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FILTER TEST SYSTEMS

APPLICATIONS Quality assuranceInspectionofincomingandoutgoinggoodsCharacterisationanddevelopment

Reliablefilterandseparationtestsystemsintherangefrom4nmto100μm

2PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

FILTER TEST SYSTEMS

Nature is also home to effective filters. For example, the leaves of a tree can absorb up to 700 kg of dust per year. But even the best fil-tration and separation system is useless if its function cannot clearly and reproducibly be validated. This is what the modular test rigs for complete filters and filter media that Palas® has already been building and developing for over 30 years achieve. These filter test systems are used all around the world by numerous renowned companies from wide-ranging industries for quality control, characterisation and devel-opment of filtration and separation systems.

Thanks to the know-how developed over more than 30 years, Palas® is now the market leader in this segment and offers the widest range of filter test systems currently available anywhere in the world. For example, filter media can be tested at up to 250 °C, at different rela-tive humidity levels or under pressures of up to 10 bar under realistic conditions. Reliable complete solutions are developed for almost all industrial requirements worldwide.

The strength of this market position is based on the fact that Palas® offers the world‘s biggest selection of different aerosol generators, di-lution systems and state-of-the-art particle measurement technology for particle sizes ranging from 4 nm to 100 µm. These are used on the Palas® test rigs as modular, interchangeable individual components.

With this flexibility, testing requirements can be reliably met to suit cus-tomer requirements or in order to achieve compliance with the relevant standards.

CONTENTS PAGE

FILTER TEST SYSTEMS 2

THE EXPERIENCE 3

QUALITY + COST-EFFECTIVENESS 4

STANDARDS + DIRECTIVES 5

ROOM AIR FILTERS 6

AUTOMOTIVE 7

VACUUM CLEANER FILTERS 8

COMPRESSED AIR FILTERS 9

RESPIRATORY FILTERS + PROTECTIVE CLOTHING 10

CLEANABLE FILTERS 11

PARTICLE GENERATION SYSTEMS 12

PARTICLE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS 13

NANOPARTICLE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS 14

PARTICLE CONDITIONING 15

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THE EXPERIENCE

Right from day one when the company was founded back in 1983, Palas® immediately focused on research and development. Since then the company has filed over 60 developments for patent that form the basis for the leading position of the individual product lines. Today, 20 different versions of over 120 test rigs are used in quality assurance and in the development of filters and filter media.

For example the RBG system, which is today seen as the “classic” among dry dispersers for low mass flows is based on an invention that dates back to the start of the 1970s at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). Palas® GmbH was recognised for this in 1986 with the award of the Baden-Württemberg Innovation Prize (Dr Rudolf Eberle Prize). In 1998 in Atlantic City (USA), the specialist publication FILTRATION & SEPARATION awarded its Product Achievement Award to the modular filter media test system MFP 2000. The Baden-Württemberg Innova-tion Prize was awarded to the company again in 2003 for the white light aerosol spectrometer welas®. The welas® digital system was de-veloped in 2009 and made it possible to carry out measurements even in very high concentrations. This also enables coincidence correction based on the method of Dr Umhauer and Professor Sachweh.

Developments have been carried out for over three decades in collab-oration with university institutes, research facilities and industry that have delivered key advancements in the field of particle technology. With our experience, we can find practical, cost-effective and reliable solutions to even the most complex problems.

Palas® production – UF-CPC system

PALAS® OFFERS SOPHISTICATED AND RELIABLE SYSTEMS FOR TESTING OF FILTERS AND FILTER MEDIA IN THE RANGE FROM 4 nm TO 100 μm.

Palas® production site

DFP 3000

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QUALITY + COST-EFFECTIVENESSSafeinvestmentthroughhighcompatibilityFilter test systems from Palas® stand out with exceptionally long ser-vice life and unrivalled reliability, measuring accuracy and reproduc-ibility of measurement results. With our wide range of products, we are a full-service provider with solutions for almost all challenges and tasks in the field of particle measurement technology. As the individ-ual systems are compatible with each other, users enjoy the highest possible degree of flexibility. If the measurement tasks change or be-come more complex, the system can be extended and modified, as necessary. This in turn means a very high level of investment safety.

All devices are assembled at Palas® and undergo strict quality assur-ance testing. The Palas® quality management system is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 and DIN EN 15267.

SimpleoperatingconceptIn addition to unmatched precision and reliability, our devices offer a simple, standardised operating concept. The various available interfaces will enable easy integration into your existing infrastructure.

Palas® starts with sound advice. We will work with you to analyse the measurement task and recommend the best possible solution. Here, our focus is always on delivering the best possible benefits for our cus-tomers, including via remote device maintenance and online support. Our quality and the technical advantages of our systems are the reason why Palas® filter testing systems are particularly cost-effective in opera-tion. In this way we can help you to reduce your operating costs.

PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

Palas® quality control

Palas® electronics production

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STANDARDS + DIRECTIVES

In the development of its filter test systems, Palas® closely follows the current trends and issues that are discussed in the relevant standards and directives in industry and research – all around the world.

Manufacturers of filter media must be able to demonstrate to their customers that their products satisfy all of the relevant requirements. As the supplier of the filter testing systems, we therefore feel that it is our duty to ensure that these requirements are reflected in the design concept of our devices.

Our employees are closely involved in many working groups, task forces, expert committees and panels, for example in the working groups for DIN, CEN, and ISO standards and the VDI guidelines that are relevant in the field of filter testing. Whether European CEN standards or Swiss SWKI standards, the US ASHRAE guidelines or the Japanese JIS standards – users can relax safe in the knowledge that our measuring devices are always up-to-date with the latest requirements. In most cases, the specifications set out in the relevant standards are signifi-cantly exceeded by the Palas® products.

Standards and guidelines are subject to constant change. With the in-creasing relevance of issues relating to fine dust and particulate mat-ter, many standards and guidelines are currently being revised to in-clude the PM values as well. With the Fidas® fine dust measurement system, which is certified by TÜV Rheinland, Palas® already offers cer-tified measuring technology for PM10 and PM2.5, i.e. fine dust fractions with a particle size of < 10 and < 2.5 µm.

ISO, CEN, DIN, VDIThe expertise of the experts employed by Palas® and the quality of the Palas® products contribute to the standardisation process.

Aerosol processing: Calibration aerosol for nanoparticle measurement devices

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ROOM AIR FILTERS

PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

Room air filters deliver cleaner air and a pleasant indoor climate in which people feel well, whether at home within their own four walls or in the workplace. Particularly high requirements are placed on fil-tration media in the HEPA class and ULPA class, which are required to reliably filter viruses, microbes or toxic dust out from the air.

The wide range of different room air filter types is matched by the width of testing tasks, for example whether they are used as a prefil-ter, main filter, coarse filter or as a high-efficiency particulate air filter, such as in medical areas or in laboratories where the air needs to be virtually free of dust and microbes.

Palas® offers manufacturers of room air filters measuring systems that can be used to determine the separation efficiency as a function of particle size reliably and reproducibly at any time. Similarly, the hold time, pressure drop and volume flow are relevant parameters that are measured reliably and cost-effectively.

With the modular setup of the filter test rigs of the MFPsystem, Palas® offers a filter testing system for flat filtration media and small minifil-ters that investigates precisely these parameters. In this way, with the aid of the MFP2000 it is possible to determine the pressure loss on the medium without a dust coating, the initial fraction separation ef-ficiency or the burden and fraction separation efficiency during appli-cation of the burden within a very short space of time – and therefore very cost-effectively.

With the large bandwidth of systems available for aerosol generation and dilution that can be combined with our filter test systems, Palas® offers solutions for all test requirements.

MFP 2000: EN 779, ASHRAE 52.5, ISO 16890

Fidas® 100

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AUTOMOTIVE

A modern car would simply not work without the large number of dif-ferent filtration systems that are installed in a vehicle today.

Palas® has developed specialist solutions for numerous applications in the automotive industry: These include filter test rigs for vehicleinteri-orairfiltersand enginepre-airfilters, as well as particulate measuring systems and filter test rigs for blow-bygases and PMPapplications.

Quality assurance and the development of separators should prefera-bly be performed under test conditions that are relevant to the actual conditions encountered in practice. For this reason, oil separators for example must be tested at high temperatures of up to 120 °C and, de-pending on the type of application, at high pressures.

Anything from individual filtration media right up to complete air con-ditioning systems or subassemblies can be tested reliably and safely with the testing systems from Palas®. For many years we have been working with renowned manufacturers from many different fields in the automotive industry.

FinedustmassdeterminationThe certifiedFidas®technologyalso makes it possible to reliably de-termine the fine dust values PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 etc. in vehicle inte-riors and in the workplace.

We are confident that we can offer the perfect solution for your appli-cation as well, whatever that may be.

CIF system – cabin air filter test system

HMT system for blow-by test

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VACUUM CLEANER FILTERS

The demands placed on home vacuum cleaners have risen significant-ly in recent years. Today, almost every vacuum cleaner has HEPA end filters that separate out even the finest particles. Similarly high are the requirements that are placed on the filter test systems that are used to test these filter media or the complete unit.

Palas® has developed the TVEsystem especially for the testing of vac-uum cleaners, and it can be used to test the devices more reliably and more cost-effectively than on the basis of the standard EN 60312. With this test rig, it is also possible to reliably compare the filtering perfor-mance of vacuum cleaners with bags with that of vacuum cleaners with bags and HEPA end filters with dust or salt – e.g. NaCl/KCl. The measurement of raw gas and clean gas can be performed virtually si-multaneously with the welas® digital 3000. As a result, not only is it possible to accurately test vacuum cleaners, but the individual filter stages can also be reliably assessed.

High-performancedispersersThe dispersers RBG1000 and AGK2000 not only deliver highest levels of reproducibility in the application of aerosols, but they also operate much more consistently than is required in the standard. This is a key requirement for performing accurate separation efficiency measure-ments with a particle measurement device.

The modular welas® digital system enables easy use of special aerosol sensors for raw and clean gas measurements that deliver conclusive and reproducible results.

PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

TVE 3000 – vacuum cleaner filter test system

RBG 1000 and AGK 2000 dispersion systems

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COMPRESSED AIR FILTERS

Modern industry would be absolutely inconceivable without com-pressed air. Compressed air filters are required to deliver a defined level of purity with the lowest possible pressure loss. A low pressure loss equates to low energy consumption in the compressed air system.

For this reason, it is very important in the testing of these filters and fil-tration media to ensure that the tests are carried out under conditions that match the real-life application conditions as closely as possible, i.e. under pressure.

The DFP3000compressed air filter test rig from Palas® provides ful-ly-automated measurement of the fraction separation efficiency for compressed air filters under overpressure of up to 7 bar, outperform-ing the requirements set out in ISO 12500 in the process.

Pressure-resistantaerosolsensorsupto10barIn this test rig the fraction separation efficiency is measured using the welas®digital3000P aerosol spectrometer, which is equipped with pressure-resistant welas® aerosol sensors up to 10 bar for raw and clean gas measurement. The system offers clear determination of the particle size and concentration directly under overpressure up to 7 bar and automatic regulation of the sampling volume flow under pressure changes.

The automated test sequence with clearly defined individual compo-nents and the individually configurable sequence programs of the FT-Control filter test software combine to deliver the high reliability of our measurement results.

Fraction separation efficiency at an overpres-sure of 7 bar, volume flow 90 Nl/min

DFP 3000 – compressed air filter test system

0,213 1,000 3,000

E [%

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X [μm]

representation 100% * (1 - dCndown / dCnup)

10099,5

9998,5

9897,5

9796,5

9695,5

9594,5

9493,5

9392,5

9291,75

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RESPIRATORY FILTERS + PROTECTIVE SUITS

The smaller the particles, the deeper they penetrate into the lungs when they are breathed in. They can reach as far as the alveoli, i.e. the fine air sacs that provide the gas exchange between the air breathed in and the bloodstream. In medical areas, respiratory filters protect doc-tors and patients from infections, whilst in the workplace they protect workers against the health hazards posed by particles and aerosols that can be encountered during many different activities. It goes with-out saying that respiratory filters must reliably perform the function for which they are designed throughout their entire service life.

SpecialtestrigforprotectivesuitsIn contrast to filters that are subjected to a constant flow, the amount of air that flows through protective clothing and therefore the particle penetration are minimal. Nonetheless, even these very low volumes of air that pass through the material when the person wearing the clothing moves need to be simulated realistically in a laboratory and the associated particle penetration measured.

In cooperation with the Defence Research Institute of the German Army (Wehrwissenschaftliches Institut der Bundeswehr), Palas® has developed the APM2005test rig to meet these specific requirements. Here, airflow passes through the test medium at variablyadjustablevolumeflows and speeds in a realistic manner combining full-flow with flow from different angles, or the air and its burden can also be directed to flow over rather than through the medium.

Depending on the requirements, different aerosol generators can be used and the materials can be tested with droplets, salts or dusts.MFP 3000 for testing e.g. engine air filters

MFP 2000 for testing e.g. respiratory filters

PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

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CLEANABLE FILTERS

Cleanable filters are fundamentally different to depth filters. In this context we also speak of gas purification systems. This filtration sys-tems are used in industrial plants, power stations or production plants and are required to perform their intended function reliably and safely over long periods of time. Gas purification systems protect the envi-ronment and processes and are used, for example, also in the food industry to recover valuable raw materials.

With the MMTCsystem, Palas® offers ultra-precise, reproducible test-ing systems for the development and quality control of cleanable filter media. The test rigs of the MMTC system enable testing of filter me-dia with different test dusts. They can be supplied with heatingupto250°C and with adjustable relative humidityofupto80%. Special sampling probes enable in-situ measurements in the filter housing. With the aid of specially shaped filter holders, the garland effect on a filter hose during cleaning can be simulated.

In addition, with the aid of the Promo®2000the particle concentra-tion and particle size distribution can be determined with the highest time resolution. As a result, the test specimens can be accurately an-alysed during the burst of applied cleaning pressure, and the cleaning parameters can be optimally fine-tuned to the medium.

The advantages of the MMTC system allow a clear, cost-effective and practically useful comparison of cleanable filter media and exceed the requirements of the standards VDI 3926 and ISO 11057.

MMTC 2000 EHF

Curves showing pressure loss, humidity and temperature at 80 % relative humidity and 90 °C

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0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000

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PARTICLE GENERATION SYSTEMS

The requirement for reliable testing of filters and filtration media is the generation of test aerosols or test dusts that accurately meet the per-formance parameters that are standardised throughout the world and comply with the relevant guidelines. The particle size, particle concen-tration and dosing consistency must all be right. This is the only way to enable comparable and reproducible measurements.

Depending on the model of Palas® aerosol generator, the test parti-cles can be generated from liquids and solutions (e.g. NaCl, KCl), from suspensions (e.g. biological aerosols) or from powders or dusts (e.g. pollen, A1 – A4 dusts). Similarly, defined test aerosols can also be gen-erated from monolithic solid materials (e.g. chalk) or through conden-sation processes (e.g. Au, Ag, Cu, graphite) or combustion processes.

TestaerosolsfromcleanroomstocementworksThe test aerosols or test particles are manufactured with optimised dosing consistency and outstanding reproducibility. The test aerosols can be generated with mass flows – depending on the model – ranging from a few µg/h to more than 6 kg/h, thus allowing them to meet the differing requirements from cleanroom testing at one end of the scale and dust concentration measurements in a cement works at the other end. The particlesizedistribution of the Palas® test aerosols ranges from approx. 1nmto100µm. Monodisperse or polydisperse test aer-osol particle size distributions can be generated.

This diversity of particle generation systems forms the foundation of the large bandwidth of filter testing systems available from Palas®.

PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

RBG system ‒ dust disperser for low concentrations

BEG 3000 – dust disperser for long-term dosing of high concentrations

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PARTICLE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS

With the aerosol spectrometer systems from Palas®, particle sizes and particle quantities can be determined clearly and reproduciblywith the highestresolution and the bestpossibleclassificationpre-cision. The technology used by Palas® with a white light source, 90° scattered-light detection and an optically delimited T-shaped meas-urement volume is the world’s only optical aerosol spectrometer that ensures precise particle size determination over a wide measuring range from 120 nm to 100 µm and in concentrations with up to 106 particles/cm3.

Palas® has consistently refined these technologies and switched to digitalsignalprocessing. This made it possible to mark the signal from each individual particle during the measurement with a time stamp and to save it with a time measurement accuracy of 10 ms. In addition, the measuring range of the sensors was considerably expanded in the upper concentration range.

WidestvarietyfordifferentmeasurementtasksWith the model groups welas® digital, Inas®, Promo® and Fidas®, Palas® offers the most modern, reliable and scientifically most thor-oughly investigated optical aerosol spectrometers in the world. The wide range of aerosol sensors allows a wide range of measurement tasks to be undertaken in the temperature range from -120 °C to+470°C just as reliably as upto10baroverpressure.

Thanks to the use of optical fibre technology, particlemeasurementscanbeperformedvirtuallysimultaneously with a single device at two different measurement points.

In terms of filter and filter media testing, this wide diversity of tried-and-tested aerosol spectrometer systems delivers almost unlimited potential applications.

Fidas® Fly 200

Promo® 2000 – aerosol spectrometer

U-SMPS 2700 ‒ DEMC system / Charme® reference aerosol electrometer

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NANOPARTICLE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS

PA L A S® F I LT E R T EST SYST E M S

Today there is hardly an industry that manages without nanotechnolo-gy: It is used in the chemical industry, the automotive industry, as well as in energy and environmental technologies.

In addition to particle size and particle concentration determination in gases, for years Palas® has also been involved in processes to make particles measurable that are otherwise unmeasurable, e.g. by enlarg-ing ultrafine particles through condensation. The operating principle of the Palas® UF-CPCcondensationparticlecountersystem makes it possible to perform measurements in concentrations of up to 106 par-ticles/cm3 in counting mode without dilution. The benefits that can be achieved with this are protected by patent. The technologies for discharging electrically charged aerosols and measuring electrically charged aerosols have also been part of the company’s know-how and expertise for many years. These measurement devices have proved themselves in practice thanks to their accuracy and their ease of use and handling.

HighestflexibilityThe MFPNanoplus filter test rig is specially designed for clear, fast and reproducible determination of the fraction separation efficiency in a size range from 20 nm to 1 µm and of the pressure loss in a pressure range of up to 5000 Pa.

As a result, the MFPNanoplus offers unrivalled flexibility for different testing requirements in relation to the inflow speed, the measurement time, the test procedure and the evaluation parameters. It is used for quality assurance and in the development of filtration media.MFP Nano plus ‒ filter test system

UF-CPC system ‒ condensation particle counter

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PARTICLE CONDITIONING

The pressure, temperature and relative humidity of the carrier gas and electrically charged aerosols can significantly alter the measurement results. For this reason it is absolutely essential that the aerosols are correctly conditioned in order to obtain reliable measurement results. For this purpose Palas® offers climate-controlled, heated and pres-sure-resistant test rigs.

AerosolconditioningcomponentsFor realistic filter tests, it is vital that the relative humidity of the carri-er gas matches the real-life application conditions. With the DLB2000air conditioner, the carrier gas is accurately regulated to the required relative humidity value (up to 80 %) with the highest degree of preci-sion.

Aerosols can be highly electrically charged. Palas® offers various bipo-larchargersthat can be used to establish a defined charge distribution in the aerosols.

In very many cases aerosols cannot be measured until they have been diluted. The Palas® dilution systems of the VKLsystem have a robust design and are easy to use. They deliver a clearly defined dilution fac-tor of 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 or 1,000,000 and operate on the basis of the ejector principle, the “classic” among dilution systems. Reliable functional tests can also be performed on-site.

In conjunction with the heatable and/or pressure-resistant dilution systems, the special aerosol spectrometer systems welas® digital or Promo® from Palas® enable a complete isobaric or isothermal meas-urement chain even for chemically aggressive aerosols.

ThePalas®companymotto:“Countwhatcanbecounted,measurewhatismeasurable,andmakemeasurablewhatisnotso.”

Galileo Galilei, 1564 – 1642

VKL 10 + VKL 100

PMPD 100

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PALAS®–MORETHAN30YEARSOFEXPERTISE INAEROSOLTECHNOLOGYWith over 60 patents submitted, Palas® has set the standard in aero-sol and particle technology for more than 30 years. Through continu-ous innovation, we achieve extraordinary quality and durability in our products.

The result is unique technical and economic advantages for our cus-tomers. Palas® has established itself as a global market leader in the fields of aerosol generation, aerosol dilution and aerosol particle measurement technology. Renowned companies, universities and research institutions in approximately 60 countries put their trust in Palas® precision technology.

CONTACTPalas GmbH Greschbachstrasse 3b | 76229 Karlsruhe, Germany Phone: +49 721 96213-0 | Fax: +49 721 96213-33 Email: mail@palas.de | Internet: www.palas.de

OUR CORE COMPETENCIES Filter test systems* Aerosol spectrometer systems* Fine dust monitoring systems Nanoparticle measurement technology Particle generation systems* Dilution systems* Clean room particle technology Special developments Calibration systems* Services Training courses and seminars

* Palas® is the market leader in these product groups.