Filtration Products
The goal of a filtering system may be to obtain the additive materials, clarify the stream or both. To accommodate all filtration needs, products are available in three main configurations. Bulk filter media consist of only the mat or barrier material used to trap or attract contaminants. Purchased in bulk, these organic and synthetic materials can be cut to size, shaped and otherwise suited to specific filters. The filter housings, holders or frames may likewise be purchased separately and are often made of durable metals such as stainless steel, aluminum and Teflon as well as thermoplastics. These options are preferred where custom or replaceable components and systems are required. The third and final option, however, includes those filtration products that come fully assembled with the filter media already attached to the corresponding frame. Disposable and spin-on models are most commonly supplied in this manner as are cartridges, allowing for easy installation, use, maintenance and replacement. The diversity of filtration products can be attributed to the use of filtration systems in virtually every industry, including automotive, water treatment, sewage, medical, pharmaceutical, food and chemical processing, aviation, aerospace, laboratory, electronic, manufacturing, automotive, building, construction, mining and agricultural applications.
Every filtering need can be placed into the category of air or liquid filter based on the composition of the process stream to be purified. Beyond this, there are several means of classifying filtration equipment. Driving force, such as gravity, centrifuge, vacuum and pressure separate based on the force employed to enact filtration. Cycles also vary considerably. Processing can be batch, continuous or semi-continuous, each of which may be automated or manually operated. The filtration grade is also important as some products, such as strainers, are designed for preliminary filtration, capturing only large particulates, whereas others, HEPA and ULPA filters for example, capture microscopic contaminants. Often several of the same or dissimilar filtration products are used in conjunction with one another for more complete and efficient processing. Placed in short succession with increasingly high restrictive properties, these systems progressively increase particulate separation in order to prevent clogs and improve product longevity. This is also beneficial in applications where slurry is to be collected, sorted and reused as it will already be divided by particle size when extracted from the filters. Additional considerations for filtration products include size, porosity, absorption, pressure drop, maximum flow and ply. Filtration manufacturers, engineers and retailers can help to determine the product required for a given application.
