingsworth & Vose; Evalith 798/250 by Johns Manville; and HycuTEC by Oerlikon Nonwoven, EDANA said in a media release.

Ahlstrom is a Finnish manufacturer of fibre-based products, with a focus on renewable fibres. Its entry Eco filtration media with lignin-based impregnation is a new generation of filter media impregnated with lignin-based resin; lignin is a by-product from pulp production. Lignin has only recently been valorised at an industrial scale, resulting in new generation of air intake and engine oil filter media, drastically reducing formaldehyde emissions without compromising performance.

Hollingsworth & Vose is a global manufacturer of nonwoven materials and engineered papers used in filtration and other applications. Its submission Trupor for Microfiltration is a microfiltration solution, designed to meet the needs of the water and biopharmaceutical industries, and provides better flow than other materials currently in use.

Johns Manville is an American manufacturer of insulation, commercial roofing, fibres, and nonwovens. Its innovation Evalith 798/250 is their newest polyester bicomponent spunbond product, offering excellent mechanical properties and filtration efficiency through optimised bonding patterns – the so-called monolith pattern – in calendaring and embossing.

Oerlikon Nonwoven is a global technology group delivering comprehensive solutions for all important nonwoven production processes. Its entry HycuTEC (inline charging technology) is an inline hydro-charging technology used to create high end charged meltblown (a means for fabricating micro and nano fibres) filtration media.

The four companies have each been allocated a 10-minute slot to pitch their respective innovations during the Filtrex 2022 conference, which takes place from November 8 to 9, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. The event attendees will be invited to vote and decide on a winner, with the award ceremony taking place at a reception at the end of the first day.

Running since 2004, Filtrex is the leading platform and meeting point for filtration media professionals. The 2-day conference brings together management and technical specialists from producers of all types of filter media, as well as converters, raw material suppliers, measuring equipment manufacturers, laboratories, and research institutions. The conference programme provides updates on market trends in the filtration industry, innovative filter materials, new developments in media design, air/liquid filtration, automotive filtration, and testing and standardisation.