h o w h e pa
f i lt e r s w o r k
What is a HEPA filter?
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate in Air. HEPA filters provide a very high level of filtration
for the smallest, as well as the largest, particulate contaminants. They send air through various
pre-filters to assist with catching airborne particulate, capturing 99.997% of particles at 0.3 mi-
crons. Even when particles are smaller than this, they get captured by diffusion, meaning HEPA
filters are extremely effective at capturing nanoparticles.
The significance of 0.3 microns
0.3 microns is the established Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS) and therefore the filtering
efficiency increases for particle sizes larger AND smaller than this. A HEPA filter’s removal efficien-
cy increases as particle size decreases below 0.3 microns. Although this sounds counter intuitive,
it is a proven and accepted fact in the filtration sciences, examined in the following four filtration
mechanisms.
Filtration mechanisms
Inertia
There are four basic ways media captures particles:
inertial impaction Interception
Inertia works on large, heavy particles suspended in the flow
stream. These particles are heavier than the fluid surrounding
Diffusion
them. As the fluid changes direction to enter the fibre space,
the particle continues in a straight line and collides with the
media fibres where it is trapped and held.
Sieving
interception
Direct interception works on particles in the mid-range size that
are not quite large enough to have inertia and not small enough = media fibres
to diffuse within the flow stream. These mid-sized particles = particles
follow the flow stream as it bends through the fibre spaces. = airflow
Particles are intercepted or captured when they touch a fibre. = path of the particles
diffusion
Diffusion works on the smallest particles. Small particles are not held in place by the viscous fluid (air) and
diffuse within the flow stream. This means that the smaller a particle is, the more likely it is to traverse the
flow stream, making it more likely to collide with the fibre and be collected.
sieving
Sieving, the most common mechanism in filtration, occurs when the particle is too large to fit between the
fibre spaces.
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The principles behind filtration
The filter efficiency chart below (Figure 1) represents a filter that is approximately 90% efficient
against a range of particle sizes. A HEPA filter would follow the same filtration principles but
would have a total filtration efficiency greater than 99.97%. In other words, the worst that a HEPA
filter would perform would be to capture 99.97% of particles.
120
100% 100
Filter Efficiency (%)
80
Sieving
Sieving
Filter efficiency (%)
Sieving
Inertia
Inertia
Inertia
Filter Efficiency (%)
60 Interception
Diffusion Interception
Interception
Total
40 Sieving
Diffusion
Diffusion
Inertia
Total
Total
Interception
20 Diffusion
Total
0.01 0.1 1 0
0.01 0.1
Particle Size (µm) 1
Figure 1
Particle size (µm)
0.01 0.1 1
Filter
-20 efficiency v particle size
Particle Size (µm)
HEPA filters in BOFA extractors
BOFA extraction systems use HEPA filters rated to remove 99.997%
of particles at 0.3 microns (0.0003 mm).
The mini pleats used in our HEPA filters can be produced
with depths of up to 200mm within each pleat,
depending on the application.
They are manufactured to ensure the latest
manufacturing and test methods are adopted.
Each filter is pleated with glue bead spacers.
This feature not only guarantees even spacing
for full filter coverage between each pleat, but
also alleviates the possibility of airflow vibration
or collapse.
[Link]/hepa
BOFA International Ltd. - UK. Tel. +44 (0) 1202 699 444 Email. sales@[Link]
- Germany. Tel. +49 (0) 40 739 3735-15 Email. vertrieb@[Link]
BOFA Americas, Inc Tel. +1 (618) 205 5007 Email. sales@[Link]
Web. [Link]
Sources: [Link]
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