Since the implementation of the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act, in November 2013, the importance of emissions control in South Africa has been increasing, says air filtration company Freudenberg Filtration Technologies.

“In the past, industries focused mainly on protecting their workforce and machinery from hazardous substances. However, today, companies must not only protect the inside of a plant but also control what is released into the atmosphere around the plant,” says Freudenberg MD Andrew Hersey.

The emissions generated from different industrial processes need to be collected at the source, which ensures a healthy working environment and reduces or even eliminates particulate emissions. In addition, to optimise particulate collection efficiency, the way in which dust and fumes are collected needs to be managed with energy efficiency.

“Failure to comply with these standards, as stipulated in the National Dust Control Regu- lations, in terms of the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act, can lead to penal- ties, company closure and, in extreme cases, imprisonment,” says Hersey.

He adds that Freudenberg has developed products specifically designed for use in emissions control. Further, its Johannesburg-based office established a dust control division in 2000, which is headed by dust control specialists who have more than 70 years of combined experience.

The company’s many turnkey solutions, including refurbishment and retrofit solutions, have led to significant success in controlling emissions at smelters, foundries and furnaces, says Hersey. “These successes have contributed to the reduction of emissions and the substantial reclamation of products in certain instances.”

In addition to choosing the best unit, the importance of selecting the most appropriate filter combination is significant when ensuring the efficacy of a dust removal system, Hersey notes.

He explains that the Viledon filter media, which he describes as a world-leading and proven filter media, is used when manufacturing the Freudenberg filter cartridges. “The advantage of using synthetic materials, such as polypropylene, is that the filter is fully washable and has a low pressure-drop value. This results in fan and compressed-air savings, as well as a reduction in maintenance costs, while still attaining high-filtration efficiency.

“This also enables emissions-control plants using this technology to measure stock emissions of less than 10 mg/m3 – which is well below the industry benchmark of 30 to 50 mg/m3,” says Hersey.

Freudenberg also has offices in Durban and Cape Town, and has the full support of Freudenberg’s global presence through laboratory testing facilities and application engineering. Hersey believes this technical knowledge puts the company at the forefront of innovation in countless fields in terms of industry.

Freudenberg provides products and services for dust collectors, machine intake filters for compressors and turbines, ventilation and pressurisation services, recirculation units, air scrubbing of corrosive and poisonous gases, and odour-control replacement filters and spares, as well as complete turnkey project services, including system maintenance and services.