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The Importance of Drying
Compressed Air
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Optimum Compressed Air System
Drying Compressed Air
1
Introduction
2
Where does this
stem from
Any user of compressed air will, at some point, see liquid water appearing in the
air distribution system. This can be anything from a nuisance to a serious problem,
depending on the application. Getting the water out of the compressed air depends
on understanding where it came from and what methods are available to remove it.
Any liquid or vapor removal process, such as drying the air, costs money. Therefore,
it is important to clearly dene the result required and specify the right equipment in
order to nd the most economical solution to the water problem.
Water is present in the air which is drawn into the compressor. The water is gaseous
invisible and completely mixed with the air. The exact amount of water is called the
humidity of the air.
a) Relative Humidity- The amount of water vapor that can be held in air is dictated
by the temperature of the air. Hot air can hold more water (as vapor) than cold
air. Typically, atmospheric air contains approximately 50% of its water vapor
holding capacity for a given temperature. This proportion of the maximum vapor
holding capacity is referred to as relative humidity.
b) Dewpoint and Condensation- When air with a given relative humidity is cooled,
it reaches a temperature at which it is saturated. At saturation, the relative
humidity of the air is 100%, i.e., the air contains as much water vapor as it can
hold. The temperature at which the air is at 100% relative humidity is known as
the dewpoint of the air. Cooling air beyond the dewpoint results in condensation
of the water vapor.
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c) Cooling and Condensation in Compressed Air- The table below details the
changes in 8 cubic feet of air as it is compressed to 100 psig (7 BAR) and sub-
sequently cooled in an aftercooler. Worthy of note is the effect of the air tem-
perature rise as the air is compressed. The increased temperature of the
compressed air increases its vapor holding capacity which, in turn, reduces the
relative humidity of the air because the actual water vapor content (74g) has
remained constant. We must also note, however, that compressing the air has
also increased the dewpoint of the air. This means that subsequent cooling of
the air (by an aftercooler or as a result of a cooler ambient temperature) could
cause condensation. Using an aftercooler, as shown, can remove a signicant
proportion of the water vapor (75%, as shown in the table) from the air through
the principal of condensation. When leaving the aftercooler, the compressed air
is saturated-any further cooling of the air will result in condensation. It is this
cooling beyond the dewpoint of the compressed air which produces additional
water which end users see in their compressed air supplies.
d) Sources of Cooling There are many ways to cool saturated compressed air :
Ambient Conditions - Expose compressed air lines to cooler outdoor
temperatures
- Expose compressed air lines to unheated rooms
Pressure Reduction - Pressure regulators, vortex tubes, expansion
vessels, and receiving tanks
Process Equipment - Aftercoolers, dryers
INTAKE OUTLET AFTERCOOLER
Volume 8 cu.ft. (227liters) 1 cu.ft. (28liters) 1 cu.ft. (28liters)
Pressure (gauge) 0 psig (0BAR) 100 psig (6.9BAR) 100 psig (6.9BAR)
Temperature (example) 68F (20C) 158F (70C) 68F (20C)
Water Content (vapor) 2.1g 2.1g 0.6g
Relative Humidity 50% 30% 100%
Dew Point (at pressure shown) 50F (10C) 97F (36C) 68F (20C)
Table 1
Compressing Air
Drying Compressed Air
3
Getting the
water out
Usually, compressed air contains water in both the liquid and vapor phases. Dry-
ing means removing water, ranging from trapping the condensed water to prevent-
ing additional condensation of water vapor to removing virtually all the water pre-
sent. The more water removed, the higher the cost of drying. However, if too much
water is permitted to remain in the compressed air supply, the price is paid in the
form of maintenance costs, corrosion, and/or product losses. These costs, outright
as well as hidden, support the importance of specifying the proper drying technology
for a given application.
The following list is a summary of the drying technologies available:
Aftercooler - Reduces the temperature and water content of
the compressed air.
Water Traps - Remove bulk water condensed by the aftercooler.
Drip Legs - Controls slugs of water and oil from system upsets.
Coalescing Filters - Remove aerosol water and other liquids which
bypass the water traps.
Pressure Reduction - Drying through expansion.
Refrigeration - Drying to dewpoints of approximately 37F (3C)
Chemical Dryers - Reduces dewpoint by about 50F (10C)
Desiccant Dryers - Drying to dewpoints of approximately -40F to
-100F (-40C to -73C)
Membrane Dryers - Variable drying capabilities to approximately
-40F (-40C) dewpoint
4
Drying methods
available
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An efcient aftercooler is essential to all compressed air systems and will condense
up to 75% of the water vapor, as seen earlier. For example, if air enters a 3500 scfh
compressor at 68F (20C) and exits at 100 psig (7 bar) and 248F (120C), it will
release about 13 gallons (67 liters) of condensed water per day into the air distri-
bution system while cooling down to 68F (20C). In the absence of an aftercooler,
installing coalescing lters at various points in the system will remove much of the
condensate, but if the air temperature at any lter is higher than room temperature,
water will condense downstream from the lter as soon as the air cools a few more
degrees. The only way to prevent condensation of the water throughout the system is
to install an efcient aftercooler immediately after the compressor, and an efcient
coalescing ltration system (with automatic drains) downstream from the aftercool-
er. Water may still condense downstream from the lter if the aftercooler has not
reduced the air temperature to room temperature, but this relatively small quantity
of condensate can be eliminated by the simple technique described in section 5.2,
Pressure Reduction.
Compressed air systems are best designed to be resilient to system upsets. It is not
uncommon for a slug of water and oil to make its way down a line. If that slug makes
it to your equipment youre in for downtime and unscheduled maintenance. Depend-
ing on the equipment, youll want to install coalescing ltration and in some cases a
membrane air dryer to guarantee that your equipment sees dry air. However, if and
when that unexpected system upset occurs, you dont want to overwhelm your lters
or dryer. No matter how good the coalescer is, a drip leg before it will assure the
lters proper operation.
To install a drip leg, come off the top of your feeder supply line from the top of the
pipe as explained earlier. Then drop the line 2 3 feet (1 meter) below the inlet l-
ters. At the bottom of this pipe install an automatic drain to remove built up water
and oil. At the height of the lters, install a tee to direct the air to the lters and your
equipment. A drip leg like this is an added layer of protection from oil and water that
is very inexpensive to install.
Here is an example of a drip leg conguration:

















4
Drying methods
available
Drying Compressed Air
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5
Drying methods-
capabilities
Filter locations
Drying Compressed Air
5.1 Coalescing Filters
Coalescing lters are essential to remove compressor lubricant, water droplets and
particles from the compressed air supply. Coalescing lters remove only liquids
and particulate (not vapors) from a compressed gas stream. A moderately efcient
coalescing lter should be used to remove the water condensed in the aftercooler.
The addition of a high efciency coalescing lter (Balston

Grade BX-99.99% removal

of 0.01 micron droplets and particulate) at the point where the air is used ensures
that any liquid condensed in the distribution system will be removed, as long as no
further cooling occurs. The compressed air delivered after coalescing ltration will
be free of liquids, but could be relatively high in water vapor content.
At the Compressor
The standard compressor installation consists of a compressor, a water-chilled
aftercooler, and a receiver. A Balston coalescing lter should be installed down-
stream from the receiver. In a system with an efcient aftercooler, the distance from
the receiver to the lter is not important. Since the lter is usually maintained by the
personnel responsible for the compressor, it is often convenient to install the lter
immediately after the receiver. Filter specifcations are:
Microfbre

Filter Cartridge Balston Grade DX

Filter Housings sized from fow chart, but port size must be
equal to or larger than the line size
Automatic Drain required
Differential Pressure Indicator recommended
Some compressor installations do not have an aftercooler, this is not a recom-
mended situation. Air saturated with water vapor leaves the compressor at tem-
peratures between 230F and 392F (110C and 200C) and cools to approach room
temperature in the distribution lines. Although water will condense throughout the
air distribution system, about two-thirds of the total water content of the air will be
condensed when the air has cooled to 104F (40C). Therefore, to remove most of
the water load from the system a mainline lter must be installed just prior to the
rst distribution line manifold. However, since the air will continue to cool in the
distribution system, additional lters located at end-use points will be required to
remove water condensed downstream from the main line lter.
Figure 1
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At the Point of Use
If instrument quality air is required at end-use points it is recommended that a Bal-
ston Grade BX lter is installed, even if a main line Balston Grade DX lter has been
used upstream. These point-of-use lters will remove dirt and oil which may have
been in the distribution lines, as well as water which has condensed downstream
from the main lter. If there is a pressure regulator at the end-use point, the lter
should be installed immediately upstream from the regulator. Alternatively, a Bal-
ston Filter Regulator assembly could be installed to replace the exisiting regulator.
For applications requiring relatively clean air, such as pneumatic instruments, the
recommendations for the nal lter are:
Microfbre Filter Cartridge Balston Grade DX
Filter Housings sized from fow chart, but port size must be
equal to or larger than the line size
Automatic Drain required
If there is no Grade DX lter upstream from the nal lter, or if a signicant amount
of water or oil is expected, then a two stage system, Grade DX followed by Grade
BX, is required at each use point. The housing and automatic drain for the Grade DX
prelter should be the same as for the Grade BX nal lter.
Even if the end-use application is not particularly sensitive to impurities in the air for ex-
ample, an air-driven tool it is still good practice to lter at the end of the line, to remove
condensed water and reduce maintenance costs and eliminate unanticipated downtime. A
single stage Balston Grade DX lter with an automatic drain is recommended.
5.2 Pressure Reduction
In air distribution systems not subject to freezing temperatures, the function of the flter
is to prevent condensed water from entering the air-operated equipment. This applica-
tion requires care in selecting the lter and in positioning it correctly on the air line.
Virtually all air supplies are regulated from a higher line pressure to a lower line
pressure at the use point. As such, it is possible to take advantage of the drying
effect of pressure reduction. Air at lower pressures holds more water vapor than air
at higher pressures (at the same temperature). Therefore, less water vapor will con-
dense out of the air at the reduced pressure. For example, Table 2 shows the drying
effect of reducing the pressure of air saturated with water from 90 psig (6 bar) to
45 psig (3 bar) at 68F (20C).
(Note: In air systems with small line sizes and low fows, the air downstream from the pres-
sure regulator will cool slightly after expansion, and quickly warm to room temperature.)
Drying Compressed Air
Figure 2
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Table 2
If the air is subject to freezing temperatures or is used in an application that water
vapor in the air can be harmful to the process, a dryer is required.
Preventing Water Condensation
In order for pressure reduction to have the drying effect illustrated in the above table,
there must be no condensed water present in the air entering the pressure regulator.
If liquid water enters the regulator, it will evaporate when the pressure is reduced,
and the air leaving the regulator would then have a 68F (20C) dewpoint. Thus, any
cooling downstream would cause further condensation.
The solution to the condensed
water problem (in a non-
freezing environment) is to
install a Balston coalescing
lter (with an automatic drain)
immediately upstream from
the pressure regulator. The
lter will remove all liquid
water before the air enters
the regulator, enhancing the
full drying effect of pressure
reduction. With the correct
installation, there should
be no need to use a dryer
to prevent condensation in
a system not subjected to
freezing.
As the name implies, refrigerated dryers work by cooling the air to low tempera-
tures; thus condensing much of the water vapor. It is not possible to achieve dew-
points below freezing with this type of dryer. Optimally designed refrigerant dryers
can produce air with dewpoints to approximately 36F (2C).
The most sophisticated refrigerant dryers remove the heat from the inlet air and
use it to reheat the air at the outlet. Dried air is returned to the air line at reason-
able temperatures. The advantages of heating the outlet air are clear: this process
eliminates condensation from occuring when exposed to cold pipes. Self-contained
refrigerant dryers use fans to cool the refrigerant condenser and automatic control
systems to provide the exact heat exchange required by the air being used. These
systems keep the delivered air at a constant humidity or dewpoint. Coalescing lters
upstream (Balston Grade DX) are required to prevent oil/liquid water from entering
the dryer. Oil coating the cooling surfaces causes loss of effciency and liquid water
absorbs some of the system capacity.
Drying Compressed Air
THE DRYING EFFECT OF REDUCING PRESSURE
Air In Air Out
Pressure 90 psig (6 bar) 45 psig (3 bar)
Temperature 68F (20C) 68F (20C)
Dew Point 68F (20C) 52F (11C)
Figure 3
6
Refrigeration
dryers
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Clearly, dewpoints of 40-44F (4-7C) would prevent further condensation under most
conditions of use (except freezing temperatures). Some water vapor is left in the air,
which prevents these dryers from being used in water sensitive applications. A main-
line membrane air dryer is capable of delivering 35F (2C) Dewpoint air and should
be considered for these applications as well.
Some chemicals react with water and attract it from the air surrounding them. These
chemicals are termed hygroscopic and examples are calcium chloride and lithium
chloride. The air passed over the beds of these chemicals gives up water vapor,
which steadily saturates the chemicals until they are used up and discarded. They are
more diffcult to control and give less predictable results. A reduction of 27F (15C)
in dewpoint compared to the inlet is about the best achievable. High efciency coa-
lescing lters (DX followed by BX) are absolutely essential upstream from a chemical
dryer since the life of the chemicals is seriously reduced if liquid water enters the
dryer. Downstream, a particle removal lter (DX) is needed to prevent carryover of
chemical nes.
Desiccant materials absorb water vapor molecules. These molecules are held by
electrical forces. The process is reversible, and when the pores contain enough
water vapor, exposure to heat or dry air will cause the water vapor to be released.
Desiccant dryers are capable of delivering air at consistently low dewpoints, typically
-40F/C or less. This technology is a good choice when the compressed air will be
exposed to freezing conditions. A membrane air dryer is also capable of delivering
-40F/C dewpoint air and should be considered for these applications as well.
In desiccant dryers, the compressed air is passed over one bed of material, which is
in service. As the bed capacity is slowly used up, the performance of the dryer chang-
es little (until it is near to saturation when the drying effect falls off signicantly). Be-
fore this saturation point is reached, however, the air fow is switched to a second dry
bed of material. The rst bed is then regenerated, and the method employed (heat or
dry air) is used to dene the dryer. The regeneration phase of desiccant drying can be
controlled by time or dewpoint measurement. Therefore, either timers or hygrometry
(dewpoint monitoring) equipment can be used to control the regeneration of the dryer.
Heated desiccant dryers use heat to remove water vapor from the desiccant material
in the dryer bed not in use at that point in the cycle. In heated desiccant dryers, heat
is applied for 75% of the cycle, and the bed is allowed to cool for the remaining 25% of
the cycle. A great deal of steam or electricity is required to operate heated desiccant
dryers.
Heatless desiccant dryers use the dry air generated by the desiccant dryer to remove
water vapor from the desiccant material. The dry air is passed over the desiccant bed
(not in use) and water vapor evaporates from the desiccant into the dry air stream.
This moisture laden air is subsequently vented to the atmosphere. The major ad-
vantage to using heatless desiccant dryers is the reduced dependence on expensive
utilities-namely steam, electricity, or other heat sources. Minimal electricity is
required to run a heatless desiccant dryer. In some cases, heatless desiccant dryers
can be pneumatically controlled and therefore be suitable for explosion-proof instal-
lations. The Balston regenerative desiccant dryer can be conveniently located near
the point-of-use to deliver dry compressed air at dewpoints to -100F (-73C). These
dryers are wall-mountable and ideal for delivering instrument quality air for critical
applications.
Overall, heatless desiccant dryers have an advantage over heated desiccant dryers
in that they do not require excessive outside services, i.e., steam, electricity, or gas
for heat, to generate dry air and regenerate the desiccant. In addition to reducing
7
Chemical dryers
8
Desiccant dryers
Drying Compressed Air
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dependency on outside services, costs for operating these dryers are also reduced.
In both heated or heatless, desiccant dryers should be protected from liquid water by
a coalescing flter installed upstream from the dryer. Oil or water entering the dryer
will adversely affect the performance of the dryer and/or destroy the desiccant mate-
rial. Furthermore, if oil enters a heated desiccant dryer, combustion of the desiccant
material could occur. The Balston Grade DX and Grade BX coalescing lters, used
in series upstream from the dryer, provide excellent protection of the dryer from
contaminants in the compressed air supply. It is also good practice to install a lter
downstream from the dryer (Balston Grade BX) to prevent any carryover of the desic-
cant to downstream equipment or processes.
Membrane air dryers utilize specially formulated membrane microtubes selectively
permeable to water vapor are an excellent medium for producing dry air from stand-
ard compressed air. As the compressed air travels along the length of the membrane,
water vapor diffuses through the membrane, producing clean, dry compressed air at
the outlet. A small fraction of the dry air is then directed along the outside surface of
the membrane to sweep the moisture-laden air away from the membrane. The wa-
ter vapor concentration differential between the compressed air inside the membrane
(high water vapor content) and sweep air outside the membrane (low water vapor
content) enhances the drying characteristics of the membrane.
Coalescing lters should be installed upstream from a membrane dryer to pro-
tect the membrane from being saturated by water or coated by oil. If saturation or
coating occurs, the membrane drying function could be seriously inhibited. In most
cases, the Balston Grade BX coalescing lter is ideal for installation upstream from a
membrane dryer. When large quantities of liquids are expected, a Balston Grade DX
coalescing flter should also be installed (upstream from the Grade BX flter). Parker
offers a wide range of membrane dryers, conveniently installed for most point-of-use
applications, which reduce dewpoints of incoming compressed air to -40F (-40C),
depending on fow and pressure characteristics of the air.
Specifying the Right Dryer
In specifying the right dryer for a compressed air installation, keep the following information in
mind:
1 Do not overspecify - Drying the entire compressed air supply in a factory to dewpoints less
than -40F (-40C) is wasteful. It is more sensible to subdivide the compressed air supply
by application, treating each end use point as needed to provide appropriately dry air for
the downstream application served.
2 Do not underspecify - Damage caused by wet air costs money in maintenance time and
supplies, downtime, and lost product. Design a drying system to meet specic needs.
3 A drying system which only contains an aftercooler and a coalescing lter could create
problems with condensation downstream from the aftercooler. The air is still saturated
with vapor which is likely to condense if the ambient temperature is lower than the com-
pressed air temperature.
4 Utilize the drying effect of pressure reduction-For applications which use air at lower
pressures than the main compressed air line and will tolerate some water vapor, install
flters or flter-regulators at the point of use to maximize the drying effect of pressure
reduction.
5 Specify membrane dryers for those parts of the system which require dewpoints of 35F -
52F (2C - 11C) and fow rates up to 600 SCFM (17 NM
3
/min).
6 Specify membrane dryers for instrument quality air, air exposed to freezing temperatures,
and water sensitive applications requiring fow rates up to 100 scfm. Typically, com-
pressed air with a dewpoint of -40F (-40C) is reasonable for these water vapor sensitive
applications.
9
Membrane
air dryers
Drying Compressed Air
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How We Provide High Efciency Plus Low Pressure Drop - Article 1
Figure 5 - General retention efciency curve for
microbre lter cartridge
Balston lter assemblies
derive their unique advantage
from the proprietary Microf-
bre Filter cartridges, which are
constructed from borosilicate
glass bers with a chemically-
resistant fuorocarbon resin
binder. The Microfbre Filter
cartridges are self-supporting
and self-gasketing - they are
sealed in place by compression
against the fat surfaces of the
lter housing and/or element
retainer.
Heres how this unique lter
medium delivers its unusually
advantageous performance.
Collision, Not Sieving
A Microfbre Filter (Figure 4) is
constructed of a random bed
of borosilicate glass bers,
held in a rigid structure by
the fuorocarbon resin binder.
The diameter of the bers in
the photograph is approxi-
mately one micron: the spaces
between the bers are much
larger. How, then, can the
lter capture contaminants
smaller than one micron with
very high efciency? Clearly,
the Microfbre Filter cartridge
does not capture by a sieving
action (holding back particles
too large to pass between the
bers). Rather, when a solid
particle or liquid droplet col-
lides with a ber it adheres
permanently to the ber by
intermolecular (Van der Waals)
forces.
The intermolecular forces are
effective for any type of par-
ticle or liquid droplet, at any
relative humidity or tempera-
ture. After a particle is cap-
tured, it cannot be dislodged
by shaking or vibration. As a
result, the lter will not sud-
denly unload the contaminants
downstream when there is a
surge in fow. This permanent
adherence principal, however,
prevents cleaning the cartridge
by back-washing.
The larger particles and
droplets in the gas stream
have sufcient momentum
to collide with one of the
many fbers in the fow path.
The right-hand dotted line
in Figure 5 shows schemati-
cally the efciency of capture
by the momentum capture
mechanism. (Please note the
vertical scale on the chart in
the high efciency range is
greatly expanded to illustrate
the discussion.)
Obviously, a particle subject to
rapid side-to-side motion in
a gas fowing through a fber
lter has a very high prob-
ability of contacting a ber and
being captured. Therefore, as
shown by the left hand dotted
line in the gure, Brownian
Motion is extremely effec-
tive as a capture mechanism
for particles smaller than
0.1 micron, and less effective
as particle sizes increase to
and beyond 0.1 micron. The
total efciency is the sum of
the capture efciency by the
momentum capture mecha-
nism and by Brownian Motion.
The result is a curve with
maximum efciencies at both
above 1 micron and below
0.05 micron, with a dip in ef-
ciency at 0.1 micron.
Balston air and gas lters are
rated for retention efciencies
at the crucial 0.1 micron par-
ticle size. As shown by Figure
5, the lters will be more
efcient than these ratings at
any other particle size, larger
or smaller. For complete
data on the efciencies of all
Balston gas lter grades over
the range 0.035 to 0.7 micron
(measured by Dr. B. Y. H. Liu,
Director of University of Min-
nesota Particle Technology
Laboratory), please request
Bulletin TI-105.
The Filter is Mostly
Voids
It is also important to note
that the lter is very largely
void volume (as seen in the
photomicrograph of Figure
4). In fact, the lter media
in Balston Microfbre Filter
cartridges is approximately
90% void volume and only 10%
ber volume. This results in
exceptionally low fow resist-
ance (pressure drop) and ex-
ceptionally high solids-holding
capacity for longer service
life than other types of high
efciency lters.
Figure 4 - Photomicrograph of microfbre flter cartridge
In ltration of gases - not
in ltration of liquids - we
benet from a second
mechanism of particle
capture - Brownian Mo-
tion. Brownian Motion is
the rapid, random motion
of particles, 0.1 micron
and smaller, in a gas. The
movement is completely
independent of the overall
gas fow direction, and oc-
curs even when the gas as
a whole is not fowing.
Momentum and Browninan Motion
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Making Big Drops from Little Ones:
"Coalescing"
How to Specify a Trouble-Free Coalescer
The mechanism of coalescing leads to three important con-
siderations in selecting and installing a coalescing lter:
1 The lter should be large enough to ensure that air exits
the lter at low velocity and does not carry over coalesced
liquid. Proper sizing of a Balston coalescing flter is easily
done by using the recommendations or the maximum fow
rate data in the charts given in the product literature. There
is no danger in over-sizing the flter a Balston coalescing
flter is even more effcient at extremely low fow rates than
at its maximum rated fow capacity.
2 To avoid liquid carryover, the coalesced liquid should not
be allowed to build up in the lter housing above the level
of the bottom of the lter cartridge. Rather than relying on
operator attention to this easily-overlooked job, automatic
drains should be installed with all coalescing lters.
3 The fow direction through the Microfbre flter cartridge
must be
inside-to-outside to permit the liquid to drip from the outside
of the cartridge to the drain into the lter housing. If in-
stalled outside-to-inside, the lter will at rst function as a
coalescing lter, but liquid will collect on the inside of the l-
ter cartridge. Since there is no way of draining the liquid, the
level will build up rapidly until it begins to be carried down-
stream by the gas fow. The flter will work well at removing
liquids for a short time, and then not work at all. If a Balston
coalescing flter exhibits these symptoms, reversing the fow
direction will provide the cure.
Figure 6 - The Coalescing Principle
In the discussion of the retention efciency of the microbre
lter cartridge, there was no distinction made between solid
particles and liquid droplets. Both are captured at the same
efciencies. However, once captured on the bers, the two
types of contaminants behave differently.
A solid particle, once captured, cannot be removed. A liquid
droplet, however, runs down the length of the ber until it
reaches a ber crossover point. When many liquid droplets
run together, the liquid collected at the ber crossover point
becomes a larger droplet. The larger droplet is then gradu-
ally pushed through the fber mat by the fow of air or gas,
picking up other droplets along the way, until it appears as
a very large droplet on the downstream surface of the lter.
Thus, the lter removes very ne liquid droplets from the
gas stream and converts them into large droplets of liquid,
which can be readily drained from the system. This process
is called coalescing.
Why Inside-To-Outside Flow?
Since the coalesced liquid appears on the downstream
surface after having passed completely through the lter,
the liquid will drip from this surface. In all Balston coalesc-
ing flters, the fow direction through the flter cartridge is
inside-to-outside. The coalesced liquid drains from the out-
side surface of the lter cartridge; therefore, provisions must
be made to drain the liquid from the housing. (See Figure
6). A Microfbre flter will coalesce liquid droplets indefnitely
without loss of effciency or fow capacity, because the liquid
drains from the lter cartridge as rapidly as it is collected.
Only solid particles will cause a permanent increase in fow
resistance; therefore, the useful life of the lter is deter-
mined by the quantity of solids in the gas, not by the quantity
of liquid in the gas.
Since the coalesced liquid drips off the downstream surface
of the lter cartridge in the presence of ltered air, it is im-
portant to avoid carryover, or entrainment, of liquid droplets
by the air leaving the lter housing.
Balston X-Type Microbre Filter Cartridges
The X-Type lter cartridges are designed to prevent carryover
of coalesced liquid. They are constructed of two layers, an
inner high-efciency coalescing layer, and an outer layer of
coarse glass bers. The coarse, rapidly-draining outer layer
ensures that the liquid drips continuously from the bottom of
the flter cartridge and minimizes the chance of liquid car-
ryover. When an X-Type Microfbre flter cartridge has reached
steady state coalescing conditions, only the bottom 5-10 mm
of the lter cartridge is visibly wet, and the rest of the car-
tridge appears to be dry. This effect is caused by the liquid
droplets coalescing in the inner layer, which then rapidly drain
down within the coarse outer layer, and the ltered air or gas
exits from the dry outer surface of the lter cartridge with
virtually no chance of picking up coalesced liquid.
How a Balston Filter Removes Liquid Droplets - Article 2
www.parker.com/balston 1-800-343-4048
10
Drying Compressed Air Guide Bulletin M261M
Printed in U.S.A. 06/13
1995, 2013 Parker Hannifn Corporation
The source of oil in compressed air is the compressor lubri-
cant. The common plant problems resulting from oil in the
compressed air are caused by liquid oil depositing in valves,
on instrument control surfaces, and in other critical points in
the air distribution system.
The most common concern about oil vapor in most applica-
tions is that it may condense to liquid oil. Just like water
vapor, oil vapor will condense to liquid when the temperature
is reduced or the air pressure is increased (at a constant tem-
perature). The table at right shows that in theory, the conden-
sation of oil vapor and water vapor are similar, in practice the
effect of condensation of the two vapors is quite different.
From the table gures, we can calculate that if 3500 cu ft./hr.
(99 Nm
3
/hr.) of air at 122F (50C) is ltered to remove all liq-
uids and subsequently cooled to 77F (25C), the condensed
liquids would consist of: 950 g per hour (2743 ppm) of water,
and either 0.25g per hour (.012 ppm) of petroleum-based oil,
or 0.1g per hour (.002 ppm) of synthetic oil. The condensed
water could potentially cause a serious problem, but the
quantity of condensed oil vapor is extremely small and less
likely to be problemsome.
Field tests show that the liquid oil in air from a well-main-
tained reciprocating compressor is typically in the range of 15
to 30 ppm. With an oil-sealed rotary screw compressor, liquid
oil content in the compressed air can vary from 10 ppm to
more than 100 ppm, depending upon the efciency of the bulk
oil separator. Compared to these gures, the approximately
0.2 ppm of liquid oil which could result from oil vapor conden-
sation is, for all practical purposes, negligible.
Removing the liquid oil from compressed air with a Balston

coalescing lter, even at temperatures as high as 122F
(50C), will eliminate the chance of oil-based problems down-
stream in virtually all installations.
There are some instances, however, in which even 0.2 ppm
oil vapor in the air or gas can cause a problem; for example,
if allowed to be in contact with a sensitive catalyst or other
highly reactive material. In these cases, the trace quantity of
oil vapor can be reduced using an absorbent-loaded cartridge
downstream from the coalescing lters which remove the
liquid oil.
Concentration of vapor, parts per million by weight (ppm)
in air at 101 psig (7 bar) at indicated temperature.

77F 104F 122F 149F 203F
(25C) (40C) (50C) (65C) (95C)
Petroleum-base oil 0.012 0.05 0.2 0.7 3.5
Synthetic Oil 0.002 0.01 0.06 0.2 2.4
Water 2,743 5,137 10,508 20,119 62,371
Figure 7 - Balston Compressed Air Filter with
Microscreen Demister
Removing Oil from Compressed Air - Article 3
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Parker Hannifn Corporation
Filtration and Separation Division
242 Neck Road
Haverhill, MA 01835
1-800-343-4048, 1-978-858-0505
1-978-478-2501 (fax)
www.parker.com/balston