Cartridge Oil Filters

A cartridge oil filter is filter that has one or more cartridges, each containing a tightly folded, or pleated, finely meshed material, which traps the dirt particles as the water moves through the filter chamber.

Although various types of filters can be categorized as cartridge filters, they all share a few distinguishing characteristics. First, the cartridge filters comprise of two core components, the filter cartridge and the cartridge housing. Also, unlike certain filter types, the filter media of a cartridge oil filter can be removed and replaced with a new filter cartridge.

Cartridge filters can be used to remove contaminants from a variety of fluids that include water, oil and air. It is the nature of construction rather than the nature of filter media, which defines a cartridge filter.

Types:
Cartridge filter can be of two types -

• Surface filter: Surface filters are ideal to use if you are filtering sediment of standard sized particles. If all particles are five micron in size, a pleated 5-micron filter will work best as it has more surface area than other types of filters. In comparison to pleated surface filters, depth filters have a small surface area, but offer the advantage of depth.
  
  
• Depth-type filter: A Depth-type filter captures particle and contaminants through the entire thickness of the medium, while in surface filters the particles are blocked on the surface of filter. Surface filters are generally made using thin materials, like - papers, woven wire, and cloths.

In general, if the size of a filter surface is increased, higher flows can be attained, the filter lasts longer, and the dirt holding capacity improves. Cartridge filters are generally manufactured disposable, which means they have to be replaced when the filter is clogged.

Materials:
From cotton and polypropylene to metal wire, virtually all types of materials can be used to manufacture cartridge oil filters. The mesh of the filter media can be as smooth as the fraction of a micron, which allows the filter to capture even micro-organisms, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Some bacteria and viruses, however may pass through even some of the most finest filters. Some other more complex filter media are also available (activated carbon, reverse osmosis membranes for ion-removal and semi-conductor grade resin cartridges), which can be used to manufacture cartridge oil filters.

Applications:
From automotive to pharmaceutical, an extensive range of industries relies on cartridge oil filters. These filters are used in wide array of applications from water purification to clean room operation, and serve as an effective tool of removing a variety of contaminants. Operating conditions depending on the application and the filter standards vary per manufacturer, however standards are widely used. For example, the absolute rating of a filter reflects the particles of a particular size that should be unable to pass through it. However, invasive particles are seldom of a uniform size, and few shapes may be able to pass through the filter without any obstruction.

Cartridge filtration units generally perform very effectively and economically in applications that have contamination level of less than 100 ppm. For heavier contamination applications, cartridges are generally used as final polishing filters. Cartridge oil filters have found purification uses in various applications, including -

• Pre RO water
• Chemicals
• Beverages
• Solvents
• Compressed air
• Cosmetics
• Alcohol