Fuel filter with organoclay, cleaning cartridge with organoclay, and use

A fuel filter comprising:

• a fuel filtering system comprising:
• a filter system housing (102) having:
• a base at a lower end of the filter system housing in a direction of gravity;
• a detachable cover (104) closing an upper end of the filter system housing;
• a circumferential outer wall extending from the base to the upper end of the filter system housing;
• and
• a connecting part (106) connected to the circumferential outer wall at the base and projecting radially outward away from the circumferential outer wall in a direction transverse to the direction of gravity;
• and
• an absorbent cleaning device (10) comprising:
• a first tubular housing part (14) having:
• a lower end, relative to the direction of gravity, resting on the connecting part (106) and receiving filtered fluid from the filter system housing (102) through the connecting part (106);
• an open upper end relative to the direction of gravity,
• an outer wall extending from the lower end to the upper end of the first tubular housing part (14);
• an absorbent cleaning cartridge (30) configured to insert into an interior of the first tubular housing part (14) through the open upper end of the first tubular housing part (14) such that the absorbent cleaning cartridge is removable through the open upper end of the first tubular housing part (14) for exchange or service;
• wherein the absorbent cleaning cartridge (30) comprises:
• an adsorbent cleaning material (34) having at least 50% organoclay as an active adsorbent/cleaning component, arranged in an interior of the removable absorbent cleaning cartridge (30);
• wherein the absorbent clearing cartridge includes at least one outlet discharge opening (20,21) arranged at an upper end of the absorbent cleaning cartridge, relative to the direction of gravity, such the fluid flows upwards from the connecting part (106), through the adsorbent cleaning material (34) to discharge from the absorbent cleaning cartridge (30) at the upper end of the absorbent cleaning cartridge;
• wherein the fuel filtering system is configured to filter fuel having one or more hydrocarbons contaminated with water;
• wherein the fuel filtering system separates a first portion of the water from the one or more hydrocarbons, to produce a separated mixture having water contaminated with a remaining portion of the one or more hydrocarbons, the separated medium exiting the filter system housing (102) through the connecting part (106) and entering into the lower end of the cleaning device (10) to enter the absorbent cleaning cartridge (30);
• wherein the adsorbent cleaning device receives the separated mixture having the water contaminated with the remaining portion of the one or more hydrocarbons;
• wherein the adsorbent cleaning material having the organoclay in the adsorbent cleaning cartridge is configured to adsorb at least a portion of the remaining portion of the one or more hydrocarbons from the separated mixture of the fuel filtering system;
• wherein the organoclay is a bulk granular material, wherein at least 50 wt. % of the organoclay has an average particle diameter of greater than 50 Φm and smaller than 1,000 Φm.