Air filters are one of the essential elements in the treatment of industrial compressed air and must be cared for with special care. Its mission is to clean the compressed air of any impurities it may have. The compressed air generated by the compressor passes through the industrial air filter and the solid particles are retained by the different layers that form the filter, while the water droplets received by the filter are eliminated by the purging devices located at the bottom. of the filter.
One cubic meter of compressed air contains more than one hundred million dirt particles, considerable amounts of water and oil, viruses and bacteria, and even particles of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury. If the compressed air is not filtered, the trouble-free operation of system components such as valves or cylinders cannot be guaranteed in the medium or long term. For example, poorly treated compressed air can contaminate control valves and cause seals to swell and wear prematurely.
Filters play an important role in the compressed air treatment process. Depending on the application, strict purity standards require the removal of a wide variety of contaminants, including hydrocarbon aerosols and vapors.
Impurities found in compressed air can come from different sources. With the sucked air, dust or pollen existing in the ambient air can penetrate, while a tank or the pipes of the general network that corrode over time can contribute harmful particles and contaminants to the already compressed air. Aerosols and oil vapors are due in most installations to the use of lubricated compressors and must be filtered before final use.
In urban ambient air and in industrial areas there is also an average concentration of hydrocarbons between 0.03 and 0.10 mg/m3, considering an average value of 0.05 mg/m3, so there will be hydrocarbons in the air. aspirated by the compressors and therefore will also be found in the compressed air, even if the compressors are oil-free.
Depending on the compressed air applications, there are different requirements for its purity. The presence of contaminants must be limited, and cannot exceed acceptable levels, depending on the application, to avoid damage to equipment or production processes.
In compressed air filtration systems we have verified installation errors on numerous occasions, such as incorrectly mounted filters, incorrectly sized filters, or filters installed in the wrong place. The user of a compressed air installation must understand the importance of placing the appropriate filters in their installation. A poorly designed or poorly installed filtration system can cause costs and technical problems, such as excessive pressure drops or rapid saturation of the filter elements.
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