Air treatment solutions: the coalescing filter

Air is not clean – neither the one we breathe nor the compressed air we need for so many industrial applications.  The latter contains particulates as well as aerosols and, in the case of oil-injected compressors, oil vapors. These contaminants are often microscopically small but can have a damaging – and costly – impact on the sensitive equipment that uses compressed air.  Particulates, for example, are tiny pieces of solid materials, e.g. dust, dirt or small pieces of metal caused by pipe corrosion, that can damage the end product.  Aerosols are small droplets of liquid in compressed air that are created from the lubricant, such as oil, and can harm products and people if not properly removed. Vapors consist of any liquids in the compressed air system, like the lubricant, that have been converted to gas.  There are applications for which these contaminants do not matter a lot. For example, they are not a major problem when you use compressed air to inflate a tire.

However, if high-quality, pure compressed air is required, then you need a filter (or filters) to eliminate those particles, aerosols and vapors. Otherwise, they can pollute the products they come in touch with, for example in the food and pharmaceutical industries, or harm your sensitive equipment. The amount and However, if high-quality, pure compressed air is required, then you need a filter (or filters) to eliminate those particles, aerosols and vapors. Otherwise, they can pollute the products they come in touch with, for example in the food and pharmaceutical industries, or harm your sensitive equipment. The amount and However, if high-quality, pure compressed air is required, then you need a filter (or filters) to eliminate those particles, aerosols and vapors. Otherwise, they can pollute the products they come in touch with, for example in the food and pharmaceutical industries, or harm your sensitive equipment. The amount and However, if high-quality, pure compressed air is required, then you need a filter (or filters) to eliminate those particles, aerosols and vapors. Otherwise, they can pollute the products they come in touch with, for example in the food and pharmaceutical industries, or harm your sensitive equipment. The amount and type of filters depends on the application and the quality of air. One effective way to remove aerosols and particulates is the installation of a coalescing filter. These filters produce cleaner and dryer compressed air by bringing small droplets of liquid together in order to form larger droplets. As these droplets increase in size, they fall from the filter and are caught in a moisture trap. Caution: Not all filters remove all contaminants. For example, coalescing filters are not effective in getting rid of vapors. For removing particulates and aerosols, however, they are often the right choice – especially the innovative UD+ coalescing filter from Atlas Copco.