Guide to Cartridge Media

When it comes down to choosing the right filter media, it may not be as tough as you think.

Do you know the characteristics of the dust you will be filtering? If you do, then you're a step ahead of the game.

There are three common medias for filter cartridges and they can cover a wide variety of applications. If you know your dust characteristics then watch our short video guide that provides a brief introduction and understanding into cartridge media, and which one may be best for your application.

Video Transcript:

Hi this is Bob from US Air Filtration and today we're going to talk about cartridge filter media's.

While there's a lot of different media's out there, most applications, probably over 90% of them, can be handled with one of three common medias. We're gonna take a look at those today.

I have here a couple of standard filters. This one is made from a media called 80/20. 80/20 gets its name from being 80% cellulose and 20% polyester which is mixed in to give it some strength. But it looks and feels a lot like paper and the paper is folded into pleats and packed into this cartridge.

This is what a swatch of the media looks like before it's been put into the cartridge. This filter is a great general use filter for blasting or paint boosts and just general dust filtration.

The next filter I want to show you is one made with a media called nanofiber. Now you look at these two filters they look almost identical. Actually when you look at the media, the media looks identical, and that's because nanofiber is made by taking the same 80/20 substrate and putting a microscopic web of fibers over the paper.

So when you look at them next to each other they look identical, but the Nanofiber is much better at handling the superfine dust particulate.

So when you have plasma cutting or smoke or really fine dust, nanofiber is going to be the better choice for you because those little fibers capture the dust and keep them from plugging up the filter.

You can use nanofiber as a general use filter as well. Some people say it lasts longer than the standard 80/20 because of that layer of nanofiber on the top of it.

The third filter I want to show you (or filter media) is this one which is made from spunbond polyester.

You'll notice that the pleats are not as packed in this filter and that's because this media is a little more permeable. This is a very tough rigid plastic feeling filter media.

This is what the spunbond polyester looks like a close. This is filter is one you that you want to use when you're trying to avoid damage to the filter because you've got tough dust. So this is used often in cement industries, cardboard, abrasive blasting, sandblasting or anything else where strength is required. Spunbond polyester is the filter media of choice.

You can also add a PTFE membrane to spunbond polyester that you can't to these other filters. So when you have a real sticky dust, putting the membrane on spunbond polyester may also be an option for you. There are also other specialty media's to help take care of unique environmental conditions. To find out which filter media is right for you call and talk to one of our experts.

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