| FILTRATION TERMINOLOGY |
| GLOSSARY OF FILTRATION TERMS |
| Filtration |
The separation of particles
from a fluid (liquid or gas) by passage of that fluid through
a permeable medium. |
| Micron |
The commonly used abbreviated term for the micrometer (µm).
One micron (1 µm) = 0.0000394 inches, and is a speck so small
that the smallest particle the naked human eye can see is
approximately forty microns in size.
[ How big is a micron? ]
|
| Filter Media
|
The material which comprises
the filter surface. This material may be organic fiber (paper),
polypropylene, cotton, fiberglass, wire mesh, or other similar
media. |
| Pressure Drop
|
The difference in pressure between
two points. In this instance the pressure drop would be measured
at the inlet and outlet points of a filter. Pressure is measured
in psi (pounds per square inch), kPa (kiloPascals) or similar
units. |
| Surface Filtration
|
A form of filtration where the
particles are removed at the surface of the filter media only.
An example of surface filtration would be wire mesh. |
| Depth Filtration
|
A form of filtration where the
particles travel past the surface of the filter and are trapped
within the depth of the media. Fiberglass filters are an example
of depth filtration. |
| Void Volume
|
The open area of a filter in
relationship to the material which makes up the media. Generally,
the finer the filter fibers, the greater the void volume and
dirt holding capacity. |
