Emerging Technologies
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September 11, 2019
The Amazon region in the province of Sucumbíos, Ecuador has been affected by millions or potentially billions of gallons of oily waste brought by the activities of the oil industry operating in the region since the early ‘70s.[1] Maricela Granda, a 25-year-old environmental biotechnology engineer from Sucumbíos, hopes to contribute in securing water supply for the region with a new idea. She observed the structure of the banana pseudostem (“false trunk” of the banana plant that is cut down and discarded during harvest period) and investigated its potential use in purifying the oil-contaminated waters in her locality.[2][3][4] Collaborating with universities, institutions, and like-minded youth, Ms. Granda developed a filter containing banana pseudostem intended to absorb hydrocarbon contaminants from water. Currently, her team is now working on a final design that will meet all water quality parameters in accordance to standards of the World Health Organization.[4]
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June 04, 2019
The Western Cape Province of South Africa has been afflicted with severe drought for three consecutive years starting in 2015, brought about by El Niño and very low rainfall (1). Consequently, this drought resulted in water shortage in different areas of the province such as the Hessequa Municipality.
To alleviate the water shortage, the municipality of Hessequa together with the French Treasury, funded the construction of a reverse osmosis plant energized by solar power—prospected to be the first of its kind in South Africa (2). The solar desalination plant, which will collect water from the Breede River Estuary, is expected to produce 100,000 liters of water per day (3).
Starting
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June 04, 2019
Chemker 300 and Rocker 300C are among Sterlitech’s popular vacuum pumps offering excellent chemical resistance. Both pumps are resistant to acid, alkali, and organic solutions, which allows for a wide variety of microbiology testing applications.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) serves as their primary protection against harsh chemicals; however, there designs incorporate PTFE differently. The diaphragm and chamber of Rocker 300C are PTFE-coated, built with a valve made of a chemical resistant SS316 stainless steel. In contrast, all parts of Chemker 300 that can be exposed to chemicals are made of PTFE.
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June 04, 2019
The Hydracell pump is a sealless positive displacement pump used to generate cross flow in our filtration systems equipped with cross flow test cells . The sealless design enables it to handle abrasives and particulates; the positive displacement design enables the pump to generate consistent flow rates regardless of the operating pressures up to 1100 psi (76 bar).
To ensure optimal performance of the pump over extended periods, observe the proper operation and conduct regular maintenance. Here are some of our tips for ensuring a reliable Hydracell pump.
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April 28, 2019
Sterlitech is now offering the newest hollow fiber membrane module from Aquaporin: the HFF014. The HFFO14 module is ideal for researchers and product developers who have passed the proof-of-concept stage and area ready for scale-up.
This model boasts an active membrane surface area in this membrane module is 13.8 m2. Compared to the other Aquaporin HF modules we carry, the production rate in the HFFO14 module is about 6 times larger than the HFFO2 (2.3 m2 active membrane area) and 23 times larger than the HFFO06 (0.6 m2 membrane active area).
Both
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April 10, 2019
Our primary mission is to equip scientists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries with the filtration products to transform ideas into reality. We support this goal by working to offer the broadest range of microporous membrane filters available from a single source – 14 different microporous membrane types and their derivatives. Primarily used as disc filters, these membranes enable cutting edge research in laboratories worldwide. But what happens when ideas do turn into reality? Don’t worry, Sterlitech still has you covered. We offer most of our membranes in formats conducive to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) production including large sheets and roll stock.
With exceptional lot to lot consistency and a wide variety of options, our
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March 05, 2019
For particle and gravimetric analyses such as sediment testing of coolants and machine oils, nylon membrane filters are often utilized due to superior strength, chemical compatibility, and lot-to-lot consistency. Filters with 10 and 20 µm pore size ratings offer fast flow combined with consistent retention and are recommended in GMW16037: Test Method to Quantify Cleanliness of Engine and Transmission Components.1 Unfortunately, these filters have recently become more difficult to source, as some manufacturers have discontinued 10 and 20 µm rated nylon membranes. To address the market need for 10 and 20 µm rated nylon membrane filters, Sterlitech is introducing our new Nylon Cleanliness Test Filters.
These filters are specifically designed for cleanliness testing in the automotive and aerospace industries. They have virtually the same water bubble
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February 15, 2019Spiral wound DuraMem® and PuraMem® membranes are the most recent additions
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December 11, 2018
Last month, Sterlitech had the pleasure of attending MJBizCon in Las Vegas. The annual conference put on by Marijuana Business Daily provides networking and business opportunities to over 25,000 professionals in the cannabis industry.
Our sales engineer Kensen Hirohata enjoyed wandering the expo (though he regrettably couldn’t visit all 1027 booths) and joined in for a few of the many lecture sessions. There were some interesting topics and trends to come out of the conference:
- Canada’s recent cannabis legalization – what does it mean for the global market and regulatory landscape? Canada could be a guinea pig for the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, so hopefully the process goes smoothly.
- The role Big Pharma might play in the future of the cannabis industry
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December 11, 2018
Liposomes are vesicles consisting of an aqueous core inside a hydrophobic membrane bilayer that can be used as a carrier system. They present a promising tool for the delivery of pharmaceutical agents and compounds that typically are unable to diffuse across membrane barriers. Production of liposomes allows for the incorporation of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds into their structure for targeted delivery, enabling use in diagnostics, gene therapy, vaccines, cosmetics, and cancer treatment. In fact, multiple liposomal formulations of cancer therapies have already been introduced on the market.1 Potential applications extend well past drug delivery – from food production and nutritional supplements to environmental remediation.2,3
Liposomes can be prepared using extrusion, wherein a lipid suspension is forced through a microporous membrane filter over multiple passes. The membrane pore size and operating conditions determine the liposome sizes