Meta-Aramid Fibre shortage putting sustainable Asphalt production at risk
Asphalt Producers and Baghouse Manufacturers are forced to seek out alternative high-heat fabrics for particulate dust filtration amidst the Global Nomex/Meta-Aramid shortage.
There are a few factors at play when it comes to the supply shortage, making it harder for OEMs to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Factories belonging to two of the four major fibre suppliers in Zheng Zhou, China have been part of the city-wide lockdown since 2021. The city-wide lockdown took effect months before the new Omicron variant became widespread, adding to the strain on supply in September/October 2021. The shutdowns are responsible for the raw material shortage of polymers and finishing agents for coating fibres.
According to Chris Plotz, Director of Education and Technical Affairs at the International Nonwovens and Disposables Associations (INDA): “the merger of Dow and Dupont and America’s 5G wireless expansion plan have significantly contributed to the shortage of fibres we’re seeing today.”
Dow and Dupont; one of the largest manufacturers of plastics, and finishing agents are unable to meet their usual demand for raw materials needed to manufacture fibres. Plotz also says that the Dow Dupont merger has been slow to advance due to covid-related issues. Dupont’s only significant expansion has been in Japan, but the move or expansion hasn’t helped the supply chain issues in North America.
The ongoing shortage is creating problems for the Asphalt industry, that relies heavily on Nomex/Meta-Aramid filter bags to meet their environmental compliance mandates in their baghouse operations at their plants.
Asphalt plant managers can look into a few alternative solutions if they need their meta-aramid filter bags replaced this year. According to Richard Watson, Purchasing Manager at Albarrie Canada, plant managers could seek Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) or Polyimide (P84) fabrics, depending on the plant’s environmental conditions and materials processing.
Alternatively, plant managers can prolong their existing baghouse filter bag life with High-Efficiency Cleaning (HEC) by Albarrie. The cleaning service uses a pressurized air impulse to release filter bag dust-cake build-up to clean existing baghouse filter bags while they remain in place. High-Efficiency Cleaning can help double the lifespan of your filter bags by up to one year. Long enough to hopefully see us through the shortage.
Industry experts are not optimistic and don’t see any changes until the end of 2022. “Supply chain is a huge problem with meta-aramid and many other fibres; there doesn’t seem to be any changes in that issue until the end of 2022,” says Plotz.
Albarrie will be showcasing at the 2022 World of Asphalt event, booth #3121, with their baghouse filtration experts to answer any questions or concerns regarding your baghouse filtration and will be offering a free baghouse virtual consultation worth $250 for anyone who stops by.
