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Why is air quality important
Your compressed air system is essential to powering your applications and processes – but did you know that its ability to perform effectively largely rests on the system’s air quality? Efficient production processes and uncontaminated end products rely on the purity of compressed air. What this means is simple: poor quality compressed air can result in extensive damage and lead to serious performance degradation.
Even some of the most common air quality issues, including particulate contamination, wet/moist air, and oil in the air, can have a dramatic impact on your compressor system’s efficiency & productivity level.
Our experts shared how to deal with the most frequent air quality issues:
Oil in the air
Atmospheric air contains oil when it is drawn into the compressor, and if you’re using an oil-injected compressor, liquid oil and oil aerosols are introduced in the compression chamber for cooling and sealing purposes. But the oil can also make its way downstream into the larger compressed air system – which is a danger, depending on the air quality required by your application.
In some cases, the problem can be solved by using multi-stage filters. Nevertheless, it is recommended to agree on all the details with the supplier in advance, as it is necessary to take into account the possible risks and the associated energy costs.
Particulate contamination
Atmospheric air contains natural contaminants, including dirt, dust, and other small particles – all of which enter the system when the air is sucked into the compressor.
The most effective solution is to dry the air to a relative humidity of <40%. This can be achieved by using a dryer, as well as installing a sterile filter in the system. The advantage of using a sterile filter lies in steam sterilization, which can be conducted in place. To maintain high air quality, repeat the procedure as frequent as possible.
Wet air
Air always contains moisture, and when it becomes heated during the compression process, the water particles will condense. If moisture isn’t removed properly from the compressor system, it can negatively impact your applications down the line.
To separate the water, you can use aftercoolers, condensate separators, adsorption and refrigerant dryers.
Wonder how to optimize your compressed air system? Don’t let your operations come to a screeching halt! Learn more about poor air quality causes & consequences, as well as discover how to improve and maintain higher-quality air in your system. Find all the information below or contact our experts to help you find the most suitable solution.
