Industrial Knitted Tubing

I've been talking a lot about the traditional filters, those filters that attach to something, are part of something, are high tech, sterile, or so many other types of filters. However there's another filter that I'd like to add to my blog; Knitted Tubing.

Although knitted tubing may be part of the many other filters, such as the covering on pleated filters, it it one of those very simple designs that are completely versatile and inexpensive. Also called stockinette, knitted tubing can make your more advanced filters last longer by catching the large particles before they get to the fine filtration.

But that's not it! Here are some examples of other knitted tubing uses:

• Chemical - chemical manufacturers use tubing to purify product throughout process
• Fire Safety - flame retardant sleeves and cuffs as protective layers
• Medical - non-sterile utility items
• Filtration - filter bags, filter tubing, and filter covers
• Paint - manufacturers use long filter bags to remove paint particulate before packaging
• Paint spray booths - protective sleeve, cap, or skin cover
• Manufacturing plants - use abrasion resistant sleeves to protect employees
• Construction - use wide tubing to filter solids out of run-off
• Automotive After Market - to protect parts in transit

Resistance Chart

I found a cool site with a fabric resistance chart:

Fiber	Tensile Strength	Abrasion Resistance	Chemical Resistance		Deg F		Deg C		PH
			Acid	Alkali	Cont.	Surge	Cont.	Surge
Polypropylene	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Excellent	190	190	90	90	2-12
Polyester	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Fair	275	325	135	150	2-7
Nylon	Excellent	Excellent	Poor	Excellent	200	250	90	120	2-8
Polyethylene	Good	Very Good	Excellent	Excellent	122	176	50	80	2-12
Cotton	Good	Average	Poor	Excellent	180	225	80	105	3-10
Nomex	Very Good	Very Good	Fair	Good	400	425	200	215	2-12
Teflon	Fair	Good	Excellent	Excellent	450	500	230	260	Any

NOTE: This table is only a general guide.  Operating temperature, chemical concentrations and mechanical conditions all have a pronounced effect on service life.

Fixing a sticky situation

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when you are choosing a filter, but maple syrup was never on that came to mind.

I was reading a slightly entertaining case study provided by Micropure Filtration called Fixing a Sticky Situation, of course I thought it was just a play on words, but in fact they had a situation where maple syrup was clogging up their filters long before they should have. And here's the unexpected part, they weren't filtering the syrup. It was the air that had the syrup in it.

According to this particular case study, the client used maple syrup in their recipe, but when the syrup was heated some of the stickiness was released into the air, then when the tanks were emptied the filters were clogging up with the sticky air. 

They were able to solve the problem by switching out the PTFE media which absorbed the syrup with a different material that would not absorb any of the maple syrup. They decided on FMS media which is made of the high quality woven stainless steel and comes in many different micron levels and does not absorb maple syrup!

Read the article here: Fixing a sticky situation

Attapulgite Clay Storage

I've been running across a lot of information on attapulgite clay and the proper storage of said clay. Clays are hydroscopic, so it is important to store them in a climate controlled environment.  Clay should be packaged in a way that ensures the clay does not absorb moisture during transit or during short storage periods.

For on-site inventory, it's recommended to limit storage to 6 months for standard products and three months for specialty low moisture clays. Also try not to freeze and thaw the clay.

Care should be taken not to store the clay next to chemicals giving off evaporating compounds, as the clay readily absorbs certain vapors.

ATTAPULGITE CLAY STORAGE

how to rinse with less water!

We all know it's common to find three out of four tanks devoted to rinsing.  This  step is necessary to:

• Stop any action of a chemical solution.
• Prevent the contamination of a subsequent process.
• Prevent chemical staining of the work.

Good rinsing with small amounts of water has always the goal, but in today's regulation dominated world.  Reducing water lessens the load on waste treatment systems and makes recovery more practical. 

The purpose of counter-flowing rinses is just to conserve water.  By increasing from one to two rinses, you can same 20 to 100 times the water.

If you want to learn more about Rinsing with Less Water read this article >>

Filter Resources Page

Below are some links to common filters:

Absolute Micro-Glass

Activated Alumina

Activated Charcoal & Process Water Clarifier

Aqua-Pro

Auxiliary Equipment

Belt Filters

Bentoniete Clay

Bleaching Clays

Bulk Columns:

Centrifuge Bags/Liners

Clarifiers

Condenser

Control Panels

Custom Filters

Diatomaceous Earth

Dust Bags

Evaporative Tank

Excelsior

Filter Leaf Bags

Filter Media

Filter Paper & Discs

Filter Press Cloths

Filter Presses

Filter Tester

Filtration

Fullers Earth

Fullers Earth Amount Estimation Table

Heated Tank Systems

Industrial Water

Ion Exchange

Liquid Filters

Liquid Filtration

Molecular Sieve

Nominal Microns

Parker Finite Filters

Pleated Paper

Portable Filter Systems

R/O Membrane

Replacement Filter Bags

Reverse Osmosis Systems

RVM Clay

Selexsorb Acid

Selexsorb Filter Cartridges and Systems

Semi-Conductor

Simplex Sampler

Sludge Bags

Sludge Dryers

Spin on Filters

Steam Filters

Sterile Air Filters

Sterile Gas Filters

Sulfur Guard Filters

Tank Vent Filters

Trans Dri

Treatment Systems

Turn-key Systems

Vapor Phase 4x8 Pellets

Water Condensate Polishing Systems

Water Dealkalizer Systems

Water Demineralizer Systems

Water Filtration Systems

Water Softener Systems

 

Sludge Bags Save Money and Space

Compared to (5) 55 gallon drums, the sludge disposal bag holds 27 cu. ft. of dried sludge! This makes it more cost effective to purchase, store (since it folds up when not in use) and ship as compared to conventional barrels.

Sludge bags receive sludge from filter presses, they are normally mounted under a filter press and sit on a skid with the top loops attached to the filter press chute. They are made of 6.5 oz. heavy woven polypro outer bag with a moisture resistant coating on the inside.  If necessary a separate inner polyethylene liner bag can be used to ensure a total leak-free bag.

 

Selexsorb Filter Cartridges and Systems

Did you know that fewer fluid change outs, may increase equipment life?

Selexsorb is specifically designed for use with gas turbine lube and hydraulic control fluids, steam turbine EHC control, industrial hydraulic systems. The unique composition of this adsorbent maintains the original, superior properties of these fluids for prolonged periods.

Benefits of Selexorb

When used in conjunction with a fluid maintenance you can expect longer fluid life, increased equipment life, standard sizing, and superior efficiency

NOTE: Ideally, acid number should be maintained below a level of 0.1 TAN. Similarly, a moisture level of less than 0.1% (by weight) is desirable.

Learn more about Selexsorb Filter Cartridges and Systems

Lakeside Water Treatment

Lakeside Water Treatment Inc. is a manufacturer of commercial and industrial water treatment equipment. Lakeside offers pre-engineered and custom designed water softeners, dealkalizers, demineralizers, deionizers, condensate polishers, chemical feed systems, instrumentation, reverse osmosis systems, and pressure filters.

Reliable & Innovative Provider of Commercial and Industrial Water Treatment Systems

Centrally located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lakeside Water Treatment has established itself as a reliable and innovative provider of commercial and industrial water treatment equipment throughout the world.

 

Sludge Blowdown System

Sludge Blowdown System:

This tool is designed to monitor the time the Clarifier is in use. For example; when the pump that feeds the waste stream leading into the Clarifier, is turned on the timer is timing. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the controller will automatically open the discharge valve and activate the discharge pump to the sludge thickening tank, and then automatically turn off the pump and close the valve. The time elapsed is based on the clarifier, the waste water, and the sludge.

System includes: sludge valve, air valve and control panel with timers and cast iron diaphragm pump.

Click below to view a video of the process:
http://metchem.com/Air-Blow%20down%20Stage.avi

Bigger isn't always better - Mini Filter Series

The Micropure Sterile Air Filters are a great option for reducing batch contamination, spoilage and product loss. Sterile air is especially important in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, protecting your product, and your customers from harmful contamination and bacterial transfer or growth.

MicroPure Segmented Sterile Air Filters feature a patented design that offers significant advantages over conventional filter cartridges. However, not all applications need a large air filter, and not all projects have the budget for a large filter. That's why we were so happy to hear about MicroPure's Sterile Air/Gas Mini Filter Series. It's the same high quality filter, same parts, same quality, just smaller and less expensive!

Fullers Earth Estimation:

So how much? That's always the question they ask. But are you not sure how much Fullers Earth you need? We found this chart that estimates the amount of fullers earth by weight that is required per gallon of oil to be processed.

This handy chart provides a means of estimating the amount of fullers earth you need, by weight, all you need to know is the amount of oil to be processed!

What is Fuller’s Earth?

Fullers Earth is Activated Clay, commonly used to remove surfactants and additives from fuel oils including jet fuel, kerosene, and diesel. It also removes products of oxidation and acids from hydraulic and lube oils. Bulk Fuller's Earth can be used at airports, in refineries, transformer repair shops, and other industries.

 

 

What to do when your filter media is blinding and you can’t filter

In a perfect world filter cloth would hold the particles it's meant to filter and those particles would in turn help to filter the rest of the particles until the filter was full. However, that doesn't always happen. Sometimes the particles clog the material also known as "blinding the media". This results in your filter media no longer filtering.

There are a few reasons this might happen:

1. The Media itself might not be a good fit for your application. The weave may be too tight, or too loose, the material might be the problem and a mono/multifilament might be the answer. For more information on material choice >>
2. The media might need to be pre-coated prior to running the solution. The use of a porous "sludge" gets the media ready for the actual filtration of your media. To learn more about pre-coating >>
3. Similar to pre-coating, a process called Body Feed may be used. This take a porous material and mixes it with the media being filtered. Acting similarly to the pre-coat, this added material keeps the media from blinding. Learn more about body feed >>

 Although this may give you some good ideas, it is always best to consult an expert to help solve your filtration needs.

So What's the difference?

WOULD YOU USE A CLARIFIER OVER A FILTER PRESS AND WHERE DO SLUDGE DRYERS COME IN?

Well the short answer is that you generally would not use a clarifier over a filter press.  They would be used sequentially.  The clarifier provides step one of the solids settling process while the filter press condenses the accumulated solids.

In a clarifier, the solids settle into a slurry by gravity feeding the wastewater from the top of the unit directed to the bottom through an underflow weir.  The water would flow back up through the inclined parallel plate pack and the solids settle in the bottom cone(s) as thickened slurry.

The solids from the clarifier are then either pumped into a holding tank to allow additional settling or directly from the bottom clarifier cone into a filter press.  Utilizing a sludge thickening tank is generally accepted procedure as this will allow the operator more time and options to run the filter press.

When the solids have settled into thickened slurry, they are then pumped into the filter press via a diaphragm pump.  A filter press is used anywhere there is a need to separate heavy solids from a liquid.  Once the slurry is compressed in the filter press, a filter cake is formed and the water that gets pumped out of the press can go back through to the system for further treatment to ensure complete compliance.

The clarifier and filter press combination drastically reduce sludge disposal costs by reducing the sludge volume.

If you want to reduce volume even further, you can add a sludge dryer at the end of the process.  It will take filter press cake and dry it to a consistency of kitty litter.  In some cases, sludge can be reduced by as much as 4:1.

Sterile Gas Filters

Why you need sterile gas filters

To reduce batch contamination, spoilage and product loss, effective sterile gas filtration is a necessary part of your process. Especially important in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, sterile gas filtration protects your product from harmful submicron particle contamination and bacterial transfer or growth.

MicroPure Segmented Filters feature a patented design that offers significant advantages over conventional filter cartridges.

The results are unquestionable: MicroPure Segmented Filters, designed for two-way flow, ensure consistent, uncompromised security for any application.

Mini Filter Series

If you have a small application or a small budget the Mini Filter Series might be the solution to your filtration needs. The same great quality and exceptional features at a lower cost to you.

Click here for Sterile Air Mini Filter Series information >>

Did you know you can use an evaporator to reduce your Hazmat?

According to an easy to understand article from Poly Products,
only pure clean water is evaporated from their  EVAPORATIVE TANK™. All impurities are left behind and accumulate until the point of solution saturation. Then the solids fall out and form sludge. The sludge is scavenged out by the filter press. 


"Generators can use evaporators to reduce the volume of their hazardous waste under the generator treatment requirements. However, if there is a release of hazardous waste or hazardous waste constituent to the air or the environment, this would be considered disposal."

So as a means to reduce the amount of Hazmat you need to dispose of, by evaporating out water or other non-hazardous materials, evaporation is a great method.

Sludge Dryers - making sludge removal easy

Sludge Dryers can be designed to handle small to large quantity sludge generators. These dryers usually fit under the filter press for direct loading. The sludge is dried by the heated liner of the unit while it is circulated by a spiral blade system breaking it up. The dryer liner can use indirect heat sources from steam, electric strips or gas fire. The preheated airflow system draws the moisture off the top of the internal dryer and out through the wet scrubber system. After drying the reduced sludge is removed by opening the discharge panel for gravity discharge into a container.

Sludge Dryer Features and Benefits       

• Low cost steam, hot water or gas fire for indirect heat source or may be available with electric heat
• 1-100 cubic feet capacities are available
• Internal parts should be made of grade 304 stainless steel
• Easy operation and maintenance
• Sludge reduction savings offers an easy pay back on equipment purchase and operating costs
• Unit dimensions may be altered to fit individual installations
• Up to 4 to 1 reduction of sludge volume can be expected

A Sketch of Polypropylene Textile Cloths

This is from our good friend Walter Senney, Met-Chem Group President

Although there are a lot of fibers to choose from, one of the most popular fibers used in manufacturing fabric today is polypropylene.

This versatile fiber can be woven into a variety of thread counts to allow from loose to tight filtration applications. It is good for use in temperatures from 50°F to 180°F  - Specification charts sometimes show it being use up to 250°F! However, Wally said he "would not recommend it" unless it was under specific circumstances.  Another benefit of polypropylene is it's acceptable pH can range all the way from 2- 12! Another major thumbs up  Polypropylene can be woven into a variety of cloth and cloth types allowing users to filter out the water or the baby!

Here's a little more information http://www.lamports.com/A-polypropylene.html

Or contact Lamports directly for assistance.

http://www.lamports.com/
Phone: (216) 881-2050
eMail: info@lamports.com
 

Keeping an organic product through an organic process

USDA guidelines state that steam used in organic processes must have 2 important features.

• The first is that the steam is free from boiler chemicals.
• The second is that any piping or equipment is stainless steel to ensure no rust or particles end up in the other phases of the process or the final product.

The Micropure Culinary Steam filter is made from 100% Stainless steel. The Housing, Element, Media and support structure are all made from high quality stainless steel. The media that is installed in a Micropure steam filter is absolute rated media at 3 micron. This absolute micron rating, which is below the 5 micron rated required by the 3-A culinary standard, ensures that the removal of boiler chemicals that would affect the organic process.

When your needs expand but your space doesn’t

Custom Designed Systems for Space Limitations
Is your existing equipment past its service life? Have your water demands outgrown the original equipment capacity? Do you need to

replace equipment into a congested area?

 

 

Here's a Case Study  for A major university that needed to replace their old and outdated condensate polisher used for boiler feed to keep up with demand.

 

The Problem:  Replace their old condensate polisher tank with a larger new one, with only the original footprint to work with.

 

The Process: Lakeside Water Treatment reviewed the available dimensions and facility layout and designed a custom condensate polisher system that would fit in the previous condensate polisher’s footprint and handle the increased demand.

 

The Solution:
Lakeside Water Treatment replaced the University’s old twin 36” diameter condensate polisher tank with a custom designed twin 42” diameter condensate polisher system for the boiler feed. This was able to increase the University’s output capacity while maintaining the footprint of the smaller equipment it was replacing.

 

For more information Contact Lakeside Water Treatment, Phone: 414.365.0787, or email: info@lakesidewater.com

Fuller’s Earth 30/60 Clarification Aid:

Fuller's Earth 30/60 Clarification Aid is a granular aluminosilicate used in packed bed applications for the clarification of liquids. This material is mined and processed to provide maximum surface area and chemical adsorptivity.

Performance, Benefits, and Features

• This has excellent particle strength resists attrition, lowers dust, and prevents plugging
• Saves money with low bulk density by filling towers with less weight
• Consistent particle size, load after load
• Quality Assurance Program ensures performance standards
• All materials are high-quality, LVM grades manufactured to precise size specifications
• LVM granules offer the highest chemical activity available

Suggested Processing Applications

Fullers Earth 30/60 Clarification Aid is used in applications from small cartridges to large towers, to remove unwanted contaminants in a variety of fixed bed.

 

Applications include:

• Dry cleaning solvents.
• Removal of surfactants and water from jet fuel.
• Dielectric oil used to insulate commercial transformers.
• Industrial processing chemicals and solvents.

For more information contact Jaxon Filtration:

Telephone: Toll Free:	706-675-3996  888-780-3568
Fax:	706-675-3787
e-Mail:	sales@jaxonfiltration.com

Improve rinsing while reducing water consumption as much as 90%!

Take 10 minutes and learn how to improve rinsing while reducing water consumption as much as 90%…

Long ago, the answer to good rinsing was to simply “open the valve all the way”. However, with conservation and pollution control, we are learning to turn off the water, and recover whenever possible. But what's even better, good rinsing techniques help produce quality parts.

When two rinse tanks are connected, such that water flows from rinse number two, to rinse number one (figure 1) some beneficial math results. The dragout from rinse number one to rinse number two is re-diluted so that the total dilution is almost the multiplication of the dilution in each rinse tank.

You will use less water and get better rinsing if the dragout tank is used as the rinse and is included in the chain of counterflowing rinses.

TABLE 1 – WATER REQUIRED TO DILUTE ONE GALLON OF DRAGOUT
Dilution Ratio	One Rinse	Counterflowing Rinses
	(gal)	2	3	4	5
100:1	99	10.0	4.3	3.0	2.3
1,000:1	999	31.0	10.0	5.4	3.8
5,000:1	4,999	70.0	17.0	8.2	5.3
10,000:1	9,999	100.0	21.0	10.0	6.1
20,000:1	19,999	141.0	27.0	12.0	7.0

The Bottom Line: Any method used for dragout recovery or waste water minimization is made more practical and economical when water flow is reduced. It is always easier and cheaper to get one pound of materials from one gallon of water than to get one pound from 100 gallons. If you use counterflow rinsing (with or without sprays), you will get better rinsing, save an abundance of water and increase profits.

Read the whole articles here: 10 Minutes to Better Rinsing >>

Contact Poly Products for more information:
Phone:(216) 391-POLY(7659)
eMail:info@poly-products.com
 

Lamports - Filter Cloth Replacement

When you decide to replace your filter press cloths you need to know there are three different kinds of cloths on a filter press:

• the head cloth, which is the first plate and is a single cloth with a hole in the center;
• the tail cloth, which is the last plate and is also a single cloth but with NO HOLE in the center;
• the intermediate cloths, which are all the cloths on the plates between the head and the tail. These are double cloths, with one on each side of each plate,

The hole in the center of each side is connected by a short cloth tube.

Be careful when putting the plates back into the filter press. There are two different types of plates. They are designated one button plates or three button plates. The plates can be identified by a drill hole that is about 1/4” deep, in the handle of the plate.

The one button will have one hole and the three button will have three holes. The head plate is usually a one button plate. The next plate MUST be a three button plate then a one button and so on. The filter press plate sequence is 1-3-1-3, and so on. If this order is not correct, the filter cake will not dry properly during the Blowdown process.

Contact Lamports Filter Media for additional information:

Phone: (216) 881-2050 
eMail: info@lamports.com

Reverse Osmosis Systems

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the most efficient process available to remove dissolved minerals, bacteria, particles and organic impurities from water supplies.

So what makes a good Reverse Osmosis system?

• Expandability – System should be modular
• Liquid-filled pressure gauges – assuring pulse-free readings and long gauge life
• Line-mounted flow meters – accuracy and corrosion- free performance
• Rotary vane pumps – industry standard for trouble-free service, efficiency and corrosion resistance
• Pressure relief valves – protect rotary vane pumps from over-pressurization
• Control systems – should be adaptable to suit your specifications
• Needle valves – needed for precise flow and pressure control
• Convenient layout – all gauges, meters and controls should be mounted next to the control panel for ease of operation.
• Feedwater solenoid valve – shuts off feedwater when system is not operating.
• Low-pressure switch – protects the pump from cavitation and damage caused by inadequate inlet pressure.

What makes a great Reverse Osmosis system?

• Computerized system design – accurately projects system performance based on each application’s requirements and operation conditions.
• Premium control option – includes microprocessor-based controller for increased reliability and process control capabilities.
• Fiberglass frame – assembled with stainless steel hardware for total corrosion controls
• Stainless multistage centrifugal pumps and product pumps - for long life
• Spiral wound, thin film composite membranes – provide superior salt rejection and product flow at low operating pressures and offer excellent membrane lift.

Selexsorb - alumina-based adsorbent material

Selexorb is a promoted alumina-based adsorbent material formulated to remove trace contaminants for refinery production.

Uses and features for Selexorb:

• Highly efficient at removing many contaminants from olefin containing streams
• Complete system solutions for treatment of off-gas streams from catalytic crackers and acetylene producing units
• Long lifetime, easy operation, and physical hardness and durability
• Does not release minerals that can promote sludge and gels within the reservoir.

Selexorb Applications:

• Used for filtering synthetic oils.
• Used in various aspects of olefin production and refineries.
• Purifies Olefins, Aliphatics, gases, feed stocks for Alkylation, MTBE, TAME, and BTX units.
• Removes COS, H2S, CS2, CO2, H2O, NH3, Mercaptans, Sulfides, Disulfides, Thiophenes, Oxygenates, (Alcohols, Aldehyhdes, Ketones, etc.), Amines, Amides, Nitriles, Organosilicates and Arsine.

 

Looking for a used filter press? Look no further!

Here is a great resource for all things filter press. Met Chem is a Cleveland Ohio based company with a huge supply of used filtration equipment including filter presses, clarifiers, sludge driers, pumps, scrubbers and much more!

Met Chem's used equipment division has a wide selection of machines online so you can see exactly what you are looking for. They have pictures and descriptions that go with each product. Looking for a do-it yourself project or do you want "new-to-you" refurbished equipment? Met Chem can provide either, and has pricing for both online.

Not sure what you are looking for? The sales and service department are excellent at figuring out your needs and finding exactly what you are looking for  Phone: 216-881-7900 or e-mail:  info@metchem.com .

They can also refurbish, fix, add onto, or modify your existing equipment to give you exactly what you are looking for.



   As-is equipment

 refurbished equipment

 

Why you need sterile tank vents

Sterile tank vents reduce batch contamination, product loss, and spoilage. Effective sterile submicron filtration is a necessary part of any sterile process. This is especially important in consumables such as food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Sterile vent filtration protects your product from submicron particle contamination and bacterial growth or transfer.

 

To reduce the possibility of contaminating your product during emptying and filling of vessels a tank vent or breather filter is essential. This filter will help maintain safe, balanced pressure during the process.

 

We've found that MicroPure's tank vents are excellent for this process. They are:

• Self-sealing PTFE membranes with a 0.2 micron retention efficiency for air and gas.
• Each Filter Membrane works independently allowing for maximum filtering capability.
• A stainless steel tension rod and parts that provides continued support upstream and downstream of the filter membrane.
• The design of Micropure Segmented Filters has been subjected to extensive testing in Europe and the United States.  

Micropure Tank Vents also have terrific Application Versatility:

• The required segmented element length and diameter are determined by your application giving each application an individualized fit.
• Unlike conventional cartridge filters, Micropure's Segmented filters can handle bi-directional flow.
• Filters allow higher flow rates than conventional filters while maintaining submicron bacterial efficiency.**
• High Temperature Tolerance

The rugged, reliable design of Micropure Segmented Filters has been subjected to extensive testing in Europe and the United States, with more than 5,000 systems installed in food-and beverage-processing applications.