ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 2, Issue 10, October 2013
DISPOSABLE FILTERS - A REVIEW
Mrs. Pragnya [Link]
Associate Professor, Textile Engg. Dept., Faculty of Tech. & Engg., [Link] of Baroda, Vadodara, India
Abstract: Filtration is removal of particles from fluid by passing it through a permeable media. The device used to
achieve this is known as a filter. The range of fluids used in chemical processing covers a vast spectrum from paint to
food, to fine chemicals. Each filter has its own merits and demerits and is applicable for a certain filtration range;
some can be used as pre-filters while some have very good dirt holding capacity. Any single type of filter may not be
suitable for the removal of different types of contaminants and that too of wide particle size range. Large variety of
disposable filters are available like melt blown filters, cartridge filters, pleated filters, spun bonded filters etc. Hence
filters produced with different techniques are available from which to choose as per requirement of the process and
different types of filtration procedures for testing them. This paper gives a review of the popular category of
disposable filters available in the market with their application range.
Keywords: contaminants, filtration, trapping mechanism, melt blown filters, string wound cartridges, pleated filters
I. INTRODUCTION
The type and nature of contaminants in the slurry to which a filter may be subjected when used in field is unknown.
If the particle size of known elements is taken in to account like human hair is of 75m, or the smallest pencil dot a
human eye can see is of 40 m. In the micro organism’s category, a yeast cell is of 3 m or a common bacterium is
of 0.2 m. These dimensions given here have been given to make it clear that the fluids which need to be filtered
may contain contaminants of variable sizes, including those which may or may not be - visible by eye, flexible or
living.
Depending upon the targeted particle size to be removed, the entire filtration process can be classified as micro
filtration, ultra filtration and reverse osmosis in the increasing capacity of trapping power of smaller particle sizes.
Figure 2 shows the micron (m) range for the three different types of filtration which are very common in this field.
0.0001m - 0.001m 0.2m 0m-100m
1A0 ---------- 10A0 -------- 200A0 --------- 100,000A0
Reverse Osmosis Ultra filtration Micro filtration
Figure 2 shows particle size removal ranges of various types of filtration [1]
II. NATURE OF CONTAMINANT AND FILTRATION CHARACTERISTICS
Contaminants within these fluids fall into three categories:
1 Solids such as sand grit and pipe scale.
2 Gelatinous particles formed in the mixing process.
3 Fibres from hairs and packing materials.
Solids are relatively easy to remove from a fluid. Flexible contaminants including fibres are not always easily
removed because they sometimes can squeeze and make their way through the filter structure. The most difficult to
remove are deformable gels. These have the ability to blind a filter by smearing over its surface. At high pressure drop,
gels also can be extruded through the filter structure. They are best removed if filter media with gradual decreasing
pore size is used. String wound cartridges are suitable to remove all of the three mentioned contaminants.
Copyright to IJIRSET [Link] 5774
ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 2, Issue 10, October 2013
The industry as shown in [2] may follow any method/procedure of filtration & separation to remove unwanted
particles or contaminants like centrifuge, continuous vacuum filter, filter press, cartridge filter (micro-filtration),
dialysis, electro-dialysis, reverse osmosis, and ultra filtration/nano filtration.
III. MECHANISM OF PARTICLE CAPTURE IN VARIOUS FILTERS [1]
Filtration can be classified on the basis of the particle size removal range or on the manner in which the particles
get arrested during their course through the filter media for example if particle removal range is 0.2 m to 150 m,
then the filtration technique can be put under the head of micro filtration. Similarly the way, in which the particles
get trapped during their passage accordingly, they can be put under the categories of surface, depth and
adsorptive/surface active filters. For example if particles get trapped on the surface of the media then such a filter is
called as surface filter.
A. SURFACE FILTERS
Filter media where the pores are within the same plane are called screen or surface filters. The surface filters act as
sieves. Particles too large to pass through the pores are retained on the surface. As the contaminant cake builds up on
the surface, the degree of filtration often grows finer. A surface filter medium is generally thin. The surface filter
traps contaminants on the outside of the filter medium as shown in figure 3.
Fig. 3 Mechanism of particle capture in case of surface filter
B. DEPTH FILTERS
The depth filter is the one, which traps contaminants within the medium and is as shown in figure 4. The surface
filter is particularly good at removing solids. However, gelatinous and fibrous particles can, given certain conditions,
such as high pressure differentials be forced through the pores, either by changing direction in the case of fibres, or
changing shape in the case of a gel. The advantage of the depth filter is that it can remove all three types of
contaminants effectively. The figure 5 makes a comparison between the mechanism of contaminant capture in case
of depth and surface filters.
Fig. 4 Mechanism of particle capture in case of depth filter
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ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 2, Issue 10, October 2013
Depth filter Surface filter
Fig. 5 Percolation of particles in case of surface filter and depth filters [1]
C. ADSORPTIVE FILTERS:
The adsorptive filter media are capable of retaining particles smaller than the rated filter pore size. This is possible
in some systems because of surface charge modification of the filter media. The charge is most effective over short
distances from the surface and falls off exponentially as distance increases. Accordingly such filters are used
principally in the sub-micron filtration. Thus from the above classification it can be understood that the type of
contaminant will also play an important role in deciding how the particles will get trapped i.e. whether on the surface
or within the medium.
IV. BRIEF BACKGROUND OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CARTRIDGE/CANDLE FILTERS [2, 3]
The disposable filters can be produced using different techniques; this makes the mechanism of particle capture
different in each of the case. The use of a specific filter size and type is dictated by the application for which it is
chosen. Each filter has its own merits and demerits and is suitable for a certain filtration range and application; some
can be used as pre-filters while some have very good dirt holding capacity.
There are four basic types of filter cartridges/candles:
• String Wound Filter Cartridges
• Melt blown (Solid) Filter Cartridges
• Pleated Filter Cartridges
• Media Cartridges: Activated Carbon (GAC), DI resin, Calcite, Alumina, and more
A. STRING WOUND FILTER CARTRIDGES
The string wound cartridge was the original cartridge filter element. A string wound cartridge filter shown in figure 6 is
effective in removing diverse sized particles and are best suitable for carrying out micro filtration.
Figure 6 shows photograph of string wound filter [3]
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ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 2, Issue 10, October 2013
They are capable of removing particles in the range of 0.2 to 10 microns. They can be used to remove even coarser
particles than 10 µm. It removes particles of its micron rating with excellent resistance to being blinded by larger
particles. Because of the overlapping nature of the string windings, it has an effective surface area considerably larger
than that of the melt blown filter. Cartridge filters as shown in [4] are also widely used in chemical, pharmaceutical,
nuclear, health, microelectronics, biotechnology and water treatment industries.
While string wound cartridges predate all the other filters, with polypropylene fibre construction, a string wound is
still a good general-purpose filter and in certain applications, the best choice. The choice of supply yarn to be wound on
a perforated cylindrical core can be cotton, polyester, polypropylene etc., but in most of the cases it is polypropylene
yarn due to advantages like greater volume of air, random fibre arrangement in the yarn structure, greater twist, round
cross-section and economic production from filtration point of view as has been shown in [5-7]. These yarns can be
produced on ring spinning system or on unconventional spinning systems. But yarns produced on the different spinning
systems can exhibit lot of change in their properties especially compactness and hairiness. These two properties are
very important as far as the filtration application is concerned. Like the melt blown filter cartridge, string wound
cartridges are inexpensive. It is the second most commonly used filter cartridge on the market and is used extensively in
pre-filtration applications
Typical applications include:
• 1 to 50 micron filters used in upstream/downstream for general purpose applications.
• 5-micron pre-filters installed ahead of a reverse osmosis system to remove non-uniform sized particles.
B. MELT BLOWN (SOLID) FILTER CARTRIDGES:
In comparison to string-wound, mention needs to be made of melt-blown cartridges. They were developed several
years ago as a lower cost substitute for string-wound cartridges. They are made using a one-step process in which high-
velocity air blows molten polypropylene resin from an extruder die tip onto a take-up screen or a mandrel to form
layers of self-bonding fibre web. The only real advantage melt-blown cartridges have over conventional string-wound
filters is freedom from process chemicals. They are not suitable for many industrial applications, as they tend to
collapse under even moderate pressure differential. A major shortcoming of the melt blown cartridge is its poor edge
sealing that result in by-pass problems. The filter consists of layers of fibres, which can separate rather easily. A melt
blown filter cartridge, is as shown in figure 7 is a depth type filter that is good for the removal of relatively uniform
sized particles throughout the body of the filter, not just on the surface. Grooves may be provided on their surface to
increase its surface area. In spite of its disadvantages, it is one of the least expensive and most widely used filter
cartridges on the market today and is used extensively for both commercial and domestic applications.
Grooves
Figure 7 shows photograph of melt blown cartridge [2, 3]
Typical applications include:
• 1 to 50 micron filters used in general purpose applications, with the 5-micron cartridge being the most popular and
can be installed upstream/downstream.
• 5-micron pre-filters installed ahead of a reverse osmosis system to remove particles that could clog up membranes and
deteriorate performance.
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ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 2, Issue 10, October 2013
C. PLEATED FILTER CARTRIDGES
A pleated cartridge is a surface type filter cartridge that is effective in removing diverse sized particles in limited
quantities. Pleated cartridges will remove particles of its micron rating with good resistance to being blinded by larger
particles. Pleated filter cartridges are particularly effective on surface waters from streams and rivers figure 8. Pleated
filter cartridges are constructed to provide a surface area far in excess of the diameter of the filter. The micron rating of
a pleated filter is more precise than either the melt blown or string wound cartridges. Though pleated cartridges are
more expensive than melt blown or string wound, they are the only choice for sub-micron filtration which lies in the
range of 0.45 to 0.1 microns. Sub-micron pleated filter cartridges are used extensively as biological blocks in the
production of high-purity and sterile water.
Figure 8 shows photograph of pleated filter [1, 2]
Typical applications include:
5-micron general-purpose filters used before and after ion exchange resin columns.
1 to 50 micron filter on the vent of a water storage tank to help prevent airborne particles from entering the tank
during draw down in non-critical applications.
Sub-micron post-filters installed as final filters for particle/micro-organism sensitive or critical applications.
D. MEDIA FILTER CARTRIDGES
A Media Filter cartridge is not like the mechanical filters described above. A media cartridge as shown in figure 9 is
actually a water treatment device that effects chemical changes in the water. The flow rate through a media cartridge is
substantially lower than that a similarly sized particle filters.
Figure 9 Photograph of media filter [2]
Replacement of media cartridges is not dictated by pressure drop. Carbon media cartridge replacement should be
scheduled for every three months or more often. Deionizer (DI) cartridges should be replaced according to water
quality.
Typical applications include:
• Activated Carbon for the removal of chlorine, taste and odour.
• Mixed Bed DI resin for water purification.
• Calcite media for neutralization of acidic water.
• Many other media are available to handle a wide variety of water problems.
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ISSN: 2319-8753
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 2, Issue 10, October 2013
The water purification systems available in the market are comprised of the above variety due to which not only
removal of particles takes place but also any odor etc is possible. Hence the filter should be selected according to its
end use and the range of particle size to be removed.
REFERENCES
[1] [Link]
[2] [Link]
[3] Thusoo, V., “Absolute & Nominal: Cartridge filters & ratings”, Water conditioning and purification, pp.52-55 2002.
[4] Williams, C.J., [Link], R.G.J., “Testing cartridge filters in aqueous media: Interpreting the results – The
pitfalls and problems. Part – I: Evaluating the performance methods”, Filtration & Separation, vol. 32, no. 2, pp 157,
Feb (1995)
[5] Filters with friction spinning flair, Textile Industry of India, 1998
[6] Williams, C J., “Testing the performance of spool-wound cartridge filters”, Filtration & Separation, pp.162-168,
1992
[7] Ing Trommer, G., and Ing Grunert, H., “Influence of fibre and yarn parameters on yarn package filter cartridges”,
Melliand Eng., pp. 261-264, 1990.
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