Liquid filtration is used in a broad variety of industries such as textile mills, cosmetics, automotive, petroleum and oil, paper and pulp, marine, electronic, photographic, waste treatment and pharmaceutical. Essential to the everyday operations of virtually all industrial facilities, base liquids may include coolants, corrosive chemicals, gasoline, diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, lubricants, oil, inks, dies and paints. Water filtration, however, makes up a significant portion of all liquid filtration as it is integral to not only the aforementioned industries, but commercial and residential settings as well.
We've talked about what cartridge filters are and how they work in a previous article. Now let's take a look at the most common uses of industrial filters.
Protect Downstream Equipment. Industrial filters can help manufacturers protect their costly and complex machinery and equipment that are being used. Particulate matter and contaminants in liquids can damage equipment through scale buildup, metal erosion, machinery malfunction and more. This can lead to entire system failures which are expensive and costs precious time when production needs to be halted for equipment to be repaired or replaced.
Purification. Filtration helps keep liquids and gels such as process water, chemicals, and solvents free of contaminants like sand, sediment, carbon, gravel and other matter that manufacturers wouldn't want in their products. It helps uphold the manufacturer's standards in product quality and purity.
Safety. Filtration also prevents cross-contamination, health hazards, workplace safety issues, and environmental issues. Absolute rated filters even help remove bacteria and viruses at 99.9% accuracy rate that's essential in the production of pharmaceutical products. It allows companies to comply with the safety and quality standards set by government agencies to ensure their products are not harmful for workers and consumers alike.
Product Isolation. In some cases, filters are not used to remove contaminants, but to isolate particles that can be reused. One such example is the removal of catalysts which can be made of expensive metal particles, helping the manufacturer save costs. Some industrial processes also isolate their own solids, gases, oils, water and other fluids to keep their systems functioning right.
Efficiency. Filtration helps many industrial operations flow smoothly and more efficiently. Take oil rigs, for example. When bringing oil up out of the ground, sand and debris get mixed in with the oil. Placing industrial liquid filters at the source can help get rid of some of those particles on the way up, saving time and effort on the surface. You may read more about filtration in the petroleum industry here.
Other than the uses listed above, there are many more reasons why an industrial system would require liquid filtration. Contact us to discuss your custom filtration application today.