High efficiency and high capacity glass-free fuel filtration media and fuel filters and methods employing the same

A method of making high efficiency and high capacity glass-free filtration media comprising:

• (a) forming a wet laid sheet from a fibrous slurry comprised of a blend of synthetic non-fibrillated staple microfibers and fibrillated cellulosic staple fibers, wherein
• (i) the synthetic non-fibrillated staple microfibers have an average fiber diameter of less than about 10 microns and an average fiber length of less than about 25 millimeters and are formed of a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyalkylenes, polyacrylonitriles, and polyamides, and wherein
• (ii) the fibrillated cellulosic fibers exhibit a Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) of about 300 mL or less and are present in the media in an amount to achieve an overall filtration efficiency at 4 microns of about 95% or higher and a ratio of filtration capacity to media caliper of 0.5 mg/in2/mils and greater;
• and
• (b) drying the sheet to obtain the filtration media.