KELHEIM, Germany — January 20, 2015 — At the world’s biggest filtration event, the FILTECH conference and exhibition, Dr. Philipp Wimmer from the R&D team of the German viscose speciality fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres will present a paper on how beer can be filtered in an environmentally friendly manner by using sustainable viscose speciality fibres and avoiding the use of potentially hazardous diatomite.
Unlike other cellulosic fibres such as cotton or wood pulp, viscose fibres are distinguished by their well-defined and reproducible properties that allow them to be designed to meet the needs of processing steps and adapted to each application. For example, the porosity and surface of a filter can be precisely controlled by adding viscose fibres with different cross-sections. The incorporation of functional additives into viscose fibres allows the optimization of the fibres in respect of the intended application, for example for the removal of tannins from beer.
The advantage of functional viscose fibres: as the additives are incorporated in the fibres they do not impact the physical properties of the filter and can not migrate into the filtered product but can still function effectively.
The use of viscose speciality fibres from Kelheim is completely safe both for people and for the environment, and this is one of the reasons why the fibres have been used for decades in medical products. The fibres are certified for food contact by ISEGA and the absence of harmful substances in the products is confirmed by their certification to the OEKO-TEX® 100 standard in the most demanding product class. Viscose fibres are taste neutral and are currently used in food and beverage applications, for example in coffee pads and tea bag papers.
Kelheim Fibres’ research team is working on many other possible filtration applications for the use of viscose fibres. As a result of the wide product range Kelheim Fibres offers – from extra high absorbent to water repellent, from flame retardant to ion exchange fibres – there are almost no limits to the imagination. As viscose fibres are manufactured from renewable raw materials incineration at the end of filter life is CO2 neutral, or – if the residue in the filter allows – they can be composted, an ideal disposal route for precoat filter cakes in the beverage industry.
Posted January 20, 2015
Source: Kelheim Fibres
