CONTIBAC® SM Filter

The CONTIBAC® SM uses sintered metal (SM) elements as its filter media. It can be applied as a guard filter in cases when there is a requirement to filter high temperature liquids, where polymer filter media would not be suitable, or when expected frequency of replacement for disposable cartridges would result in unacceptable operating costs. 

The conventional design of sintered metal filters features a single head plate where all elements are attached. In the CONTIBAC® SM design such an execution has been improved by applying multiple registers instead of a single head plate. This results in the same advantages of the conventional FUNDABAC® and CONTIBAC® design, i.e. lower peak requirement for gas during back-wash and possibility to exclude only a portion of the filtration area in the unlikely event of failure on a specific element, keeping the filter in operation with no need to shut down the whole unit. Furthermore, registers placement in the vessel bottom and upside-down installation of the elements greatly minimises the product hold-up.

In selected cases, SM elements are installed as cross-flow filters for continuous catalyst removal (e.g. Raney Nickel, precious metal supported on inert carrier). Filters in such an execution (CONTIBAC® XF) are typically part of a loop-type hydrogenation plant.