Filtration Society Conference Unfiltered

Whether macro, micro or nano particles, we have only to consider the potential effects of volcanic ash on aircraft engines, or the complexities of setting and meeting specifications for automotive emissions to understand the importance of being able to measure and filter out potentially harmful particles. The Filtration Society’s 2010 Filter Testing conference (Chester UK, Oct 2010), which adopted the theme ’Filter Testing 5 millimetre to nanometre,’ endeavoured to address the fundamental filtration issues of our time through pre-conference workshops, expert presentations and an exhibition of available technology.

Conference organiser Dr Graham Rideal of Whitehouse Scientific, said: “The high level of interest and commitment from the short-course attendees and conference delegates alike meant that we had a full house throughout the event.”

Introduced by UK consultant, Professor Richard Wakeman, the pre-conference workshop focused on topics key to quality filtration solutions and included presentations on particle size, size analysis and particle shape, challenge and rejection testing, pore size measurement, air filter test methods and standards and standards and testing for liquid filtration

Opening the main conference programme, the two plenary talks focused on the importance of measurement repeatability, reproducibility and validation in filter testing. The full programme included:

• A review of ISO standards in relation to the dry testing of filter media – the environmental driving force by Hans-Georg Horn, TSI, Germany;
• About validation of liquid filter test methods and equipment by Christophe Peuchot, IFTS, France;
• Recent advances in pore size distribution analysis – a revolutionary new Porometer by Danny Pattyn, Benelux Scientific, Belgium;
• Surface area and pore size analysis of filter media into the nanometre size range by Mike Tucker, Quantachrome, UK;
• Filter testing by nano particle tracking analysis by Bob Carr, NanoSight, UK;
• Real-time, online measurement of available adsorption capacity of Zorflex activated carbon cloth using electrochemical techniques (patent pending) by Andrea Smith, Chemviron Carbon, UK;
• Determining filter cut points and pore size distributions using microsphere standards by Graham Rideal, Whitehouse Scientific, UK; and
• Essential improvements for a reliable fractional efficiency test of filter media and filters by Sven Schutz, Palas, Germany.

Commercial presentations from participating companies included: Textest AG, Adaptive Instruments Ltd, Palas GmbH, Croft Engineering Services Ltd, Whitehouse Scientific Ltd, TSI Inc, Benelux Scientific, SciLog/Broadley Technologies Ltd and Quantachrome Inc.

Other exhibitors included: PPSL Precision Processing Services Limited, Nanosight, PMT (GB) Ltd, Helapet Filter Devices, Meretics and G Bopp.

The Filtration Society

Formed in London in 1964, the Filtration Society is a charitable organisation with the objective of technology transfer of existing filtration and separation technologies and promoting research and development into new areas. To find out more about the work of the Filtration Society visit: www.filtsoc.org