Design and Performance of Diesel Fuel Filters

Lydall Filtration and Separation

134 Chestnut Hill Road
Rochester, NH 03866
Email: info@lydall.com

INTRODUCTION
Diesel fuel systems require filters to remove unwanted
contaminants in the fuel that can damage the engine
system components. Diesel fuel contaminants come
from a range of sources and include; particles, water,
biological material, wax crystals and asphaltines.
Particles can enter the fuel through the fuel distribution
system, engine wear or combustion byproducts. Water
is typically introduced into the fuel supply by
condensation. Free water in the fuel will promote the
growth of microorganisms. Waxes are an important
component of diesel fuel but they can form crystals as
a result of paraffin precipitation. Asphaltines are
present in all diesel fuel and are long chained
hydrocarbons that are hard, sticky and generally
insoluble.
Particles will cause wear to engine parts and block fuel
injector nozzles.
Water can reduce fuel lubricity
causing seizure of close tolerance parts, increase wear
and promote biological growth. Biogrowth in a fuel
system will result in a slime coating over the surface of
the filter significantly reducing the life. Wax crystals
and asphaltines will plug a fuel filter shortening the life.
Modern fuel injection systems are one of the reasons
that the diesel engine market has grown so rapidly in
Europe. Advances in diesel engine fuel injection
systems have been instrumental in complying with
future emission standards.
Higher pressure fuel
produces a finer mist of fuel, which burns cleaner.
Common rail systems run at higher pressures and
allow more injections per combustion cycle improving
fuel economy, better engine performance and lower
noise. Higher pressure fuel injector systems have
tighter tolerances and require high levels of particulate
filtration and water removal to minimize wear related
failures.
Ultralow sulfur diesel fuel will be mandated for use in
on and off road vehicles in 2007. When low sulfur
diesel was introduced in Europe and California for onhighway vehicles there was widespread damage to
injection systems, including, excessive wear and
failure. New media was needed with increased filter
efficiency, water removal and life to meet the demands
of the new fuel.

fatty acid increasing filter plugging. Biodiesel fuel has

higher acid numbers than traditional petroleum based
diesel. The acid number for biodiesel measures free
fatty acids or degradation by-products not found in
petrodiesel. Increased recycle temperatures in new fuel
system designs may accelerate fuel degradation which
could result in high acid values and increased filter
plugging potential.
CURRENT FILTER DESIGN
A typical diesel fuel filter system uses a primary filter on
the suction side of the fuel pump and a secondary filter
on the pressure side. The primary filter is required to
remove large particles that can damage the pump and
separate water from the fuel. The secondary filter is
required to withstand higher pressures and remove
small particles that can damage the engine
components. Newer filter designs use a one-stage
system that incorporates the water removal capability of
the primary filter with the high efficiency particle removal
of the secondary filter.
Two-stage systems that use a coalescing filter for water
removal and a surface filter for particle removal. The
two-stage system typically uses an open coalescing
media based on cellulose or a cellulose/glass
composite. The coalescing filter needs to be emptied
on some periodic basis. The secondary filter typically
uses a finer cellulose composite media for particle
removal.
One stage systems use a single filter with a multilayer
composite structure. The current state of the art uses a
meltblown media formed on or laminated to a cellulose
support. The chemical composition of the meltblown
has broad chemical compatibility and is moderately
hydrophobic. The cellulose media provides physical
support to the meltblown and is generally bonded with a
phenolic resin, which needs to be post cured.
Neither of these technologies can achieve high
efficiency below 10 m. Glass based media is currently
the only nonwoven technology able to achieve 99.9%
removal of particles below 10 m.

The addition of biodiesel to the fuel can cause

additional water separation and wear problems.
Dissolved water is more prevalent in biodeisel and the
presence of water can cause reversion of biodiesel to

FILTER MEDIA
There are many different types of nonwoven
media that can be used for diesel fuel applications.
The media vary by materials of construction,
processing method and performance characteristics.
The two-stage system typically uses an open
coalescing media based on cellulose as the primary
filter. The coalescing filter needs to be emptied on
some periodic basis. The secondary filter typically
uses a finer cellulose or cellulose/glass composite
media for particle removal. The cellulose can be
treated with water repellent chemical for additional
water removal. The one-stage systems use a
multilayer composite structure. The current state of the
art uses a modified polyester meltblown media formed
on or laminated to a cellulose support. The chemical
composition of the meltblown has broad chemical
compatibility and is moderately hydrophobic. The
cellulose media provides physical support to the
meltblown and is generally bonded with a phenolic
resin, which needs to be post cured.
Nonwoven filter media can be classified into two
distinct types based on their method of formation. The
first method is a dry laid process, which includes
carded, needled, spunbond and meltblown media. The
second process uses a wet laid formation, which is
generally done on a paper machine. Each process
produces a media with unique properties that have
advantages in different applications.
NONWOVEN CONSTRUCTION
AirLaid Media
Dry laid processes generally produce media
with nominal ratings that are low cost and have high
dirt holding capacities. Melt Blown media are one of
the most versatile nonwovens for liquid filtration and
will be the sole airlaid product discussed in this paper.
Meltblown media is generally composed of a
continuous network of self-bonded polypropylene,
polyester or nylon microfibers produced with a
controlled fiber uniformity and density. The resulting
media has a uniform porosity, does not shed fibers and
contains no binders, adhesives or surfactants.
Meltblown media have nominal ratings from 1m to
50m and when calendered or laminated into
composites can have sub micron and absolute ratings.
Meltblown media can also be produced using highpurity FDA-acceptable polymers.

range. Meltblown media have not generally been

successful in finer filtration applications due to the
relatively large fibers that are produced. Figure 1
shows a typical meltblown media with 10 20 um
fibers.
Figure 1. Meltblown Fibers @ 100x

Wetlaid Media
Wetlaid media are generally produced on a
paper machine with cellulose, synthetic or glass fibers.
It is common for media to be produced with one or more
fiber types. Wetlaid media can be made with nominal or
absolute filter ratings. They typically contain binders,
which can have poor chemical and thermal resistance
and high extractables when compared to air laid media.
Wetlaid media can also be made using FDA compliant
materials.
Cellulose based media is generally lower cost
with nominal efficiencies above 15 m and low dirt
holding capacity. Cellulose fibers are coarse and flat
which produces a dense, two-dimensional structure with
high-pressure drop.
Figure 2 is a typical wetlaid
cellulose nonwoven media.

Meltblown media are produced by blowing a

thermoplastic resin from an extruder die tip with air at a
high velocity onto a substrate, belt or wire, which
results in a self-bonded web with relatively fine fibers.
Fibers produced in a meltblown operation are generally
in the 4 20 m range.
Using very high airflow,
meltblown fibers can be produced in the 2 5 m
2

Figure 2. Wetlaid Cellulose @ 100x

The addition of synthetic fibers to a cellulose

sheet will significantly improve the filtration
performance by opening up the structure and adding
finer cylindrical fibers to the matrix which do not surface
load as readily.
Figure three is a wetlaid
cellulose/synthetic blend nonwoven media.

Microfiberglass media can be produced with the

broadest range of filtration capability and efficiencies
due to the wide range of fibers available. Figure 5 is a
wetlaid microglass media.

Figure 5. Wetlaid Microglass @ 100x

Figure 3. Cellulose Synthetic Blend @100x

Wetlaid media produced with 100%

synthetic or glass fibers will generally result in a
very three-dimensional sheet with lower pressure
drop and higher dirt holding capacity. Figure 4 is
a wetlaid synthetic nonwoven media.

Figure 4. Wetlaid Synthetic @ 100x

3

Binders and Fibers

Filter Performance

Nonwoven liquid filtration media are thermally

or resin bonded and use polymers that are susceptible
to thermal and chemical attack. The polymers can
swell, fracture and/or soften which may change the
filtration performance.
The change in filtration
performance can be gradual or sudden based on the
concentration, exposure time, temperature and
additives.

Traditionally diesel fuel filters have had efficiency

requirements of 99.9% removal of particles greater than
25 m. Higher pressure fuel systems with tighter
tolerances have needed efficiency requirements to be
lowered to particles greater than 10 m. The newest
generation of high pressure common rail fuel systems
will require higher efficiencies at lower particle size and
at 10x the pressure of the traditional diesel fuel
systems. It is estimated that the next generation diesel
fuel filters will need 99.95% particle removal efficiency
at 10x the pressure for contaminants above 3 um in
size.

Thermoplastic binders used in resin bonded

systems are often generically called latex but there are
many different types with a range of chemical and
thermal resistances. In general thermoplastic binders
are good film formers and flow and are good at coating
fibers or webs. They are flexible but soften when
exposed to heat, which can be an advantageous or a
disadvantage depending on the application. Many
thermoplastic binders add crosslinking polymers to
improve their chemical and thermal stability. When
thermoplastic resins are crosslinked they may have a
crosslinking bond every 50 to 100 carbon molecules.
Thermoset binders are used in applications
that require higher thermal and chemical resistance.
These polymers undergo a chemical change to
produce a network or thermoset polymer. Thermoset
binders are highly crosslinked, which produces a
glassy or crystalline structure with no Tg. Thermosets
will not soften or flow in the presence of heat. They
can not be dissolved or continuously deformed
because they will begin to decompose at lower
concentrations and temperatures.
Wetlaid cellulose media used in Diesel fuel
filtration applications generally use phenolic binders.
Phenolic binders are generally added in a post coat
and cure step. The biggest downside to phenolic
binders is volatiles, flammability and waste disposal.
The majority of microglass wetlaid media use latex
binders, which do not have broad chemical and thermal
compatibility. Melamine and epoxy based binder
systems can be used. Figure 16 shows the relative
chemical and thermal compatibility of various wetlaid
media binders.

Chemical and Thermal Resistance

Figure 6. Binder Stability

Latex

Melamine

Phenolic

Both cellulose and cellulose/metlblown media

can achieve high efficiency below 10 m under the
operating conditions of the next generation fuel
systems. Glass based media is currently the only
nonwoven technology able to achieve 99.95% removal
of 3 m particles at high operating pressures.
Unfortunately glass media has not been widely used in
diesel fuel filtration due to the concern about particle
shedding.
Water removal in diesel fuel has traditionally
been a straight forward technology. Basic cellulose
media has done a superb job at coalescing both gross
water and large water droplets from fuel. With the
changeover to ultralow sulfur diesel and the increased
use of biodiesel blends and the use of higher pressure
fuel pumps finer water in oil emulsions are going to be
produced. The finer the emulsion the more difficult it is
to remove by either repulsion of coalescing. Lubricity,
detergents and other fuel additives will disarm many of
the traditional water separation filters.

Next Generation Media

The next generation of media will require the efficiency
of fine glass fiber based media and the water removal of
fine emulsions within a higher surface active
environment, with low particle shedding and a robust
media that can withstand high throughput pleating.
Even with the addition of fine glass or synthetic fibers
the large fiber diameters make cellulose based media a
poor candidate for next generation filters. The
cellulose/MB composite media are close to their
performance limits. The meltblown process is capable
of producing finer fibers but at low throughputs and high
cost. Using current technology the finest meltblown
fibers will not achieve filtration efficiencies higher than
10 um at the higher pressures. The hydrophobicity of
the modified polyester is not high enough to counteract
the surface activity of ultralow sulfur diesel.

Epoxy

Binder Type