30. Apr 2018

Porometric: New solution for ballast water filtration

The latest addition to the Porometric range is a saltwater-proof filtration mesh with a pore opening of 24 µm. Boasting three times greater permeability than conventional fabrics, this mesh type from GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG is setting new standards in the field of ballast water filtration.

In the shipping industry, ballast water serves to balance out missing or shifted cargo, as well as used fuel to secure the necessary draft of the vessel. However, a large number of undesirable animal and plant microorganisms from foreign waters are released when emptying the ballast water, which irreversibly destroys the original aquatic flora and fauna. To prevent this, the ballast water is filtered during both filling and emptying. Thanks to its three-dimensional slit structure with rectangular pores, the Porometric filtration mesh from GKD facilitates three times greater permeability than conventional meshes at the same separation rate. With its innovative saltwater-proof Porometric version that boasts a pore opening of 24 µm, GKD surpasses all filtration meshes previously used in ballast water filtration by 10 µm in terms of separation rate. This significantly finer particle retention delivers considerable advantages, while achieving an unparalleled flow rate and excellent cleaning. Particles falling within the required separating limits are separated both quickly and reliably. The costs for downstream UV treatment in ballast water systems are significantly reduced. The highly permeable weave can be used in all standard cartridge filters for ballast water filtration. The significantly higher flow rate in the same size unit also caters to applications where space is at a premium, while the excellent cleaning of the filtration mesh improves process efficiency.