ABSTRACT
The filtrative processing of a fluid suspension in order to separate its particulate content
obviously requires an adequate expanse of effective filtration area (EFA). The volume of
the preparation and its degree of loading are the determinants. Knowing the rate of
filtration is important if the operation is to be designed for a batch size to meet a
particular time schedule. Such may be required for compliance with regulatory needs, or
out of concern for product stability, or from considerations of economy of time and/or
labor, or even of convenience. The sufficiency of the filter’s size to accommodate the
extent and nature of the preparation’s particle load needs to be known. Too small a filter
will necessitate augmentation of the filtration operation in order to complete it. Mid-
process interferences can be seriously disruptive, especially where sterile effluent is the
goal of the filtration. Using an unnecessarily large filter would be wasteful of time and
material, hold-up volume, and an indication of poor system design.
