Woven filter media used in wet filtration processes: investigation of pore size distribution, air and water permeability and finding correlations between them

Abstract

Currently, methods for evaluating the performance of woven filter media used for filtration processes are mainly reduced to air permeability and filtration resistance. However, filtration processes are not limited to dry filtration only. Moreover, critical performance-related factors such as the pore size distribution and liquid permeability are studied but often omitted and ignored in the characterization process. The present study aims to investigate and analyze three characteristics, namely air and liquid permeability and pore size distribution, and to examine correlations between the studied characteristics. The results of the present study show that correlations between the studied characteristics do exist. Polynomial and exponential functions could describe the correlation between the mean flow pore diameter and permeability. At the same time, the dependency between air and water permeability is characterized by a logarithmic function. Consequently, the characterization and selection of filter cloths should be done by analyzing several different parameters simultaneously. These correlations could become the basis of a system of media indexing in the future.