Filter Media Comparison

There are many types of filter media available today. Swift uses five main types as the foundation of our product line — Cellulose Filter Elements, Micro-Fiberglass Filter Elements, Stainless Steel Wire Cloth Filter Elements, Metal Felt Filter Elements and Wedge Wire Filter Elements. Below is a brief comparison of typical cost/performance characteristics that may be of assistance in helping to make the proper selection for your filtration applications.

	Cellulose	Micro-Fiberglass	Stainless Steel Wire Cloth	Metal Felt
Initial Cost	Low	Moderate	Low to High*	High
Capture Efficiency	Moderate	High	Low to High*	High
Dirt Holding Capacity	Moderate	High	Low to High*	High
Differential Pressure	Low to Moderate	Low to Moderate	Low to High*	Low
Life in a System	High	Low to High*	High	High
Fluid Compatibility	Low	Moderate	High	High
Cleanable	No	No	Yes	Yes

*The performance of stainless steel elements depends on the mesh size and the fluid system requirements. Contact us for more information.

Cleanliness required for typical hydraulic components

Component	ISO code
Servovalves	16/14/11
Proportional valves	17/15/12
Vane and piston pumps and motors	18/16/13
Directional and pressure control valves	18/16/13
Flow control valves and cylinders	20/18/15
New unused fluid	20/18/15

The chart below provides a particle size comparison of the more recent ISO 16889 standard with the old ISO 4572 standard.

Bx(c)=1000 (ISO 16889)	2.5	5	7	12	22
Bx=200 (ISO 4572)	‹1	3	6	12	25