Filter materials: types, characteristics, purpose

For the needs of industry, agriculture and individual households, new materials for filtering water, oil, gases and other substances are being developed. For cleaning to be of high quality, similar products must have certain characteristics.

Filter materials of the last generation were made from natural ingredients. But today the production of filters from synthetic substances became more urgent. This approach allows the creation of inexpensive materials, the filtering ability of which is an order of magnitude higher than that of cotton, wool, etc.

To the modern production of such products are constantly rising demands. They should filter the various substances as thinly as possible, and also be suitable for a wide range of industries. Multifunctionality and quality are characterized by modern cleaners. What kinds of filter materials exist, it is necessary to consider in more detail.

General concept

Modern filter material for water, gas, aerosols and other substances can be created from woven, non-woven and polymeric membranes, metal nets, etc. Such products are widely used in mining metallurgy, chemical, machine building, processing and processing industries. Also, consumers of purifying structures are medicine, food industry, as well as ordinary households.

The field of application of filtering materials is wide. Therefore, there are no universal purifiers that would fit every substance and process. Some fibers can withstand the influence of an aggressive chemical environment, while others can filter out even the finest particles of contaminants more thoroughly. In accordance with the operating conditions, various purifiers are created.

Types of woven materials

There are many popular substances that perform the function of a cleaner. They are characterized by certain qualities. The most common are: fabric belting, polyamide, polyester yarn, filter cloth, serpent. Also used fiberglass. They are made of natural, synthetic, combined components.

In the first case, the cleaners are not afraid of the aggressive influence of the filter medium. However, the degree of their purification is low. Because of their natural origin, it is not possible to create sufficiently thin threads.

Synthetics, on the other hand, allows more fine filtration of small particles of contaminants. The thickness of the yarns produced today can reach 20-200 nm. But such substances are easily destroyed in an aggressive environment, under loads.

Combined materials absorbed the qualities of synthetics and natural components.

Natural materials

Belting is a filter made of cotton fabric. It is most often used food industry and pharmacy. The material is intended for cleaning substances with a temperature of not more than +100 ° C.

In the group of natural materials glass cloth also falls. Characteristics of this substance can be used as a heater. Depending on the weaving of the fibers, a certain degree of filtration is achieved. The more threads, the stronger the fabric.

Also a natural cleaning material is a sickle. It is made of cotton or linen. This material is characterized by a rare intertwining of threads. Outwardly, it looks like a gauze. Sickle is used in the food industry for filtering milk, thick syrups.

Filtromitkal also consists of cotton. It is a coarser fabric, which in its properties is a bit like belting.

Synthetic materials

For industrial needs, synthetic cleaners are most often used. One of the most famous canvases is a polyamide fabric. It removes the admixtures of concentrates of iron ore. Filter materials of this type are used at operating temperatures not exceeding + 90 ° C and pH 4-10.

Synthetic cloth is polyester cleaners. There are many kinds of them that differ in density and application conditions. For all synthetic fibers , a special weave pattern is used. It affects the filtering qualities of such products. These types of purifiers use both industry and food industry.

Depending on the configuration of the weave, the filters can work with both liquids, gases, suspensions and oils.

Application of synthetics

Polyamide fabric is known for its special appearance. The nylon thread is intertwined, forming diagonal strips on the surface. Such material is most often used in the extractive and processing industries.

Polyester cleaners have a wider field of application. This is due to the difference in web density (from 316 to 980 g / m²). Technical heat-treated polyester is the most well-known filter material for ventilation.

One of the fabrics that can claim the title of universal, is the milk lavsan. It is characterized by water-repellent qualities, resistance to sunlight. This material prevents the formation of harmful microorganisms and, if properly processed, does not deform, do not sag. Due to these qualities it is used both in the food industry and for the filtration of gases.

Non-woven fabric

There are combined types of cloths, in which both synthetic and natural fibers are used. The most famous in this area is a needle-punched non-woven material . Its basis is polyester.

Most often, such cleaners are used in the filtration system of cars. Also this material is widely used in industry. The needle-punched nonwoven cleaner is an environmentally friendly product. It does not harm the environment and human health. It does not cause allergic reactions.

Also one of the advantages of such a web is its resistance to increased loads. In some industrial cycles, it is required to provide a safety margin for the cleaner. If the load on the system increases, the material must withstand similar conditions.

Improved nonwoven fabrics

Felt was the first non-woven material of cleaning devices. He was not deprived of certain shortcomings. To improve its strength and quality of filtration, the fibers were treated with resins. Non-woven synthetic synthetic materials were punched with needles of a certain diameter.

In recent years, significant changes have taken place in the production of these materials. Felt was replaced by extrusion air-filled fibers from polymers. They have a much smaller thickness than the modified natural filler. This allowed for a finer purification of various substances.

From this material, sandwich type sandwich panels are created. This makes it possible to increase the strength of the cleaners. Such webs have a three-dimensional structure, in which the layers have different properties and are fastened in a certain way. These are complex materials.

Production of fabric filters

The largest domestic production of filter materials of tissue type is in the Moscow region. This is ZAO Voskresensk-Technotkani, which began work in 1858. The enterprise produced technical fabric, and over time, the manufacture of a filter cloth was established.

The company produces a wide range of synthetic, combined natural materials. In technological cycles, the latest technologies are used. This allows ZAO Voskresensk-Technotkan to occupy a leading position in the market. Production involves modern technology, which allows the production of products with a surface density of 250 to 2500 g / m².

The products of the enterprise are used in various fields of the national economy. But most of all his paintings are in demand in the sugar sub-sector.

Manufacture of nonwovens

The manufacture of nonwoven cleaners is a complex, high-tech process. It is successfully used in our country. The most famous enterprise of this profile is the Inzensky plant of filtering materials. The manufacturer applies mechanical technology. Cloths are made by needle-punched, needle-stitching method.

The scope of such products is very wide. Non-woven materials are used starting with the filtration of substances in non-ferrous metallurgy and finishing with air purification in the production of cement and flour.

The second largest enterprise of the presented profile is OJSC Komitex. Its range includes more than 50 types of non-woven fabrics. They are actively used to filter water, gas, technical liquids, sewage, lubricants and food liquids.

Membranes

Non-woven fabric is increasingly used by modern industry due to its qualities. However, membrane-type materials are becoming more popular. Their manufacture began relatively recently.

Membranes are used in microfiltration processes. With their appearance is associated with the application of reverse osmosis technology. To eliminate such a phenomenon as pressure drop, membranes are made of strong polymers.

These are complex devices. Their development took place in two directions at once. On the one hand, materials with pores of minimum size, fixed size and uniform distribution over the surface were required.

On the other hand, scientists were looking for technologies that allow the membranes to work at different pressures. Most often they are used for water purification. But in parallel with this technology develops production of such membranes for corrosive environments and high temperatures. Purifiers for such purposes are made of metal and ceramics.

Air, gas filtration

Filtering materials designed for air and gas purification are very diverse. To this category of canvases strict requirements are put forward. Legislation constantly raises standards of cleaning such a medium, due to which the development of technologies in this direction took place at a rapid pace.

Most often for such purposes, melts of polyphenylene sulfide rubbers are used. A lot of attention on the part of scientists received anti-static filters. Dust in the gaseous medium is electrified. In some cases, it becomes the cause of the explosion.

Also, the development of filters that purify hot gases is underway. For this, materials such as ceramics and metal are used. Also modern production requires removing from the gas not only solid particles of dust, but also toxic substances. To do this, use a combination of materials with absorbents (activated carbon). This makes it possible to achieve a high degree of cleaning of air masses and the gaseous medium.

Having considered what kind of filter materials are, one can understand the main trends in the development of such technologies. They are constantly improving to meet the requirements of modern production.