ABSTRACT
A broad classification of media may be made on the basis of the basic mechanism involved in the separation of particles and fluids. The successful performance of a filter station depends largely upon the filter medium and its ability to separate the particles and fluid without concomitant medium blinding and deterioration. In filters composed of random fibers, sintered or porous elements, staple or natural fiber cloths, the mean pore size will have less significance and use in predicting media behavior. Controversy has long raged over the concepts of absolute, nominal, and maximum pore sizes in complex media and much attention has been given to the problem of comparing filter media performance in an objective way. Media efficiency tests are made with dilute suspensions of particles, which are passed through the medium under inspection; the concentration of particles in the fluid before and after passing through the medium is measured.
