Ceramic fiber-based filter web and method
AssigneeIndustrial Ceramic Solutions, LLC
InventorRichard D. Nixdorf
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Abstract
A filter medium formed from a web of ceramic fibers, pleated and integrated into a coherent unit employing a ceramic sol. A method is disclosed.
Claims27
In a web having opposing generally flat surfaces and suitable for being formed into a filter medium employed in a filter housing, the improvement wherein the web comprises a ceramic fibers wherein said fibers randomly intersect with one or more neighboring fibers, and a ceramic binder disposed at substantially all of the intersections of said fibers and bonding said intersecting portions of said neighboring fibers to one another to define an integral web of said bonded fibers wherein respective portions of the length of a plurality of said fibers between their respective intersections with other fibers are non-bonded, thereby defining at least a plurality of tortuous fluid communication passages between the opposing surfaces of the web
The filter medium of Claim, 1 wherein said web is pleated and disposed within said housing in a manner sufficient to define contiguous flow paths along opposite sides of said web for the movement of gaseous matter containing particulates of a non-fluid contaminant along said flow paths, said web having a porosity sufficient to permit the passage of said gaseous matter through said web to the exclusion of said non-fluid particulates present in said gaseous matter.
A method for the manufacture of a filter medium comprising the steps of
- depositing a slurry of a plurality of ceramic fibers in a liquid medium onto a porous carrier to define a web of intertangled ceramic fibers on said carrier,
- extracting liquid medium from said web,
- applying to said web a ceramic binder assist,
- drying said web following the application of ceramic binder assist thereto,
- thereafter, substantially saturating said web of ceramic fibers with a first quantity of a ceramic binder,
- drying said web bearing said first quantity of ceramic binder,
- softening said dried web and pleating said softened web,
- heat treating said pleated web,
- thereafter, substantially saturating said web with a second quantity of ceramic binder,
- drying said web bearing said first and second quantities of ceramic binder,
- heat treating said dried web bearing said first and second quantities of ceramic binder.
In a filter medium capable of regeneration employing microwave energy the improvement comprising
- a web formed from a mixture of intertangled ceramic, and cellulosic fibers which intersect neighboring ones of said fibers,
- a quantity of a ceramic binder bonded to said fibers at least at said intersections of said neighboring ones of said fibers,
- said web and ceramic binder thereon being heat treated at between about 500° and about 1000° degrees C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.