ColdForm™
ColdForm™
technology is able to take pre-formed fibers, blend them and produce a
non-woven web similar to the meltblowing process. This technology
allows us to process and blend any number of different fiber types
thereby optimizing the performance of each type of product.
Implementing the ColdForm™ line—an extremely complex building
project—facilitates the production of sorbents with higher absorption
rates than those of polypropylene meltblown sorbents. This production
line is capable of producing over 8,000,000 pounds of unique sorbents.
Green Technology
ColdForm™ is an entirely new method we developed at ESP to manufacture
sorbents. As the name implies, it is a cold process. Unlike the
meltblowing process, we do not use huge amounts of energy to melt the
plastic to form the fibers. ColdForm™ technology uses approximately 1/3
the energy of our melt blowing line.
High Technology
ColdForm™ sorbents are made with different combinations of fibers. One
pad, for example, may contain up to five different fiber types. Because
the ColdForm™ technology can process many different fiber types, we can
optimize the performance of each type of product. It is the mixing of
different fiber types that enables the ColdForm™ products to outperform
the meltblown products by such a wide margin.
Cost Savings
Our ColdForm™ products offer better performance with
a cost savings. Because the ColdForm™ products absorb more than
meltblown, they will stay on the job longer thereby offering additional
savings. The vastly increased price of plastics and oil-based resins have made
other fibers and technologies suddenly more competitive against
polypropylene. Before the huge increase in resin, the ColdForm™
technology would have yielded better performance but at higher costs.
Higher costs in a competitive commodity business are a non-starter.
Thanks again to the high cost, and continuing high cost of
polypropylene, new technologies such as ours will take significant
market share away from oil-derived polypropylene.