Liquid Filters

About Liquid Filters and Liquid Filter Manufacturers Including: Bag Filters, Cartridge Filters, Chemical Filters, Filter Media, Industrial Water Filters & Strainers.

Liquid filters are mechanisms that are used to remove impurities that occur in liquids both from natural and unnatural sources. In order to achieve the filtration process, a liquid is passed through a permeable or porous substance that lets the liquid pass through while catching the larger solid particles that need to be removed. For the liquid to flow there must be a pressure difference that causes it to move through the filter. Usually, liquid filters are used to clean or purify a product or extend the life of piping by removing corrosive materials that induce erosion. Liquid filters have also been used to remove bacteria from certain liquids to prevent spoiling and, in other cases, to remove harmful particles so that the liquid may be recycled and reused.
 
Water filters are the most common type of liquid filters. They use semi-permeable filtering elements that allow water molecules to pass through the liquid filters, while hindering water soluble elements such as lead, chlorine and salt, among others. Carbon is the most popular type of liquid filter element that is used in water filters. It has a very good performance record for removing most water soluble imperfections. Water filters are popular for personal home purification purposes because removing unwanted sediment matter results in higher quality, better tasting water.
 
Liquid filter manufacturers offer various types of products to serve particular purposes. For instance, high-flow filtration systems are used for situations that have a high amount of particulate, water count or acid, while low-flow filtration systems are used for the opposite reasons. Bearing filtration systems are able to keep the filtered lubrication oil clean and, in effect, extend the life and effectiveness of the oil, while maximizing its performance. Additionally, vacuum dehydration systems use vacuums to move liquid through the liquid filters at a high flow rate. Liquid filter manufacturers use various types of membranes in their products, which also vary greatly by application. A microfiber is able to provide a high retention of small particles, similar to felt, which is good at removing particles of many different shapes and sizes. Multi-filament mesh is an inexpensive woven substance that is very good for sifting coarse particles.
 
Many factories are required to utilize liquid filter manufacturers to keep waste water within federal guidelines. Some industries that use liquid filters include textile mills, cosmetics, food and beverage, electronic components, tool manufacturers, ship builders, pulp and paper mills, foundries, air conditioning and oil and gas wells. Picking the liquid filters with the correct amount of permeability is critical. How permeable the filter media is determines what size particles are able to make their way through the filter downstream. Different permeabilites result in varying flow rates. Picking the correct filtration system can mean choosing between a higher rate but less filtered unit and vice versa. Other important considerations include whether the filtration system will impact productivity in a negative way and if the short- and long-term associated costs are reasonable.

Liquid Filters and Liquid Filter Manufacturers Images provided by Precision Filtration Products

Types of Liquid Filters

• Bag filters are receptacles that liquid is passed through to remove impurities.
  
• Carbon filters are filters that contain carbon in their solid state. They use absorption to remove unwanted soluble substances from water and can be found in many applications, including personal water filters and purifiers.
  
• Cartridge filters have a receptacle that holds the filter media.
  
• Chemical filters are used to remove chemicals with a carbon filter.
  
• Filter media is the material through which liquid is passed to remove all particles and impurities.
  
• Fuel filters are designed to filter sediments from fuel supplies because particulates are harmful to engines and can significantly decrease engine life.
  
• Industrial water filters remove impurities from water in industrial settings.
  
• Pleated (convoluted or corrugated) filter elements consist of a number of uniform folds and generally have a geometric shape, such as a cone, cylinder, plate or others.
  
• Reverse osmosis filters are filter elements used in reverse osmosis applications. Reverse osmosis is a process that uses pressure to move water molecules through a membrane; the impurities that remain behind are then discharged in a waste stream.
  
• Strainers are used in filtration systems to remove large particles.
  
• T-type filters have both inlet and outlet ports situated at one end. The ports of their major axes are in a straight line with the axis of the filter element perpendicular to the line.
  
• Water filter systems are complete units that begin with a “dirty” water source and result in a purified end product. In the system, unpurified water is filtered and then acquired as a “clean” product.
  
• Wet/dry filters have filter elements that are designed to filter particle matter from both air and water. They can be found in wet/dry vacuum cleaners and fish aquariums.

Liquid Filters Terms

Absolute Filtration Rating (AFR) – The diameter of the largest spherical particle that is able to pass through a filter in certain testing conditions. The AFR indicates the biggest opening in any given filter element.

Absorption – A process by which a solid is employed in the removal of a soluble substance from water.

Beta Ratio – The number of similar-sized particles moving upstream through a filter in a ratio to the number of particles moving downstream.

Bridging – A condition in which particles fill and block the entire area between adjacent sections of a filter.

Bubble Point – The gas pressure at which a constant stream of gas bubbles is released from a wet filter element under specified testing conditions.

Bypass (Relief) Valve – A mechanism that ensures proper fluid flow when pre-selected flow levels are surpassed. The valve allows for part or all of the fluid to bypass the filter.

Channeling – The tendency of contaminating particles to pass through a low-density area of a poor filter around its seal points.

Clarification – The filtering of liquids that have only a small amount of solid particles.

Collapse Pressure – Maximum pressure a filter element can withstand without any permanent deformation(s).

Cycle Length/Filter Life – The amount of time that a filter is able to operate effectively before it needs to be cleaned or replaced.

Differential Pressure – Difference in pressure between any two positions of a component or system.

Effective Area – Area of the filter element that is exposed to fluid flow.

Efficiency – Ability of a filter element to remove a particular contaminant at a specified contaminant concentration. Efficiency is typically expressed as a percentage.

Element (Medium) – The porous material that performs the actual filtration process.

Housing – An enclosure that directs the fluid flow through the filter element.

Mean Filtration Rating – The average size of the pores of a given filter media.

Media Migration – The release into the flowing fluid of components that make up the filter media.

Pore – A small opening in a filter that allows fluid to pass.

Rated Flow – Optimal flow for which a certain filter is designed.

System Silting – Collection and settling of micro-sized particles inside a fluid system.