CONTUFILT™
Because Losing Catalyst
Is Not an Option.

Vacuum-fused sintered metallic candle filters engineered for Raney Nickel, Pd/C, Pt/C, and Rh — delivering 95–99% catalyst recovery in closed, inert, backpulsable systems.

“Conventional sparklers, Nutsche filters, and filter presses leave your most expensive process material on the cloth, in the drain, or in the waste stream. CONTUFILT changes that arithmetic.”
CONTUFILT Candle Filter System

⚠️  The Hidden Cost of Conventional Catalyst Filtration

⌛
12–16 hours filtration time per batch — one batch/day maximum throughput
🚫
Chronic choking with sparklers, Nutsche filters, and rolled SS sheets — inconsistent flow
💵
Catalyst losses into filtrate or cloth — unrecoverable Pd, Pt, Rh at >₹5,000/g
⚠
Open handling of pyrophoric Raney Nickel — fire risk, operator exposure, EHS liability
🗎
Fabric/cloth candles degrade rapidly, <1 year life, frequent shutdown for changeout
⛔
Open-loop systems cannot maintain inert blanket — catalyst activity degraded between batches

Our Solution — CONTUFILT™ Technology Platform

CONTUFILT is Diva Envitec’s engineered candle filter platform, built around vacuum-fused, sintered stainless-steel elements with open-channel pore architecture. Unlike fabric or rolled-sheet alternatives, the metallic matrix resists blinding, supports high-pressure backpulsing, and is compatible with solvent-based, corrosive, and hazardous filtrates.


Two product lines address the full spectrum of catalyst recovery:


  • CONTUFILT-M™ — Metallic candle filter for precious metal catalysts (Pd/C, Pt/C, Rh, Ru). Micron ratings 1–10 μm, SS316L / SS904L construction.
  • CONTUFILT-RN™ — Open-channel candle filter optimised for Raney Nickel. Eliminates choking at source. Validated in 12 KL hydrogenation batches. Passed US & Japan FDA clarity tests.
CONTUFILT System Schematic
MVR-integrated filtration system schematic

Quantified Performance Gains

Measured results from commissioned installations — not projections
95–99%
Catalyst Recovery
vs. 70–85% with conventional sparkler / filter press
1 hr
Filtration Time
Reduced from 12–16 hrs per 12 KL hydrogenation batch
3×
Batch Throughput
From 1 batch/day to 3 batches/day — same reactor, same footprint
<6 Mo
ROI Payback
vs. Sparkler, Nutsche, and filter press alternatives
>5 Yrs
Candle Life
vs. <1 year for fabric / rolled SS sheet candles
Zero
Choking Events
Open-channel architecture eliminates bridging and blinding

📊  Case Study: 12 KL Hydrogenation Batch

Live commissioned data — Raney Nickel hydrogenation, fine chemical / API facility

Performance MetricBefore (Conventional)After CONTUFILT-RN™
Filtration time per batch12–16 hours1 hour
Flow consistencyTrickling / intermittentStable, strong & consistent
Catalyst recoveryPartial — losses into drain95–99% recovered
Product degradationFrequent (oxidation risk)Eliminated — closed inert system
Batches per day1 batch / day3 batches / day
Candle / cloth life<1 year (fabric)>5 years (SS316L sintered)
Filtrate clarity (FDA test)Patch test failedPassed US & Japan FDA
Operator exposure riskOpen handling, EHS hazardZero — fully closed loop

🔬  Where CONTUFILT™ Delivers — Application Chemistry

Catalyst Chemistry - Hydrogenation Reactions
Cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation pathway — typical Pd/C, Pt/C application

Catalytic Reactions Handled

  • ▸ Hydrogenation & selective oxidation
  • ▸ Asymmetric hydrogenation (chiral APIs)
  • ▸ Asymmetric hydroamination
  • ▸ Asymmetric Michael & Diels-Alder
  • ▸ Asymmetric alkyne addition
  • ▸ Cyclopropanation / lactone synthesis
  • ▸ Chiral ligand & chiral catalysis systems
  • ▸ Supported homogeneous catalysts
  • ▸ High-dispersion heterogeneous catalysts

🔥  Pyrophoric Safety — Closed Inert System Design

⚠️  Raney Nickel is pyrophoric. Open filtration is a fire and explosion hazard.

CONTUFILT operates as a fully closed, inert-blanketed system. The nitrogen or solvent vapour blanket is maintained throughout filtration, cake washing, and cake disposal — eliminating oxygen ingress at every step. Operators never contact the catalyst directly. The closed loop also preserves catalyst activity between batches, enabling multi-batch campaigns on the same catalyst charge — a capability impossible with open sparkler or Nutsche designs.

🔒
Fully Closed Loop
Zero oxygen ingress during filtration, washing, and catalyst disposal. Safe for pyrophoric Raney Nickel.
⚙️
Multi-Batch Campaigns
Catalyst activity preserved under inert blanket — reuse same charge across multiple batches.
📈
High-Pressure Backpulsing
Sintered SS matrix withstands aggressive backpulse cycles — self-cleaning without opening the vessel.
📋
Easy Maintenance
No bypass. No channeling. Candles inspected in-situ. CIP-compatible with solvent or water wash cycles.

🔧  Technology & Construction Highlights

🏆  Proven Installations — Scale & Results

Commissioned Scale
80 kg Raney Nickel per system
23 kg Pt/C catalyst installations
12 KL hydrogenation reactor
Results Delivered
Zero choking incidents
Sustained high throughput
Zero catalyst loss to drain
Regulatory Compliance
Passed US FDA clarity test
Passed Japan FDA patch test
API-grade filtrate quality
Economic Impact
ROI <6 months vs conventional
3× batch throughput gain
Catalyst cost recovered, not lost

🎯  Industries & Applications

Fine Chemicals & APIs Hydrogenation (Raney Ni, Pd/C, Pt/C, Rh) Agrochemicals Specialty Dyes & Pigments Nutraceuticals Food-Grade Intermediates Chiral API Synthesis Asymmetric Catalysis Precious Metal Recovery High-Dispersion Catalysts

If catalyst filtration is a bottleneck in your hydrogenation process, we offer on-site pilot trials with full performance guarantees. Our team provides complete retrofit design support, 3D flow simulation, and techno-economic payback analysis specific to your process.

Request a Pilot Trial
📧 info@aboutfilter.com  |   📞 +91 98333 93837  |   🌐 www.divaenvitec.com
Diva Envitec Pvt. Ltd.
Innovation Center, Gala No. 7, Ground Floor, Bldg. No. 1,
Anila Shanti Industrial Estate, Waliv Village, Taluka Vasai, District Thane – 401205
Advanced Catalyst Filtration. Proven in the Field. — Because losing catalyst is not an option.