Porous polymers overview
Porous polymers deliver a nearly endless versatility for both next-generation products and existing products where functional issues need to be fixed. When product designers select which material technology to use, they often use custom-engineered porous polymer materials to take their product’s performance to the next level.
Nearly 60 years ago, Porex launched the sintered porous plastics industry by developing and manufacturing porous polymer materials to support caustic fluid separation processes. Since 1961, we have applied our extensive porous polymer material science, product design, and custom plastic manufacturing expertise to developing porous solutions that overcome our customers’ complex product development challenges and speed up their product launches.
With our proprietary porous polymer technologies, we design and produce advanced porous materials exhibiting a broad range of thermal, chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties. In complex situations with multiple functional requirements, our development engineers will find the right technical solution using our expansive portfolio of materials and technology platforms.
Global market leaders in healthcare, consumer, and industrial product development and manufacturing rely on our custom porous polymer components because of the high reproducibility of our manufacturing processes, which ensure that the billionth part is the same as the first. Over 1,500 customers in 65 countries trust Porex to develop the porous polymer technology that will bring their products to life.
Our products are free of PFOA, compliant with (EC) 1907/2006 REACH / Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 POP.
Sintered Porous Plastic
Sintered porous plastic are engineered from various polymers with controlled pore sizes to provide outstanding strength, durability, chemical resistance, resiliency, and design flexibility across multiple applications. As with other porous materials such as foams and sponges, our sintered particle materials are composed of pores whose cavities are connected to one another, permitting fluidic communication throughout the part.
Porex manufactures porous plastic products from various thermoplastic materials exhibiting a broad range of properties. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are our most common base materials. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethersulfone (PES), polyurethane (PU) and PE/PP co-polymer are also frequently used. Our lightweight materials are moldable for high volume economies and offer easy fabrication or conversion to different forms. Large sheets, rolls, or other material formats can be provided or sized to specification.
For more information about the manufacturing process and technical design considerations for sintered porous plastics, visit our sintered porous plastic page.
Porous Fiber
When Porex enabled the rapid production of bonded fiber components from a range of bi-component and specialty fiber materials, it opened the door to numerous new blends and fiber combinations for multiple markets.
In addition to porous plastic media, Porex offers material expertise in bonded fiber media. Our production methods utilize synthetic fiber binding processes to produce parts cost-effectively and with a wide assortment of extruded profile geometries. A blend of polymeric fibers bonded together for ideal fluid handling capillary structures. Materials include polyester, polyolefins, nylon, cellulosic, acetate and other fibers.
Porex has extensive experience with numerous fiber material combinations used to satisfy a wide range of fluid transfer product requirements for medical, industrial, and consumer markets. The material is carefully selected based on customer criteria.
For more information about the manufacturing process and technical design considerations for porous fiber, visit our porous fiber page.
Porous Foam
Porous foam by Porex is created via a two-step prepolymer process that creates open-cell polyurethane foam. Our open-cell foam technology platform is developed using proprietary or customized blends of raw materials created through a clean polyurethane process without the use of catalysts. Different formulations offer wide-ranging densities, porosities, and levels of softness to meet our customers’ requirements. Open-cell foam types include both medical-grade (ISO 10993-certified) and cosmetic foams, with pore sizes ranging from 90 microns to over 350 microns. Porex has the ability to incorporate customer-exclusive additives including antimicrobials, nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals, botanicals, cosmetic ingredients, and colorants into the foam. Based on the type and end use of the foam, converting, roll stock, and laminations are also available.
For more information about the manufacturing process and technical design considerations for porous foam, visit our porous foam page.
PTFE Membrane
PTFE membrane (Polytetrafluoroethylene) technology uses patented and proprietary processes to sinter then skive PTFE into rolled membrane materials that can then be converted into numerous other forms. Our controlled processes enable us to manufacture a unique porous PTFE membrane with unmatched properties. Our processing methods ensure a consistent and repeatable pore structure that provides outstanding strength, durability, chemical and thermal resistance, and design flexibility across multiple markets and applications. Made from 100% pure PTFE free of PFOA, Porex Virtek® PTFE contains no supporting layers, additives or processing aids, which ensures that the outstanding physical properties of PTFE are utilized to their full potential.
For more information about the manufacturing process and technical design considerations for porous foam, visit our PTFE Membrane page.
PES Membrane
PES microporous membrane technology consists of a unique asymmetric pore structure that enables controlled rejection at the surface while promoting maximum throughput of the membrane. These hydrophilic membranes have high flow rates, good pH resistance, and low protein and drug binding characteristics, making this technology ideal for many nanofiltration and ultrafiltration applications.
These semi-permeable membranes are available in a flat sheet configuration at pore sizes ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 microns. The product conforms to 3-A, FDA, and USDA sanitary standards.
For more information about the manufacturing process and technical design considerations for porous foam, visit our PES Membrane page.