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What’s the Big Deal With Microns?

When was the last time your company considered your liquid filtration system? They are essential to protect the integrity of industrial equipment, prevent clogging, or provide safe and high-quality products in a variety of applications. If you don’t recall the last time your liquid filtration system was evaluated by your company, the industry and company needs and challenges have likely changed. Is your current solution within all regulation compliance or best practice? Could your system be more efficient in removing undesirable particles from a liquid?

Understanding the micron ratings used to measure the efficiency of filters can help you select the right solution for your liquid filtration requirements. This guide will provide you with the information you need to make the best possible decisions for your industrial filtration needs.

How Big Is a Micron?

A micron (or micrometer) is equal to one-millionth of a meter. There are 1000 microns in a millimeter, and 25,400 microns in 1 inch. To understand the size of a micron, a few comparisons may be useful. A human hair usually has a diameter of about 70 microns. A single red blood cell averages about 12 microns in diameter. Particles that are smaller than 50 microns are usually too small for the human eye to see unaided. Bacteria can range from one-fifth of a micron in width to up to 10 microns in length. Whole-home water filter systems will typically remove particles and bacteria as small as 0.5 microns to promote the healthiest water for consumption and personal use.

Micron size to inches and millimeters chart

Types of Micron Ratings

Micron ratings for liquid filtration generally fall into one of three primary categories:

  • Nominal micron ratings (NMR) are used to indicate how efficient a filter is at capturing solid contaminants or particles of a specific size. These filter ratings are usually presented as percentages, as in a rating of 90% at 5 microns. In this example, the filter will retain 90% of particulates 5 microns and larger.
  • Absolute micron ratings (AMR) are used to identify the smallest size of particle that will be filtered out by the system under specific test conditions. The absolute rating reflects the pore size of the filter. A filter with a 10-micron absolute rating has demonstrated that it trapped all particles larger than 10 microns in diameter under set pressure and flow conditions.
  • Multi-pass micron ratings (MPMR) are a method of testing filtration systems that measures the concentration of particles in liquids before and after they pass through a filter. This provides a beta ratio of the number of particles filtered out by the system. Higher beta ratios indicate more efficient filters and improved results in removing particulates from fluids.
Common materials to relative particles size in microns chart for liquid filtration

What Are Micron Ratings in Liquid Filtration?

A micron is a unit of measurement that determines the filtration capability of a filter or a more complex filtration system. Micron filtration ratings typically range between 0.15 microns and 800 microns, though smaller and larger micron ratings may also be used. In general, the micron rating of a filtration system is a function of the size of the particulates you want to remove. For example, a filter rated to 10 microns will remove solids 10 microns or bigger while allowing anything smaller to pass through.

Why Micron Ratings for Liquid Filtration Are Important

In water treatment plants and whole-home water filtration systems, water filter ratings are essential to remove contaminants and particulates that would find their way into a home and business water supplies otherwise. By using advanced water filter systems with the appropriate micron ratings, these utilities can provide clean drinking water.

The oil filter found in cars, trucks, and industrial equipment is a good example of a filtration system with which most people are familiar. The recommendations by the vehicle manufacturer usually represent micron ratings that offer a good balance between filtering out particles that could cause damage to the engine while allowing adequate pressure flow to keep the vehicle running in an efficient way. The equipment used in industrial settings can also break down due to excessive particulate matter. Choosing a filter with a micron rating that is too small, however, can lead to a reduced flow rate for liquids that must pass through these filters. For most applications, an optimal range of micron ratings is available to ensure the best balance between flow rate and effective filtration in industrial and commercial environments.

What’s the Next Step?

Not sure where to go next? To ensure the proper filtration system is implemented and maintained, working with an expert jointly is the best option. As each industry and government agencies have their own requirements, collaborating with someone who specializes in developing liquid filtration solutions will save you time, money, and hassles.

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ISC Sales carries more than 30,000 industrial products from top manufacturers, including the best and most practical solutions for your heating and cooling needs. Peruse our product list online or call (877) 606-3314 to request a quote. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you.

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