The German company GVA developed many original membrane diffuser concepts, and their tubular R-750 products were the first such diffusers to be installed in Australia, in 1985.    Their high oxygen transfer efficiencies led to a swing away from the then widely used surface aerators during an era of rapidly increasing energy costs.

Early EPDM tubular membrane compounds had problems with membrane shrinkage under Australian temperature conditions, so new compounds were developed to improve membrane life.   Nevertheless, customer preferences in Australia led to more widespread use of GVA’s disc-type diffusers such as the 300mm diameter Elastox-T.