Sintered Tri-Clamp Filter Plate (Sintered Disc Filter)
ABOUT THIS PART
A 316L sintered stainless filter disc welded into a tri clamp ring, built in house in Bend, Oregon. Four inch $650.00, six inch $850.00, ten inch $1,250.00, each in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 micron. You are buying the disc. Clamps, gaskets and spools are sold separately.
Orientation: dull side toward the flow, every time
- The dull face carries the fine pores, the shiny face the coarse ones, and the pore structure between them is funnel shaped.
- Flow into the dull side and material stops on the fine surface, where it cleans off.
- Flow into the shiny side and it rides the taper deep into the media, where it cannot be removed.
- In a top-down column: dull up, shiny down. There is no application where the shiny side goes first.
- When you stack discs, orient every disc in the stack individually, not just the top one.
Sizes, price and limits
| Size | Price | Max working pressure | Max differential | Shipping weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | $650.00 | 600 psi (41.4 bar) | 80 psi (5.5 bar) | 4 lb |
| 6 in | $850.00 | 250 psi (17.2 bar) | 60 psi (4.1 bar) | 8 lb |
| 10 in | $1,250.00 | 100 psi (6.9 bar) | 10 psi (0.7 bar) | 15 lb |
- Temperature: N.B. Oler rates the disc from -80 C to 200 C, which is -112 F to 392 F.
- The disc rating is not the joint rating. An N.B. Oler vessel is designed to 93 C (200 F) per 3P Certz DCR-200101-R1, and the system operates to 50 C (122 F). The lowest applicable limit always governs, so never take a joint to the disc rating.
- Filter media 316L sintered stainless. Tri clamp ring 304L stainless.
Which micron goes where
| Position | Micron |
|---|---|
| Material columns | 50 and 20 |
| Color remediation column | A mixture of 10, 5, 2 and 1, stacked in decreasing rating in the direction of flow |
| Molecular sieve housing | 10 on both sides |
How to stack a column around the disc
The disc never goes in on its own. It sits under a perforated plate, filter paper and two drop-in rings, and that group is what holds your bed flat and keeps the paper from tearing through. Build both columns from the bottom up.
Material column
Sintered disc 50 micron dull side up, perforated plate, filter paper, two drop-in rings, then pack the material on top.
Color remediation column
Both ends are built the same way as a material column bottom, just on finer discs. A 5 micron over a 1 micron at the outlet, perforated plate, filter paper, two drop-in rings, pack the media, then a second perforated plate, filter paper and two drop-in rings, with a 10 micron disc on top. The top disc is finer than a material column bottom, so you filter harder at this stage, and it caps the bed so media cannot rise into the oleoresin sitting above it.
The plates and rings are the perforated plate with two drop-in rings. One per material column, two per color remediation column.
These are cleaned, not replaced
- If the filter will not flow solvent at 15 psig (1.0 bar) it is clogged. Stop the run.
- Equalize pressure gently, less than 0.1 psi (0.007 bar) per second, and remove the disc.
- Brush the cake off with a nylon or brass brush, never anything harder than stainless.
- Ultrasonicate in Alconox or a similar 304 and 316 compatible lab detergent.
- Blow out with clean compressed air or nitrogen against the direction you flowed media, so debris exits back out the same dull face that caught it.
Blowing out a removed disc is part of the procedure. Back-flowing is not. Running solvent backwards through an installed filter takes the path of least resistance and leaves the media dirty, so never back-flow solvent in place of the cleaning procedure.
To check it is clean, pour one US gallon of cold tap water onto the disc, dull side up, and time it until no visible puddle remains. A clean 4 inch 50 micron runs 31 seconds, a clean 4 inch 1 micron runs 4 minutes 25 seconds. The full table for both diameters and all six ratings is in the specifications below and in Sintered Filter Technical Specifications.
Stock, spares and service
- Keep a second full set on the shelf so one set runs while the other is in the ultrasonic bath.
- No ultrasonic cleaner? Mail your discs to the shop and we will clean them for you. Contact us for the service.
- Ten inch discs are built to order. Contact the shop for current lead time.
- N.B. Oler built the first sintered tri clamp filter plate for hydrocarbon extraction in 2016, and has built them in house in Bend, Oregon ever since.
SPECIFICATIONS
▦ IN YOUR MANUAL
This part appears in the operator manual that ships with your system. The QR code there links to this page.
◈ REFERENCE FOR THIS PART
COMMON QUESTIONS
Which way does the disc go in?
Dull side toward the incoming flow, every time. In a top-down column that is dull up, shiny down. The dull face has the fine pores and the shiny face the coarse ones, and the structure between them is funnel shaped. Flow into the dull side and material stops on the surface where you can clean it off. Flow into the shiny side and it rides the taper into the media where it cannot be removed.
Is there any case where the shiny side goes first?
No. Not oleoresin, not adsorptive scrubbing media, not in-line material filtration. One rule, every install.
Can I back-flush a sintered filter?
No. Running solvent backwards through an installed filter is not cleaning. The solvent takes the path of least resistance and leaves the media dirty. Remove the disc and clean it. Blowing a removed disc out with air or nitrogen against the flow direction is part of the cleaning procedure and is not the same thing as back-flushing.
How do I clean one?
Stop the run, equalize pressure at less than 0.1 psi (0.007 bar) per second, remove the disc, brush the cake off with a nylon or brass brush, ultrasonicate in Alconox or a similar 304 and 316 compatible lab detergent, then blow it out with clean air or nitrogen against the direction you flowed media. Repeat as needed.
How do I know when it is clean?
Pour one US gallon of cold tap water onto it, dull side up, and time until no visible puddle remains. A clean 4 inch 50 micron runs 31 seconds and a clean 4 inch 1 micron runs 4 minutes 25 seconds. The full table is in the specifications. Match the table or beat it and it is ready to run.
When is it clogged?
If it will not flow solvent at 15 psig (1.0 bar), it is clogged. Stop and clean it. For best performance, clean after every run, before it ever clogs.
Which micron rating do I need?
Material columns take 50 and 20 micron. A color remediation column takes a mixture of 10, 5, 2 and 1 micron, stacked in decreasing rating in the direction of flow. A molecular sieve housing takes 10 micron on both sides.
What is it made of?
The sintered media is 316L stainless. The tri clamp ring is 304L stainless.
What pressure and temperature can it take?
N.B. Oler rates the disc from -80 C to 200 C, which is -112 F to 392 F. Maximum working pressure is 600 psi (41.4 bar) on the 4 inch, 250 psi (17.2 bar) on the 6 inch and 100 psi (6.9 bar) on the 10 inch. Maximum differential across the disc is 80 psi (5.5 bar) on the 4 inch, 60 psi (4.1 bar) on the 6 inch and 10 psi (0.7 bar) on the 10 inch. The disc rating is not the joint rating, and the lowest applicable limit always governs.
What does one cost?
$650.00 for a 4 inch, $850.00 for a 6 inch and $1,250.00 for a 10 inch, in any micron rating.
Who makes these?
N.B. Oler, in Bend, Oregon. We built the first sintered tri clamp filter plate for hydrocarbon extraction in 2016 and have built them in house ever since.
What do I actually receive?
The disc. Clamps, gaskets and spools are sold separately.
How many spares should I keep?
At least one full spare set, so one set runs while the other is in the ultrasonic bath.
I do not own an ultrasonic cleaner.
Mail your discs to the shop and we will ultrasonic clean them. Contact us for the service.
Are the 10 inch discs in stock?
Ten inch discs are built to order. Contact the shop for current lead time.