PES, nylon and PTFE membrane filter cartridges

LifePure is Exova's line of asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) membrane filter cartridges. All nine models share the same base: a membrane with open pores on the outer face that narrow down to the final pore, a polypropylene cage and core, a 2.75″ (70 mm) diameter, lengths from 10″ to 40″, five adapter configurations, manufacturing in an ISO 7 cleanroom, materials compliant with FDA 21 CFR 177, and repeated steam sterilization at 121 °C.

The standard version has 6,000 cm² of filtration area per 10″; Plus, an extended area of 8,000 to 9,000 cm²; W, a membrane for beer, wine, and sparkling wine, in 0.45 and 0.65 µm and with 8,000 to 9,000 cm²; Protec, two PES membrane layers, the first acting as a prefilter, and 6,500 cm².

The tag marks the market: F&B, food and beverage; Pharma, pharmaceutical and biotech, tested to ASTM F838-20, USP <88>, and USP <665>, with integrity testing of 100 % of the cartridges, a certificate per unit, and a validation guide. Models without a tag are general purpose: the catalogs present them for industrial processes and apply them both to beverages (LifePure, LifePure W Graded) and to pharmaceutical solutions and water treatment (LifePure Plus, LifePure Protec), without the validation package of the Pharma version. LifePure, LifePure Plus, and LifePure Protec include a 0.1 µm rating that retains Acholeplasma laidlawii.

UltraPure is the line of nylon 6,6 membrane filter cartridges. All models share the same base: a naturally hydrophilic membrane that filters with high flow rates and low pressure drop; polypropylene supports, cage, and core; a 2.75″ diameter and lengths from 10″ to 40″; manufacturing in an ISO 7 cleanroom. They can be steam-sterilized, in-line or in an autoclave, sanitized with hot water at 80 °C or peracetic acid, and cleaned with sodium hydroxide.

Nylon 6,6 is the choice when the goal is a membrane that is hydrophilic by nature and has broad chemical compatibility. In the pharmaceutical versions (UltraPure Plus Pharma and UltraPure Protec Pharma), the membrane is also declared free of resins and surfactants, and it is the option for hydroalcoholic solutions and mixtures with organic solvents, where PES membranes have chemical compatibility limitations.

The names summarize each model. Plus is the extended-area version and Protec the dual-layer version with an integrated prefilter. The tag marks the market: F&B, food and beverage; Pharma, pharmaceutical, tested to ASTM F838-20, USP <88>, and USP <665>; without a tag, industrial processes.

FluoroPure is the line of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane filter cartridges for air and gases. The membrane is hydrophobic: it repels water and does not wet out, so gas keeps flowing even with condensate, with high humidity, or with steam in the tank being vented.

Both models share the 0.2 µm membrane, which retains more than 10⁷ Brevundimonas diminuta per cm² according to the FDA definition of sterilizing-grade filters; polypropylene supports, cage, core, and end caps; a 2.75″ diameter and lengths from 10″ to 40″; and steam sterilization at 121 °C, in-line or in an autoclave.

They differ in filtration area: 9,500 cm² per 10″ in the FluoroPure Plus, for vents with flow peaks, and 7,000 cm² in the FluoroPure, the standard version.