BASF's Ultrason® E 6020 P resin, a polyethersulfone (PESU), has been used in a new portable Lifestraw® Family of water purification system manufactured by Vestergaard Frandsen (Switzerland). The Swiss company manufactures products to protect against illnesses, primarily in developing countries. LifeStraw® Family of water purification systems simplifies on-site conversion of large quantities of dirty water into potable water in villages and by families. The primary element of the system is an approximately 30 cm long plastic housing that contains filter membranes made from Ultrason E. They are said to provide ultrafiltration (UF membranes) and remove viruses as well as bacteria from dirty surface water that may have come from rivers, lakes, rainwater collection barrels or puddles.
The unique benefit of the high-performance resin Ultrason E in such filters is that it lends itself extremely well to production of membranes with a precisely controlled pore size and thus exactly defined filter characteristics. By using the portable purification station, the risk of contracting gastrointestinal illnesses from dirty water is reduced drastically. The LifeStraw® Family system is not only lightweight and easy-to-use, but also inexpensive. It is able to purify at least 18,000 liters of water reliably without the need for batteries, electricity, replacement parts, chemicals or complex technology. Water purified by the unit has been tested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and declared potable. The products can be quickly and easily distributed during natural disasters. Vestergaard Frandsen worked in conjunction with non-governmental agencies to ship their products rapidly in response to Myanmar's cyclone Nargis in May 2008 and the Chinese earthquake in August 2008.
09-Jul-09 
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