Reticulated foams
Air filter foam, Water filter foam, Ceramic filter foam, Engine filters
Reticulated foams are a specialised type of polyurethane foam that has been developed for applications where cell size, density and porosity levels are key factors.
Produced by blowing the cells open to create materials with a consistent and exact cell size, while enabling a wide range of design options, reticulated foams are the material of choice for precise applications such as filters.
As a leading producer of reticulated foam products, Technical Foam Services supplies a wide selection of products developed for specific filter applications.
These cover:
- Air filter foam
- Water filter foam
- Ceramic filter foam
- Engine filters
Air filter reticulated foam
The use of air filters to remove dust and particles is extensive across a range of applications from electronics and HVAC systems, through medical and scientific environments to transport engines.
As a result, we supply, develop and manufacture an extensive range of air filter foam and foam goods in a large variety of cell sizes to meet the demands of each specific situation.
Our air filter foam products are generally produced using polyester reticulated foam. This is because of the wide range of the situations in which they will be used, where polyester foam's flexibility, softness, and high tear and oil resistance properties perform well.
Water filter foam
The main application for water filters is in the aquatic sector and at Technical Foam Services we supply many of the leading aquatic companies.
We only ever produce water filter foams from high quality polyether reticulated foam due to its high level of water and hydrolysis resistance to ensure a high level of performance and durability.
Ceramic filter foam
Ceramic filters are a vital element in metal casting as they filter out impurities, often in molten metals, to ensure that the end product performs effectively.
As such, ceramic filters endure harsh conditions and have to meet the highest standards in terms of performance, heat resistance and durability.
As a leader in the production of ceramic filter foams, at Technical Foam Services we are the trusted supplier of some of the leading names in ceramic filters and our products are used by numerous metal casting and processing firms.
Filters are a critical element of any engine. As an engineering-biased company, we understand the important role that air, oil and dust filters play in the smooth running of car, motorcycle, bus and train engines.
As a result we supply and manufacture a wide selection of engine filter foams to meet the varied needs of different filter manufacturers, including recognised names such as Piper Cross motorcycle engine filters (www.pipercross.com) and Europe's largest distributor of filters for the bus, coach, truck, rail, and construction industries Filtration Control (www.filtrationcontrol.com).
To discuss your filter foam needs, contact our expert team who can advise you on the range of products we stock and manufacture.
In addition to filters, we also produce reticulated foam goods for many other applications such as inkjet foams, cosmetic foams (please see the relevant pages for more information).
At Technical Foam Services we sell a wide range of open cell foams for filtration, as the "honeycomb" structure makes them ideal for this purpose. As well as air filtration foams and water filtration foams we sell vehicle filters for cars, motorcycles, and buses. We even supply vehicle filters for the railway industry.
Open cell foams are made from chemicals, to which a foaming agent is added to create bubbles, or cells. If the partitions between these cells are broken down, the result is an open matrix of pores. These foams are flexible and in high demand as water and vehicle filters.
Reticulated open cell foams
Reticulated filter foams are used to filter air, engine oil, water and industrial fluids, and are even used in the ceramic filters of iron foundries. Reticulated filter foams are polyurethane compounds to which a foaming agent is added, and the cells are then blown apart with gas in a controlled explosion. This results in a consistent cell size throughout the matrix, which makes it excellent for filtration purposes as the rate can be regulated.
Open cell foams are available in polyester and polyether format. Generally, polyether is used for water filtration foams and polyester for air filtration foams.
Filter foams for medical use
Reticulated foams are also used in the medical industry. We supply several types of medical foam, including reticulated HME foams. These are supplied in both dry and calcium chloride impregnated form, and are used as air filtration foams in respiratory devices. Our filter foams are also used for wound dressing. VAC therapy uses a negative wound pressure technique, using reticulated open cell foams that we supply to enable fast and comfortable healing.
We at Technical Foam Services pride ourselves on understanding the special needs of the healthcare industry - in particular, the need for biologically inert, pure and sterile products. For this reason we employ a company to launder and sterilise our medical filter foams before shipping to the customer.
Water filtration foams
Our specialist reticulated polyether water filtration foams are particularly resistant to water, and are therefore ideal for aquatic environments. We have been providing products to the home aquatic market for many years due to the excessive durability of our products. As they don't break down in water, this also ensures that the equipment they are fitted to is given a similarly long life.
We aim to supply the full range of water filtration foams, from coarse10ppi blue and black grades, up to ultra-fine 60ppi grades. Our most popular foams are 20ppi grade, which are used in garden ponds.
We also supply water filtration foams for kettles and domestic water supplies. People are becoming increasingly aware of the need for purified, filtered drinking water, and we work with providers of other filter media to create the ultimate healthy drinking solution.
Air filtration foams aren't limited to vehicle filters
Say "air filter" and people immediately think of vehicle filters. But there are lots of other places air filtration foams are needed - and the demand is very high. Buses are just one specialist area requiring high-spec vehicle filters
Modern engines have very precise, computer-calibrated carburettors. Therefore, vehicle filters have to be of a similarly precise level. At Technical Foam Services, we understand how important pore size and homogeneity are to open cell foams. After all, we supply air filtration foams for aircraft - where such things are critical.
