glasfilter

A glasfilter, or glass filter, is a filtration device or media made largely of glass, used to separate solids from liquids or gases. It includes fritted glass filters, glass fiber filters, and glass membranes. Glass filters are valued for chemical inertness, temperature resistance, and durability in demanding laboratory and industrial settings.

Fritted glass filters are porous, sintered glasses with defined pore structures. They serve as filtration media in funnels and as prefilters to remove coarse solids before finer filters. Frits are reusable and tolerate hot or caustic media.

Glass fiber filters use mats of glass fibers to capture particulates. They withstand higher temperatures than many polymer filters and are used for air sampling and for prefiltration of hot liquids.

Glass membranes provide thin, uniform surfaces for microfiltration and can act as support layers in composite filters. Properties depend on glass type (borosilicate versus soda-lime), with borosilicate offering greater chemical durability and heat resistance.

Manufacture and use: Glass filters are made from borosilicate or other glass. Pore sizes range from coarse to submicron; many are autoclavable. Limitations include brittleness and higher cost compared with some polymer filters.

Applications: In laboratories, glass filters are used for clarifying solutions, prefiltration, and filtration of hot or harsh chemicals. In industry, they appear in chemical processing and filtration systems requiring high chemical resistance or high temperature operation.

History and related topics: Fritted glass and glass fiber filtration expanded laboratory filtration in the 20th century. Related topics include fritted glass, glass fiber filters, and membrane filtration.