Filtration Made Easy with Ashless Filter Paper

Filtration is the mechanical-physical separation of solids from a fluid that, if not done, would otherwise compromise various characteristics of your product. Proper filtration is key to obtaining a high-quality and safe product that processors strive to create. 

Even the most versed processors often deal with pesky solids in their extract. Plant material can easily escape centrifuge bags and material columns. Or worse – your filtration media can escape its housing! 420PMUK offers a wide range of filtration aid with a variety of particle retention suited to your needs. In this blog, we explain the uses and benefits of Ashless Filter Papers. 

Here Are Some Things To Know About our 420PMUK Ashless Filter Papers

When can I use 420PMUK Ashless Filter Papers?
Filtration paper can be used in a wide variety of applications. In hydrocarbon extraction, specifically after your material column, it’s highly recommended to have a filter to prevent the possibility of having any plant material clump and compromise your extract. If you are running a CRC column, filter papers are a must to catch any filtration media that may have escaped the column.

For those who are winterizing extract via ethyl alcohol, filter paper is a great option to catch any coagulated lipids you are trying to remove from your ethanol/extract solution. In addition, it is highly recommended to filter any extract you may choose to use for analytical purposes! If you are not filtering your analytical samples you may be putting your equipment at risk of clogs and this can turn into a costly mistake down the road.

Filter papers are a great primary filtration tool for any of your applications.  420PMUK Ashless Filter Papers can be easily cut to size to fit any of our Filter Plate Kits or filtration/refinement columns.   

What are our 420PMUK Ashless Filter Papers made of? 
Our Filtration Papers are composed of alpha cellulose, a primary constituent of wood pulp with the highest degree of polymerization. When formed into paper, these naturally-derived plant polymers form a complex matrix of fibers that act as an effective material to retain passing solids. 

Being made of biodegradable cellulose, our 420PMUK Ashless Filter Papers may be a great alternative to mesh gaskets and/or steel filters. Cleaning with filter papers is almost effortless. Simply remove the filter and discard – guilt-free, might we add, due to the material’s biodegradability! 

How do I choose the correct paper? 
Begin by deciding what size paper you may need. While our 420PMUK Ashless Filter Papers come in standard sizes, they can be cut to size simply by outlining the paper with the correct diameter and using a simple, sharp slicing tool like a Xacto knife. 

The next step is to think of what you are trying to retain. Working with winterized waxes, for example? In this case, you might not need a 1um filter and can use paper of different micron sizes. We often recommend going with larger particle retention just to ensure an efficient flow when possible. The smaller the retention capabilities, the slower the rate of filtration.

If you are trying to retain filter media from a Color Remediation Column CRC, you would want to use a filter paper with correct retention suited to the particle size of the media. Choosing the wrong filter paper for your intended retention size may cause inefficiencies in your process. It is recommended to be familiar with the manufacturer’s specs, often provided on the packaging of your media. Retention size is key!

Did you know that we offer Qualitative and Quantitative Ashless Filter Papers?

Filtration paper is often classified into two categories, qualitative and quantitative. The percent of ash produced upon burning is what determines the type. Qualitative papers have an ash content of <0.1% while Quantitative paper has a much smaller ash content of <0.007%.  

Sometimes we want to weigh/identify/quantify the solids collected on our filter. You can tare the weight of the filter on a scale, but you may still have inaccuracies, such as the filter adding weight from the absorbed solvent. You can remove the solids, but cannot ensure all the solids were collected off the paper. To get around this, it is common lab practice to take the filter/solids to a drying oven, heat the filter to ash, and collect the remaining solids. With such a small ash content, you would be left with a more accurate representation of the target material without filter residue skewing your data. [NOTE: burning the filter paper is only recommended if the solids are not heat-sensitive.]