New chlorine-resistant EPDM solution for drinking water
04.07.2024
AVK GUMMI has developed a new EPDM compound designed to meet future demands for chlorine-resistant EPDM solutions for drinking water. This new compound has shown significant performance improvements under accelerated conditions, higher concentrations, and temperatures.
Drinking water comes from various sources, such as wells, lakes, and oceans. Unfortunately, it can be contaminated, both directly from the sources and through the distribution system. One common risk is contamination by microorganisms, which can cause health issues.
Therefore, disinfectants are often added to the water distribution system. Since the introduction of chlorine in drinking water at beginning of the last century, the use of different disinfectant systems has increased significantly.
Chlorination is the most commonly used disinfectant system. During this process, chlorine is added to the drinking water to kill parasites, bacteria, and viruses. However, chlorine is not chemically stable and often depletes before the water reaches the tap. To address this, chloramine, which remains effective longer in water pipes, was introduced.
The choice of disinfectant system is based on the local setup and the quality of the local drinking water. Chlorine and chloramine can be used separately or in combination. The use of chlorine and chloramine is strictly controlled, and both elements can be used without any risk to the consumer.
Chlorinated water can taste and smell differently than untreated water. Taste and smell problems may arise depending on the water quality and the amount of chlorine in the water. Moreover, due to their chemical reactivity, chlorine and chloramine can affect the surroundings, including pipes, valves, pumps, and sealings, etc.
To ensure safety, a large number of common drinking water standards now include an additional test programme to verify that chlorine does not create or release any harmful substances.
All current EPDM drinking water solutions from AVK GUMMI are now approved according to these new standards and have also passed ASTM D6284, 70 °C, 50 ppm chlorine for 1344 hours.
At AVK GUMMI, we always strive to exceed market expectations. Consequently, our R&D department has developed a new EPDM compound, ECW-70, specifically designed to meet future demands for chlorine-resistant EPDM solutions for drinking water. This new compound has shown significant performance improvements under accelerated conditions, higher concentrations and temperatures, and has obtained a 60 °C WRAS approval.
If you need more information about our EPDM solutions for drinking water, please do not hesitate to contact our sales team for further discussions.