THE BASICS OF HEPA FILTRATION:

< HOME >



Why Buy C-vac?

C-vac PRODUCTS:
HEPA Filters
Filter Collection Bags
Prefilters

VACUUM BRAND:
Euroclean
Mastercraft
Minuteman
Nikro
Nilfisk
Pullman-Holt
Tornado
Kent

QUICK SEARCH:
 

HEPA TECHNOLOGY:
History
Efficiency

Construction
Testing
Principles of Filtration
Particle Sizes

OTHER:
Cross Reference Index
Terms of Use
Letter of Certification

Links
Contact C-vac

 
History of the HEPA Filter:

The first HEPA filter (high efficiency particulate air) was designed in the 1940's by the research and development firm Arthur D. Little under a classified government contract as part of the Manhattan Project, where the first atomic bomb was developed during World War II. A major advancement in air filtration technology, the filter solved a critical need to control very small particles which had become contaminated by nuclear radioactive sources.

Considering the condensation nuclei of radioactive iodine to be most harmful, researchers focused on the ability to capture solid particles that were created through the condensation of gases and liquid aerosols into solid matter. Having identified 0.3 micron size particles as the most penetrating size particle and representative of the particle of concern, 0.3 microns was established as the particle size fraction at which to determine filter efficiency performance.

Because of its effectiveness, the filter was originally refered to as an "absolute filter." The generic acronym HEPA came into use some time following 1950 when the filter was commercialized and the original term became a registered tradename.

Over the next 50 years, HEPA filtration gradually evolved as technological breakthroughs in aerospace, pharmaceutical processing, photographic film manufacturing, data processing and microcircuitry demanded higher and higher levels of air cleanliness. If not for HEPA filtration, such milestones as the lunar landing and the introduction of the silicon chip might not have been achieved and adequate control of hazardous and toxic particulate would not be possible.

Today, the HEPA acronym is used primarilly in the USA whereas Europeans often refer to the same filter as an S-Class filter. This indicates that the filter meets standards like the British Standard 5415 and German norm: DIN 2418B Ti-E EU 13 for filtration performance.

 

< Return to the Top >


History / Efficiency / Construction / DOP Testing / Principles / Particle Sizes