Running a business in a tropical climate or near a coast means you have easy access to water, beaches, fresh seafood, and in simplest terms, the good life. However, residing near the beach or coast means the salt air can cause damage to your commercial building, namely your air conditioning and filtration unit.
Soluble particulate carry-over increases the risk of fouling and corrosion in your air conditioning system, especially if salt is present in the air. At AFC, we have all the information you need to protect your industrial air filtration system and keep your building cool. Let’s dive in.
What Type of Filter is Best for Tropical or Coastal Climates?
The correct and technical answer is a “multi-stage filtration system with built-in drainage and a final hydrophobic HEPA filter.” But what does that mean in layman’s terms? To answer this question simply, we must first understand the difference between the two types of filters that are available: hydrophilic filters and hydrophobic filters.
Hydrophilic vs. Hydrophobic Air Filters
Hydrophilic filters exhibit an affinity for water (said to be “water-loving”) and can be wetted with virtually any liquid. They are the preferred material for filtration applications involving aqueous solutions–as appropriate by compatibility. Hydrophilic filters are easily wet with water. Once wetted, hydrophilic filters do not allow the free passage of gasses until the applied pressure exceeds the bubble point and the liquid is expelled from the pores of the membrane.
Hydrophobic filters are excellent for gas filtration, low surface tension solvents, and venting applications. They can also be used to overcome compatibility limitations associated with certain aqueous solutions and will allow water/aqueous solutions to pass through when the water breakthrough pressure is reached. Hydrophobic filters are water-averse and cannot be wetted with water. However, they will wet in low surface tension liquids, including organic solvents (alcohols), allowing aqueous solutions to pass through.
What You Need: A Hydrophobic Mesh Air Filter
Hydrophobic filters are excellent for gas filtration, low-surface tension solvents, and venting applications. Hydrophobic Mesh air filters offer a water-repellant, low pressure drop media to reduce ingress of airborne mist and other liquids on indoor and outdoor enclosures deployed in harsh environments.
These types of filters offer a cost-effective alternative to expensive, more air flow restrictive membrane media and are perfect for coastal and tropical climates. Hydrophobic filter media material is both durable and cleanable. The Hydrophobic Mesh will help meet various enclosure-level standards such as MIL-STD, NEMA and IP ratings.
The media can be installed in a one-piece, low profile, ultra-thin frame by itself or combined as part of a two-stage filter media solution in other frame assemblies for dust and water mist prevention. Hydrophobic Mesh air filters are configured as made-to-size aluminum-framed, permanent-type cleanable filters for fresh air intake or exhaust.
TThese air filters are specially designed for harsh environments to reduce water and dust ingress. Hydrophobic Mesh media is ideal for outdoor or indoor enclosures in any industry, such as, telecom, datacom, power gen, LED signage, EV charging stations, medical, laboratory, military/defense, and many other industrial applications.
What Do Hydrophobic Mesh Air Filters Prevent?
When looking at the practical applications of a Hydrophobic Mesh Air Filter, we focus on what we call “extractables.” Extractables are substances that may leach, or otherwise migrate, from a filtration system into the filtered air. Potential contaminants can include wetting agents (solvents/alcohols), manufacturing debris, sterilization residue, adhesives, or other components of the system. The type and concentration of extractables will vary with liquid sample properties.
To minimize the effect of extractables, filters can be flushed with water (or another process-compatible solvent) prior to use or purchased as “pre-flushed” packs. However, the necessity of flushing can also be mitigated through careful manufacturing procedures.br /> How to Deal with Water Ingress Damage
PParticulate emissions can be generated from various industry sources. Common industries where particulate emissions are present include but are not limited to:
● Fertilizer Manufacturing
● Pulp and Paper Mills
● Metals Mining
● Biomass Facilities
● Food Processing Plants
● Ceramics, Fiber Optics and Glass Manufacturing
● Wastewater Treatment
● Pharmaceutical Industry
● Chemical Manufacturers
Engineered emission controls are designed to remove particulates in the gas stream whether it is an insoluble solid carried over in a contaminated gas stream or a soluble that was preformed or generated by a chemical reaction. These designs are referred to as “scrubbers” and there are two broad classifications of air pollution controls: Wet Scrubbers and Dry Scrubbers. Let’s take a look at the types of scrubbers that are used.
Wet Scrubbers: These remove air pollutants by inertial of diffusional impaction, reaction with a sorbent or reagent slurry, or absorption into a liquid solvent. These types of scrubbers can be used to control particulate matter, including particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometers. They are also used to control inorganic fumes, vapors, and gases. These types of scrubbers may also occasionally be used to control volatile organic compounds as well. When using absorption as the primary control technique, the spent solvent must be easily regenerated or disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Dry Scrubbers:
Spray dry scrubbers are a widely used flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) technology. This technology is limited to a flue gas volume of about 200 MWe plants on average, therefore this technology is used in small to medium-sized, coal-fired plants. A removal efficiency of over 90% SO2 has been achieved using these scrubbers. Some advantages of using this technology are low-waste disposal costs, low water consumption and a low pressure drop.
Scrubbers can effectively reduce concentrations of certain water-soluble acid, base and organic contaminants. They are used primarily for environmental protection, environmental health, and increasing government regulation. Since the scrubber is so effective at capturing particulates, a filter is necessary to remove them from the system. The filter may be a cleanable or disposable type.
Conclusion
The proper industrial filters for a tropical or coastal climate are a multi-stage filtration system with built-in drainage and a final hydrophobic HEPA filter. Choosing a high-power, turbine hydrophobic filter provides air filtration through use of multi-layer construction to capture ≥99.5% of all contaminants and block water ingestion. Combined with the right scrubber and you have yourself a proper filtration system to keep your industrial conditioning unit running optimally all year round. Contact AFC to find out more.
Advanced Filtration Concepts is a
Certified Veteran-Owned Small Business.
