Separator Cartridges

Separator Cartridges are employed as the second stage in filter/ separator vessels. 

Their sole function is to repel coalesced water drops produced by the first stage cartridges while allowing hydro-carbon fluids to pass through. 

Water drops settle into the filter/ separator sump and are not carried downstream. All particle filtering is done by the first stage coalescer cartridge. 

Flow direction is from outside-to-inside. The top photo insert shows water being repelled by the hydrophobic separator medium on the cartridge’s outside surface. 

Hydrocarbon fluids, on the other hand, easily pass through and exit the separator cartridge. Cartridges with three different types of repelling media are offered:

PTFE Coated Screen (PCS) Cartridges are, by far, the most popular type of separator cartridge. With proper cleaning and inspection, cost effective PCS elements can be reused over many changeout cycles. 

And, PCS cartridges generate considerably less static charge than pleated paper cartridges. These features have made them the preferred choice for aircraft fueling applications.

Pleated Paper Cartridges cannot be reused and are replaced at every coalescer cartridge changeout. They are often used with diesel and other fuel oils which may contain materials that adhere to PCS cartridges and cannot be cleaned off.

Synthetic Media Cartridges can be cleaned a maximum of two times. They are intended for customers who do not want to take the time to clean and re-use separators.