GKN Sinter Metal Filters

Advanced Filtration Solutions for Demanding Applications

Our porous metal solutions excel in a wide variety of demanding applications, providing sufficient performance to filter products.

OUR TECHNOLOGY

As the leader in innovative metal filter products, we offer solutions for high temperature and corrosive environments through state-of-the-art technology.

Sintered filter elements made of stainless steels, bronze, nickel based alloys, titanium and several special alloys can be manufactured seamless up to 1,800 mm/72" and length and 320 mm OD.

Self-supporting structure with high mechanical strength
High temperature and corrosion resistances
Excellent back pulse performance
Design flexibility

OUR MATERIALS

GKN SIKA brand products are available in a range of materials. Tailoring design requirements to individual process requirements is easy with the powder metal solution.

Available materials: Stainless Steel (standard 316L), Hastelloy, Inconel, Monel, Bronze, Titanium, and special alloys on request.

Main properties:

Shape stability by self-supporting structure
Suitable for high differential pressures
Thermal stability up to 950°C
High corrosion resistance
High permeability and low Dp
Defined filtration by exact pore size distribution
Filters can be back flushed and cleaned easily
Welding and machining are possible

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OUR APPLICATIONS

Gas Filtration

We offer multiple product solutions for filtration of hot gases in industrial applications that has operating temperatures routinely exceed 750°C for extended periods of time. These filters most often function in systems equipped with automatic self-cleaning capabilities, and the filter elements must be capable of full regeneration on each cycle.

Sparging

Our sparging equipment and elements are used in many applications where gas liquid contacting is required for a reaction: stripping, mixing, or diffusion purposes. In many applications, we help you maximize process efficiency by recommending and designing the best suitable solution based on a large variety of available sparger units.

Liquid filtration

We offer custom-designed and self-supporting filter elements down to a filter efficiency of 0.1µm in liquid. The patented metallic membrane, with a dual sandwich design of two sinter connected powder grades, offers excellent cake release and improves flow, compared to conventionally designed filters. For processes that involve a catalyst, the metallic membrane SIKA-R AS is the perfect filter. Our filter elements have a lifetime that exceeds most competing solutions because of the weld free design with a “solid-solid” connection.

Fluidizing

Custom-designed fluidizing equipment for new and existing industrial systems. By tediously controlling filter manufacturing, we are able to ensure optimal gas distribution that results in perfect mass flow or mixing for many different media including bronze, stainless steel and polyethylene. In addition, fluidizing cones made of sintered metal are most often self-supporting, and are delivered with all required connecting flanges.

ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS

Our approach is to provide you the best experience through passion for our work, dedication to the project, and a clear focus on the solution.

Raw Materials Compaction Sintering AS Coating Welding/Customization

The properties of the final component depend on the choice of raw material. The wide spectrum of alloys, powder sieving, and material structures offers a variety of products and features.
Sintered filter elements are made of stainless steel, bronze, nickel based alloy, titanium and special alloyed powders or stainless steel fiber felt.

All GKN sintered materials offer a self-supporting structure with high mechanical strength. Seamless layout is possible up to 1,600 mm length and 320 mm OD.
We manufacture various filter grades with specified pore sizes and flow rates in order to have the appropriate solution for your requirements.

For each geometry, the GKN Engineering team chooses a pressing technique or gravity sintering without previous compaction.

The metal powder is filled into the appropriate die and compacted. The pore size of the finished product is controlled, selecting the size of the powder and the compaction pressure used to form the part.

Sintering gives the high porous material the shape stability and property of a strong metal component. The compacted part is sintered in specially designed furnaces. Sintering is the fundamental processing step for all powder metal products.

It is the process of bonding powder particles by fusing them at temperatures below their melting point. After sintering, regardless of micron size, the separate grain structure of the original powdered metal becomes fully interlinked to form a rigid part.

After years of development, the product offers a sintered membrane that combines high permeability and low pressure drop, while retaining all the advantages of sintered metal filters. The metallic AS (ASymmetric) membrane, a layer of extremely fine metal powder, is applied onto a cartridge of coarser porosity as support structure.

A second sintering process produces an even metal coating of approximately 200 μm thickness bonded to the carrier. Compared to the support, the membrane layer has significantly smaller pore size, so during filtration contaminants are retained on the filter surface.

Customized design enables GKN filter elements to be used in nearly any new application or as a retrofit in filter systems. The design of sinter-bonded fittings without porous to solid welding seams provides the best corrosion resistance and fatigue strength.

It is considerably higher when compared to conventional welded constructions. We also manufacture to customer-specified dimensions. Elements larger than our seamless standard types can be welded at our certified in-house welding shop.

Case Study Spotlight: Higher Productivity with Advanced Filter Media

A chemical manufacturer was looking to increase the output of a product line, without exchanging the complete filtration system due to cost issues.

Solution:

GKN engineering recommended the SIKA-R 3 AS metallic membrane to solve the challenge. Compared to conventional filter media, the AS membrane delivers a 20% higher flow rate and higher output of the filtration system.

Result:

With customized design, cartridges are used as a retrofit in almost any filter vessel. The chemical manufacturer was able to increase productivity while maintaining the existing filter system.

This saved the additional costs of vessels, tubesheets, and valves that would have made the project over budget. The SIKA-R 3 AS metallic membrane enabled a quick return of investment for them.

CASE STUDIES

Fluidizing in the Food and Beverage Industry

Fluidization is a process where solid particles are blown with gas, often through a porous metal media with sufficient force, to cause the particles to rise and move inside the container.

Sparging and Gas Introduction in the Food and Beverage Industry

GKN sparging equipment and elements are used in applications where gas liquid contacting is required for reaction, stripping, mixing or diffusion purposes.

Liquid Filtration in the Chemical Industry

Many chemical reactions are initiated and aided by catalysts. These are often made of precious metals such as Palladium (Pd/C), Platinum (Pt/C), Rhodium (Rh/C), Ruthenium (Ru/C) etc.

WHY GKN SINTER METAL FILTERS

We are here to support various applications on their strict requirements for metal filters with customizable and innovative designs. We offer a variety of solutions to fulfill your strict requirements. Our products have a long standing history of being commonly used in gas- and liquid filtration, dampening, sparging, sensor protection, bulk handling and many more applications.