PTQ Q3 2026 Issue

capture requires moving beyond size-based filtration toward inter - action-based design. Pleated, lofted media structures combine reduced superficial velocity with a three-di - mensional fibre matrix, creating both the physical architecture and the interfacial environment to enable contaminant capture throughout the media depth. Figures 3a and 3b show multi-layer media pack architecture and flow path. Within this matrix structure that governs pore size, tortuosity, res- idence time, and solids transport pathways, the defining variable is the

surface, and form compressible cakes that progressively reduce permeability. Filtration becomes confined to the exposed pleat tips, with minimal pen- etration into the pleat depth. As load- ing progresses, most of the installed surface area becomes hydraulically inactive. The effective filtration area collapses, and flow is forced through a diminishing active region.

This leads to a rapid increase in pressure drop and accelerated com- paction of the surface layer. Under these conditions, performance is gov- erned by the rate of surface blinding rather than by nominal media area or pore structure. Field campaigns on heavier and more variable feeds document the operational consequences of this behaviour. When semi-deformable organic-inorganic agglomerates dominate the contaminant system, conventional sur- face-pleated media operating on HVGO, HCGO, and ARDS blends exhibit dense cakes on the inlet face, smeared semi-deformable material across pleat tips, and minimal utilisation of pleat depth (internal Jonell technical data). Historical pressure-drop profiles from these services show conventional media increasing from a clean delta pressure (ΔP) to greater than 15 psid in less than one day of operation on similar heavy feeds. This rate of increase is consistent with compressible surface cake formation rather than progressive depth loading. The operational consequences extend beyond individual element performance. High backwash frequency, short- ened filter cycles, and, in some cases, forced bypass or reconfiguration of backwash filtration systems all place an additional burden on downstream guard beds and catalyst layers already managing variable feed contamination. Media architecture Addressing the behaviour of surface interaction-driven

Figure 2 Surface loading and loss of effective filtration area (field observations courtesy of IntegraLabs, Filtration Group)

surface energy of the fibre matrix. An intrinsic property of synthetic media, surface energy (the tendency of a surface to attract, wet, and bind other materials), governs how semi-deformable organic-inorganic agglomerates interact with the media and, therefore, whether they accumulate at the surface or become distributed within the depth of the pack. Although surface energy is not typically considered a conventional variable in solids removal, the author’s com- parison of novel low- and high-surface energy media shows that it can influence filtration in heavy-feed systems by altering how organic-inorganic agglomerates interact with and are retained by the fibre matrix. At lower surface energy (see Figure 4a ), adhesion between hydrocarbon-rich phases and the fibre surface is reduced. Semi-deformable agglomerates remain struc- turally intact and migrate into the interstitial volume of the lofted matrix, where they are stabilised mechanically across multiple layers, enabling progressive depth load- ing. At higher surface energy (see Figure 4b ), interaction increases. Polar and aromatic-rich species adhere at fibre contact points, resulting in immobilisation within the media depth through multi-point attachment. Microstructural evidence confirms that these interaction

3a Low surface-energy matrix

4a Low surface-energy matrix

I ncluded in the pack design shows the lofted layer (second from left) capturing contamination as part of a multi - layer pack, with the loading shared between several layers to achieve the downstream cleanliness target with limited pressure drop (extended life in service).

S howing contaminants retained within interstitial bre spaces. The reduced adhesion prevents film formation, allowing semi - deformable material to lodge mechanically between bres, maintaining open ow paths and long service life.

3b High surface-energy matrix

4b High surface-energy matrix

I ncluded in the pack design shows the lofted layer (second from left) capturing contamination within the S y n G uard layer alone, with adhesion at multiple contact points within the lofted layer providing direct retention without scrim (third layer from left) reliance.

E xhibiting multiple contact points where asphaltenic micelles and semi-gels adhere to the bre surface. The stronger intermolecular attraction promotes adsorption and depth immobilisation of ne carbonaceous clusters for enhanced contaminant capture.

Figure 3 Multi-layer media pack showing architecture and flow path

Figure 4 Micrographs of media population (low vs high sur- face energy)

PTQ Q3 2026