Air Filters Types and Terms

  • Air cleaner filters remove a range contaminants from the air.
  • Automobile intake filters are air filters that can handle rapid movement of air through a confined space. Automobile intake filters are often made of fibrous materials that allow the air to flow as freely as possible, yet capture essential contaminants.
  • Antimicrobial air filters are filters that are treated with an antimicrobial agent, which prevents growth on the filter media.
  • Carbon filters use carbon, a natural, non-metallic material that is very effective for removing gases and odors. Also called "active" or "activated carbon filters," these filters are particularly suitable for removing chemicals from the air, because carbon can absorb up to 60% of its own weight in gas.
  • Cartridge filters have various components with different temperature limits and are used in applications that need a temperature resistant material.
  • Compressed air filters are used in conjunction with a compressed air system. These systems are often utilized in workshops and warehouses in which high pressure air is used as a cleaning and dust removal tool.
  • Electrostatic filters work by charging the dust particles in the air, which attracts them to the metal plates in the filter.
  • HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters were originally designed to prevent discharge of radioactive particles from nuclear reactor facility exhausts. These filters are now widely used in industrial settings because of their high efficiency of capturing a wide range of air contaminants.
  • HVAC filters are filters that are used in an industrial or domestic heating ventilation or air conditioning system.
  • Foam filters are made up of tiny interlocking cells that trap and distribute dirt particles throughout the entire volume of the foam. Foam filters are often used in automobile intake systems.
  • Gas phase absorbers are used to filter the air from hazardous gasses.
  • Grease filters attract grease laden air away from heat sources, such as commercial ovens. Grease filters are often made of stainless steel.
  • Panel filters are used in spray booths to remove waste paint and dust particles from the workspace.
  • Pleated filters are filters that are folded to allow for more surface area to be exposed within a smaller area of a filter frame.

Adsorption - The retention of gas, liquid or solid on a surface due to positive interaction/attraction between the surface and the molecules of the adsorbed material.
 
Air Borne - A term that refers to any particles or substances floating in the air.
 
Air Stream - A current of air.
 
Allergen - A normal substance that causes an acute defensive reaction in a person's immune system.
 
Arrestance - An air filter's ability to remove synthetic dust from the air during a test.
 
Backpressure - A backward surge of pressure from downstream to upstream of an air filter. Backpressure can be the result of closing a valve or air entrapped in a liquid system.

Certified Energy Manager (CEM) - International professional designation available through training and testing by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon) - Family of chemicals used as refrigerants, being tightly regulated and phased out of production due to stratospheric ozone depletion potential. Examples: R-11, R-12, R-113, R-114, R-115.
 
Containment - The prevention of an agent from being transmitted from one point to another.
 
Contamination - An unwanted intrusion, such as harmful airborne particles.
 
Decontamination - The removal of unwanted airborne particles to neutralize the air.
 
Filter Medium - The permeable material that removes particles from a substance being filtered.
 
Filter Penetration - Particles passing through an air filter without being removed from the air stream.
 
Filtrate - The product that is filtered.
 
Indoor Air Quality - A term that refers to the amount of pollutants in the air within a confined space.
 
Ionizer - A filament, grid or porous body in an ion engine or other device that strips an electron from the outer shell of a neutral atom to form a positively charged ion.
 
Membrane - A continuous matrix with pores of defined size.
 
Negative Pressure - Pressure in an area that is responsible for the inflow of air.
 
Ozone - A molecule containing three atoms of oxygen. Ozone is harmful to both humans and plants at ground level, but is crucial in blocking ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere.
 
Particulate - A very small solid suspended in air or water that can vary in size, shape, density and electrical charge.
 
Positive Pressure - Pressure in an area that is responsible for the outflow of air.
 
Pressure Drop - In the case of air filters, a measure of the resistance of air to flow through a filter.
 
Upstream - The direction that is in opposition to the airflow.