New Eaton BECO CARBON ACF 04 depth filter sheet closes the final porosity gap for maximum adsorption in demanding applications

LANGENLONSHEIM, Germany … Activated carbon filter sheets for a wide variety of applications: With the introduction of the new BECO CARBON™ ACF 04 depth filter sheet, Eaton is expanding its portfolio of activated carbon-containing filter media and now fully covers all relevant porosity ranges. This enables users in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage as well as fine chemical industries to benefit from maximum adsorption of organic impurities. The meso-/macroporous ACF 04 depth filter sheets with 1,000 g/m² of immobilized activated carbon are ideal for decolorizing media with dark to medium discoloration (brown to yellow). They are also used for the removal of undesirable large and medium-sized molecules such as proteins, for taste and odor correction as well as for purification of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) solutions. Together with the existing filter types containing 1,000 g/m² activated carbon-ACF 02 (macroporous), ACF 03 (micro-/mesoporous) and ACF 07.10 (meso-/macroporous with 420 g/m² for viscous liquids)-Eaton now provides the right activated carbon solution for a wide broad range of applications.

The depth filter media are available in multiple formats: as BECO MiniCap™ ACF single-use filter units, BECODISC™ BC stacked disc cartridges and BECO CARBON flat sheets. These formats enable seamless scale-up using identical media-from laboratory scale (20.8 to 628 cm² effective filter area) to pilot systems (0.4 to 1.55 m²) and full production scale (1.55 to 112.5 m²).

"Our scale-up concept simplifies the entire product development process by providing consistent filtration performance and characteristics across all scales," emphasizes Jörg Thiemann, Filter Media Product Manager at Eaton's Filtration Division. "This reduces the validation effort and enables users to work cost-efficiently throughout the entire development and production chain."

Broad spectrum for demanding applications

The acid-washed, steam-activated carbon used in the BECO CARBON ACF 04 depth filter sheets consists predominantly of meso-/macroporous structures with an internal surface area of up to 2,000 m²/g. This provides highly efficient adsorption. "With the ACF 04 range, we are closing the final gap in our portfolio and now offer the optimal for solution varying porosities and viscosities-delivering maximum adsorption performance and reliable reproducibility," explains Thiemann.

Application areas of the depth filter sheets range from pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical processes (e.g., blood plasma, antibiotics) to cosmetics (plant extracts), food and beverage (vitamins, juices, spirits) and fine chemicals (organic solvents, silicone oils). The product family meets the requirements of EC 1935/2004, LFGB and extractables criteria according to FDA 21 CFR §177.2260. The ACF 02, ACF 03 and ACF 04 types are also endotoxin-tested (<0.125 EU/ml).

Advantages of immobilized activated carbon

The immobilized activated carbon at 1,000 g/m² offers significant advantages over loose Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC). Time-consuming dosing and cleaning steps are eliminated. "Compared with free activated carbon, handling is significantly easier and safer," Thiemann explains. "No dust or containment issues occur, which can be an important advantage in sensitive processes."

BECODISC BC activated carbon stacked disc cartridges feature a hygienic design, are CIP/SIP-capable, offer bypass protection and are manufactured from robust materials such as polypropylene and polyamide. The enclosed BECODISC system also provides straightforward handling, short setup times and protection for both operators and end products. The full portfolio is available in all common filter sizes and can also be supplied in special versions upon request.