Claims
- 1. A self-supporting filter element comprising an assembly of fibers, said fibers having an average size smaller than 6 denier and said assembly having an average density greater than 225 kg/m.sup.3 and less than 500 kg/m.sup.3 when measured under a pressure of 10 kPa (1.45 psi), said assembly including a proportion of heat-shrunk fibers, which, having been heated, have shrunk to rigidity and densify said assembly to provide it with said average density, whereby said self-supporting filter element will not collapse or buckle by a pressure gradient arising in a fluid being filtered during a filtration process.
- 2. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly comprises thermoplastic fibers of a synthetic polymeric resin, at least 50% of said fibers being heat-shrunk fibers.
- 3. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly comprises thermoplastic fibers of a synthetic polymeric resin, said thermoplastic fibers including binder fibers.
- 4. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers includes polyimide fibers.
- 5. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers includes polyester fibers.
- 6. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers is a mixture of heat-shrunk high-shrink polyester fiber and a polyester binder fiber.
- 7. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers is 50% heat-shrunk high-shrink polyester fibers and 50% bicomponent polyester binder fibers.
- 8. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers includes polyphenylene sulfide fibers.
- 9. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers includes natural textile fibers.
- 10. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers includes mineral fibers.
- 11. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers includes metal fibers.
- 12. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly of fibers further comprises particulate matter of a chemical substance for interaction with said fluid being filtered.
- 13. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 11 wherein said particulate matter comprises activated carbon particles.
- 14. A self-supporting filter element as claimed in claim 11 wherein said particulate matter comprises catalyst particles.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation in part application based upon U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/951,170, entitled "Method of Making a Rigidized Fiber Filter Element" and filed Sep. 25, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,502.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
5434475 |
Mar 1979 |
JPX |
8101719 |
Jun 1983 |
JPX |
2104764 |
Apr 1990 |
JPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
951170 |
Sep 1992 |
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