Argonide Corporation
Advances in Filtration Technology
Argonide Corporation, Sanford, Florida
henry@argonide.com
DTRA
Introduction to Filtration: The Basics
• Filtration “Comfort Zone”
• Distillation
• Ion Exchange
• Carbon Adsorption
• Microporous Filtration (MF)
• Ultraporous Filtration (UF)
• Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• Backwashable vs. Disposable
• Cartridge Filters vs. Bag Filters
• Cartridge Filters
• Bag Filters
Filtration “Comfort Zone”

Most veteran filtration professionals are comfortable with filtration that
works through mechanically sieving particles that are equal to or larger
than the poresize of the filter media

A filter with a poresize of 2 μm will retain particles ≥ to 2 μm with great
efficiency, but will pass particles that are finer in size.

A surface filter (i.e. membrane) will retain particulate on its surface that
faces the influent stream

Standard fibrous depth filters have an advantage as they capture “dirt”
throughout their filtration matrix, thereby increasing the dirt holding
capacity

These standard fibrous depth filters are still limited in their efficiency at
capturing smaller particulate by their poresize even with an increased
efficiency through filter cake build-up
Distillation
Distillation is probably the oldest method of water purification. Water is first
heated to boiling. The water vapor rises to a condenser where cooling water
lowers the temperature so the vapor is condensed, collected and stored.
Most contaminants remain behind in the liquid phase vessel. However, there
can sometimes be what is called carry-overs in the water that is distilled.
Organics such as herbicides and pesticides, with boiling points lower than
100°C cannot be removed efficiently and can actually become concentrated
in the product water. Another disadvantage is cost. Distillation requires large
amounts of energy and water.
Distilled water can also be very acidic, having a low pH, thus should be
contained in glass. It lacks oxygen and minerals and has a flat taste, which is
why it is mostly used in industrial processes.
Ion Exchange
The ion exchange process percolates water through bead-like spherical resin
materials (ion-exchange resins). Ions in the water are exchanged for other ions
fixed to the beads. The two most common ion-exchange methods are softening
and deionization.
Softening is used primarily as a
pretreatment method to reduce water
hardness prior to reverse osmosis (RO)
processing. The softeners contain beads
that exchange two sodium ions for every
calcium or magnesium ion removed from
the "softened" water.
Deionization can be an important component of a total water purification system
when used in combination with other methods discussed in this primer such as
RO, filtration and carbon adsorption. DI systems effectively remove ions, but
they do not effectively remove most organics or microorganisms.
Microorganisms can attach to the resins, providing a culture media for rapid
bacterial growth and subsequent pyrogen generation.
Carbon Adsorption
Activated carbon effectively removes many chemicals and gases, and in some
cases it can be effective against microorganisms. However, generally it will not
affect total dissolved solids, hardness, or heavy metals.
Activated carbon is created from a variety
of carbon-based materials in a hightemperature process that creates a matrix
of millions of microscopic pores and
crevices. The carbon adsorption process
is controlled by the diameter of the pores
in the carbon filter and by the diffusion rate
of organic molecules through the pores.
The rate of adsorption is a function of the molecular weight and size of the
organics. Carbon also removes free chlorine and protects other purification
media in the system that may be sensitive to an oxidant such as chlorine.
Carbon is usually used in combination with other treatment processes. The
placement of carbon in relation to other components is an important
consideration in the design of a water purification system.
Microporous Basic Filtration
There are three types of microporous filtration: depth, screen and
surface.
• Depth filters are matted fibers or materials compressed to form a matrix
that retains particles by random adsorption or entrapment.
• Screen filters are inherently uniform structures which, like a sieve, retain all
particles larger than the precisely controlled pore size on their surface.
• Surface filters are made from multiple layers of media. When fluid passes
through the filter, particles larger than the spaces within the filter matrix are
retained, accumulating primarily on the surface of the filter. In many
respects, surface filters can often be constructed from multiple layers of
Screen Filters.
Microporous Basic Filtration (cont.)
The distinction between filters is important
because the three serve very different
functions. Depth filters are usually used as
prefilters because they are an economical way
to remove 98% of suspended solids and protect
elements downstream from fouling or clogging.
Surface filters can remove 99.99% of suspended solids and may be used as either
prefilters or clarifying filters. Microporous membrane (screen) filters are placed at the
last possible point in a system to remove
the last remaining traces of resin
fragments, carbon fines, colloidal
particles and microorganisms.
Ultrafiltration
A microporous membrane filter removes particles according to pore size. Taking it a
step further, an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane does much the same, but with smaller
pore structure providing a finer filtration level.
Ultrafiltration membranes could be used to separate very fine suspended or undissolved contaminants from water. Over time, ultrafilters have also gained some
acceptance relative to the separation of oil from water in oily emulsions.
It is important to note that selection of
the correct ultrafilter membrane is
critical to the successful removal of
targeted contaminants from water.
Selection of the wrong membrane can
result in ineffective removal of
contaminants or irreversible fouling,
which may result in an expensive
membrane replacement.
Reverse Osmosis (R.O.)
The pore structure of RO membranes is much tighter than UF membranes. RO
membranes are capable of rejecting practically all particles, bacteria and organics
>300 daltons molecular weight (including pyrogens). In fact, reverse osmosis
technology is used by most leading water bottling plants.
Because RO membranes are very restrictive, they yield slow flow rates. Storage tanks
are required to produce an adequate volume in a reasonable amount of time. Reverse
osmosis is highly effective in removing several impurities from water such as total
dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, asbestos, lead and other toxic heavy metals, radium,
and many dissolved organics. The process will also remove chlorinated pesticides and
most heavier-weight VOCs.
RO is the most economical and efficient method
for purifying tap water if the system is properly
designed for the feed water conditions and the
intended use of the product water. RO is also the
optimum pretreatment for reagent-grade water
polishing systems.
Backwashable vs. Disposable
Most applications will benefit from some form of gradient filtration. Stepping
from coarse to fine to polishing modes extends the active life of each level
of filtration, often improving the economics.
As an example:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Multi-media beds;
Sediment filters;
Micro or Ultraporous Membrane
R.O. Membrane
At coarser levels of filtration, inexpensive filter elements (sometimes
backwashable) are fairly common. When you move into the sub-micron
filtration range, membranes become the only real viable alternative for
backwashable filtration, but at a high cost.
Cartridge Filters vs. Bag Filters
In many filtering applications, a choice between the use of a cartridge filter
or a bag filter has to be made. Both are sediment filters, but there are some
differences between these two filter systems:
In general, cartridge filters are preferable for systems with
contaminations lower than 100 ppm, that is to say with contamination
levels lower than 0.01% in weight.
Conversely, bag filters are preferable for systems with higher
contamination loads.
Conditions that can affect this choice include flow rates and the nature
of the contaminants being filtered from the process stream.
Cartridge Filters
Conventional cartridge filters can be surface or depth-type filters. The
choice of which type of cartridge filter depends on the application:
1. Surface filters (that are usually made of thin materials like papers,
woven wire, cloths) function by blocking particles on the surface of the
filter. Surface filters are best if you are filtering sediment of similar-sized
particles. If all particles are i.e. five micron, a pleated 5-micron filter
works best because it has more surface area than other filters.
2. Depth-type filters capture particles and contaminants through the total
thickness of the medium . Compared with pleated surface filters, depth
filters have a limited surface area, but they have the advantage of depth.
It can be generally stated that if the size of filter surface is increased, higher
flows are possible, the filter lasts longer, and the dirt-holding capacity
increases. Cartridge filters are typically designed as disposable.
Bag Filters
In general, bag filters are frequently used for dust removal in industrial applications.
Bag filters are mostly surface-type filters.
The flow can be from the outside to the inside of the filter (that means, the separation
of particles happens on the external surface of the filter) or the other way around,
depending on the application. The particles are normally captured on the internal
surface of the bag filter. The later is most common when filtering fluids.
Bag filters are generally designed for replacement when they are clogged, but some
bag filters for gaseous applications like dust removal can be cleaned, for example by
mechanical shaking or by backwashing with compressed air (so called reverse-flow
bag filters).
A rule of thumb is that for concentrations higher than 5 mg/m3 a surface filter is
favored, while for concentrations lower than 0.5 mg/m3 a depth-type filter is
preferred. In general, surface filters can by backwashed and cleaned more easily,
while depth-type filters normally have to be disposed when clogged.
Break
NanoCeram® – Next Generation Filtration
• General Background – Nano Alumina (NanoCeram) Filters
• How Does It Work?
• Nano Alumina Filter Characteristics
• Electron Microscopic Image
• Filtering Dirt Particles
• Comparison of Flow Capacity
• Adsorption Curves for Different Size of Latex Spheres
• Prefilters for Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membranes
• Metals Reduction
• Iron Removal
• Iron Regeneration Studies
• The Value of Iron Removal
General Background - NanoCeram Filters
Nano alumina (“NC for nano ceramic” or NanoCeram) fibers are
combined into a non-woven filter, and retain particles by
electrostatic forces
Data are presented on dirt holding capacity, flowrate and filtration
efficiency, focusing on sub-micron particles, showing:
1. Dirt holding capacity of NA filters exceeds typical UP
membranes by ~ 100 times
2. Flowrates of NA filters are two orders of magnitude greater
than UP membranes
3. NA filters have higher particle retention efficiency than MP
and UP membranes
How Does It Work?
Nano alumina fibers with an average diameter of 2nm are infused
throughout the entire structure of the filter media’s matrix.
Literally trillions of highly electropositive nano alumina fibers per ft2
of media provide a high degree of freedom in designing filtration
solutions:
1. Average poresize of 2µ yields an absolute rating of 0.2µ
2. Flowrates of NA filters are many times greater than 0.2µ MP
membranes with similar 0.2µ particle retention efficiency
3. NA filters have higher particle retention efficiency than MP
and UP membranes
This freedom in designing filtration solutions can be extended into
other arenas including air filtration. By adjusting the porosity of the
filter media, reduced pressure drop can be achieved, often with
efficiencies far beyond other existing technologies.
Nano Alumina Filter Characteristics

Nano alumina fibers are combined with microglass fibers to
produce a non-woven filter media with a pore size of ~2
microns;

These nano alumina fibers are highly electropositive and retain
particles by electroadhesion;

The media is ~0.8 mm thick;

It can retain silica, activated carbon, natural organic matter,
metals, cysts, bacteria, DNA/RNA and virus;

The media can be pleated or rolled to form cartridges; formed
into a bag; or used as flat stock in filter presses and other
filtration devices.
Electron Microscopic Image
NanoCeram® Fibers
The active ingredient of the filter media is a nano
alumina (AlOOH) fiber, only 2 nanometers in diameter.
The nano fibers are highly electropositive.
The filter media is
manufactured
through
paper
making
technology. In a multi-step
process, the nano fibers
(right) are dispersed and
adhere to glass fibers.
The nano alumina is
seen as a fuzz on the
microglass fiber (left).
Because the nano
alumina is
fully
dispersed, particles
have easy access to
the charged surface.
Filtering Dirt Particles
Capacity of NanoCeram media when tested with A2 fine test dust (~1-4 µm) vs
data presented by C. Shields for other media.
Dirt holding capacity, mg/in 2
1000
100
Nanoalumina
microglass
Meltblown
Membrane
10
1
0.1
0.2 m
0.5 m
1.0 m
Its dirt holding capacity of 574 mg/in2 is almost twenty times greater than
microglass filter media when compared at a pore size rating of 1 µm; and far
greater than that if compared at the smaller pore size ratings.
Comparison of Flow Capacity
100
Clean Water Flux, ml/min*cm2
NanoCeram
microglass
80
Meltblown
Membrane
60
40
20
0
0.2 m
0.5 m
1.0 m
Pore size rating
The NanoCeram filter’s flow rate is superimposed over Shields’ data [1] for
clean water. Its flow rate is about four times that of 1 µm microglass media and
even greater when compared to 0.2 or 0.5 µm pore size filters. The flow rate
through meltblown and membrane media are even much less.
1 - C. Shields, High Performance Microfiltration Media, Presented at American Filtration Meeting, Marriott,
Baltimore/Washington Airport, Nov. 16-17, 2004
Adsorption Curves for Different Size
Latex Beads
Turbidity, NTU
1
0.03 micron beads
0.2 micron beads
0.5 micron beads
1.0 micron beads
4.5 micron beads
0.1
0.01
0.001
10
100 Volume, mL
1000
10000
A single layer 25 mm diameter NanoCeram filter disk was challenged @ 3 cm/min by
a continuous stream of latex beads. The filter eventually clogs without exhibiting a
breakthrough curve, except for the smallest (0.03 µm) beads. Bacteria size particles
(0.2 to 4.5 µm) are intercepted with high efficiency.
Prefilters for
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membranes
RO filters are expensive to replace and are highly sensitive to fouling by
sub-micron particles. Ultraporous (UP) membranes are often used as
RO prefilters. They too are subject to fouling, and are used in a crossfiltration mode to minimize fouling. Cross flow results in a waste stream,
often 3-10 times greater than the stream being purified.
NanoCeram filters can sustain high flow in a dead-end mode and
generate no waste stream. Results include significant increase of flux
through an RO membrane by significantly reducing the quantity of submicron particulate (silt) challenging the membrane during operation.
Metals Reduction
Independent laboratory testing has shown that this electropositive filter media
is effective in adsorbing a variety of metals in both ionic and particulate form.
These include:
Iron
Aluminum
Copper
Tin
Lead
Chromium III
100
Output concentration, mol/L






Input
concentration
Lead
Metal Sorption by NanoCeram
10
Tin
Copper
1
Iron
Chromium (III)
0.1
Aluminum
0.01
0.001
0
1
2
3
4
Filtered Volume through 8.2 cm2 NanoCeram Filter
Filtered volume through 8.2 cm2 NanoCeram filter
5
Iron Removal
Testing performed at TMMK for iron reduction in chill water determined that
although quite effective at iron removal, a typical 4.5” x 20” filter cartridge
would plug after filtering only 2,400 gallons of chill water with a 3 ppm iron
concentration. Considering that the levels of iron would decline as filtration
continued over time, this scenario would require a total of 4,000 filter
cartridges to bring the iron levels down to near zero.
The combination of iron and iron bacteria in that system leads to corrosive
conditions requiring continuous maintenance and repair of chiller tubes; and
eventually the many linear miles of iron piping comprising this closed loop
system.
These filter cartridges are not inexpensive and the project was not feasible
considering that each cartridge is considered a “dead end” filter. Prior
experience with these filters has shown that it is nearly impossible to remove
adsorbed contaminants from the filters after they have been adsorbed.
Recharging the filters has been an ongoing subject for several years.
Iron Regeneration Studies
In part, due to this testing performed at TMMK for iron reduction, Argonide
embarked on a program that has shown that NanoCeram filters can be
“recharged” when used in an iron reduction mode.
Laboratory testing using a simple process has yielded a recovery rate of
approximately 90% for a standard NanoCeram filter cartridge for iron. This
testing has shown that the iron capacity of a standard NanoCeram filter is
approximately 4 times improved over the initial results achieved at TMMK.
This process can be utilized on-site with minimal interruption of service. In
the scenario previously mentioned, total filter usage is much more
reasonable and brings the project closer to an acceptable ROI.
The Value of Iron Reduction
In addition to chill water systems at TMMK and other plants, additional
areas of interest include:
Steam Condensate Recovery – a pilot project is underway at TMMI to
recover approximately 40 gpm of steam condensate that is currently being
sent to waste. This “waste water” is at 90°C contains approximately 0.15
ppm of Iron. Recovery of this water will save Toyota both in terms of water
waste and energy consumption.
Robotic Welders – although not currently under study, reducing the iron
fouling in the cooling lines may significantly extend the lifetime of those
lines providing savings in materials and labor.
Break
The Future of Activated Carbon Filtration
• Advancement in Organics Reduction
• SEM of PAC in Nano Alumina / Microglass
• Dynamic Iodine Adsorption by NanoCeram-PAC
• Dynamic Chlorine Adsorption by NanoCeram-PAC
• Filtration of Sub-Micron Organic Particles (TOC)
Advancement in Organics Reduction

NanoCeram technology excels as a particle adsorber.

Use this attribute to capture and retain other “functionalized” adsorbent
materials in particle form . . . in the smallest size particle available.

NanoCeram-PAC contains approximately 32% (by weight) of powder
activated carbon with an average particle size of 25 microns.

This provides enormous activated carbon surface area which is not partially
occluded by adhesives or glues, nor is the carbon capacity compromised by
the organics in such adhesives.
Advancement in Organics Reduction (cont.)

Competitive media was sectioned from commercial cartridges and tested as
25 mm discs. Microscopic exam shows 2 of the 3 competitive medias tested
use granular activated carbon.

There is a remarkable retention of I2 (iodine) by one layer of PAC-NC to a low
cut-off (0.5 ppm, the level at which Iodine is detectable by taste and odor);

Approximately 180 times longer than competitive activated carbon media at
comparable basis weight;

The dynamic adsorption by immobilized ultra fine PAC is believed to be
responsible.
SEM of PAC in Nano Alumina/Microglass
Note: fine fraction of PAC particles incorporated into structure.
Iodine concentration, ppm
Dynamic Iodine Adsorption by NanoCeram-PAC
Iodine stock solution
Argonide PAC/NC media # 617, 269 g/m2
Manufacturer "A" media, 350 g/m2
Manufacturer "B" media, 242 g/m2
Manufacturer "C" media, 237 g/m2
25
20
15
10
5
0.5 ppm
0
1
10
100
1000
10000
Filtered volume through a 3.7 cm2 filter media, mL
Test Method: 20 ppm Iodine thru single layer, 25 mm discs @ 50
ml/min. Two ml aliquots collected into a cuvette and measured at 290
nm using UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The detection limit is ~ 0.3 ppm.
Free chlorine concentration, ppm
Dynamic Chlorine Adsorption by NanoCeram-PAC
2
Manuf-1, GAC 350 g/m2
Manuf-2, PAC 250 g/m2
Manuf-3, GAC 250 g/m2
Manuf-4, GAC 250 g/m2
1
Argonide 32%PAC/NC, 220 g/m2
0
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2
Filtered volume (mL) through 1 layer of 3.7 cm of PAC (or GAC)
impregnated media at flowrate 16 ml/min and free chlorine input
concentration of 2 ppm
Modeling also indicates that a standard 2.5” x 10” filter cartridge
manufactured with NanoCeram-PAC media will reduce free chlorine
from 2ppm to < 1ppm for over 2,000 gallons @ 2 gpm flow rates.
Filtration of Sub-Micron Organic Particles (TOC)
Adsorbance and turbidity, relative units
1
relative turbidity @ challenge turbidity 2.3 NTU
0.8
relative absorbance @ 10 ppm challenge concentration
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0
0.2
0.4
Filtered volume per unit surface area, L/cm 2
0.6
0.8
The filter is excellent for adsorbing turbidity. Filters (25 mm diameter) were
challenged with humic acid, an organic particle small enough to pass through
“Absolute” 0.2 µ filters. Breakthrough was detected by both optical turbidity
and spectrophotometric methods. Note the high filtration efficiency until the
filter is exhausted at about 0.4 L of fluid/cm2 of filter area.
Other Applications

Reduction of chlorine and other organics through the use of
NanoCeram-PAC technology

Recycling industrial water thereby increasing water re-use rates

Polishing filtration downstream of UP, MP and even RO systems.

Prefiltration prior to ultraviolet or ozone treatment to minimize the
burden on such sterilization devices

Prefiltration prior to ion exchange beds extending their useful life and
reducing the frequency of cleaning cycles

Develop adsorption data for endocrine disruptors, antibiotics and
dioxin from industrial waste streams using PAC (Initial data are
promising)
Specialty Filters
• PACB & PB Series: “Hybrid” Cartridges
• DP Series: Dual Layer NC & PAC Cartridges
• LR-19 Series: Lenticular Replacement Cartridges
• Gravity Flow Water Purifier
PACB & PB Series: “Hybrid” Cartridges
Hybrid designs which incorporate a carbon block as the centercore
with a pleated layer wrapped around the block. 2.5” and 4.5”
diameter cartridges fit in standard housings.
DP Series: Dual Layer NC & PAC Cartridges
Dual pleated layer 2.5 and 5” diameter cartridges fit in standard housings.
LR Series: Lenticular Filter Replacement Filter Cartridges
The dual pleated layer NC (or NC-PAC) cartridge on the left
is a drop in replacement for the lenticular filter (right). Lenticular
filters are also known as “Disc Filters”.
Gravity Flow Water Purifier
This purifier operates where there is no source of running water nor electricity.
Eureka Forbes designed the device using NanoCeram-PAC filter technology
and, with Argonide’s help, manufactures the filter cartridges.
NanoCeram - Worldwide
• Active Distribution
• Direct Sales
• Latin American Territories and Costs
Active Distribution
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United States
Canada
South Korea (Exclusive)
Japan
Italy
Sweden
Poland
France
Greece
South Africa
Turkey
United Kingdom
Ireland
Kuwait
Azerbaijan
NanoCeram Distributors
Direct Sales
• United States
• Canada
• Italy
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Norway
France
United Kingdom
Ireland
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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Slovenia
Brazil
Thailand
Japan
• Russia
• Norway
NanoCeram Sales
Latin America: Exclusive Territories & Costs
• Colombia:
$46,000 USD
• Venezuela:
$46,000 USD
• Peru:
$44,000 USD
• Argentina:
$66,000 USD
• Ecuador:
$35,000 USD
• Mexico:
$80,000 USD
NanoCeram Sales
THANK YOU
Henry Frank
henry@argonide.com
(407-322-2500 x103)
www.argonide.com