The present invention concerns a filtering medium, a method for the production thereof, the use of said filtering medium and a method for reducing the content of multiple contaminants simultaneously in fluids by means of said filtering medium through a physical barrier, a chemical process or biological process, wherein said filtering medium consists of or comprises at least one of the following: a mixture (A) containing a major part of an iron-based powder and a minor part of a copper based powder, an iron-copper powder alloy (B), and an iron-based porous and permeable composite containing copper (C).

A filter filters a flow of liquid and has a pressure vessel, a filter assembly deployed within the pressure vessel, and a backwash assembly. The pressure vessel has an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path in fluid communication with the outlet. The filter assembly has at least one filter unit and at least one support configuration that supports the at least one filter element. The at least one filter element has first and second coarse mesh material support layer that have apertures of a first and second size, respectively, and a cloth filter layer that has apertures of a third size smaller than the first and second sizes. The cloth filter layer is interposed between the first and second coarse mesh material support layers. The backwash assembly has a suction nozzle in facing relation to a first or second surface of the filter unit.

A system for further filtering a liquid extract material after an initial extraction process. In an embodiment, the system includes a semi-rigid filter cup that is substantially cylindrical, the filter cup having a top and a bottom, wherein the top is oriented to receive filter media prior to a filtration process, and material to be filtered during the filtration process. The filter cup includes an integrated deformable flange at the top of the filter cup, an integrated top o-ring that is integrated into the top of the integrated deformable flange and an integrated bottom o-ring that is integrated into the bottom of the integrated deformable flange.

To provide a titanium-based porous body that has high void fraction to ensure gas permeability and water permeability for practical use as an electrode and a filter, has a large specific surface area to ensure conductivity and sufficient reaction sites with a reaction solution or a reaction gas, thus showing excellent reaction efficiency, and contains less contaminants because of no organic substance used. A titanium-based porous body having a specific void fraction and a high specific surface area is obtained by filling an irregular-shaped titanium powder having an average particle size of 10 to 50 m in a dry system without using any binder or the like into a thickness of 4.010.sup.1 to 1.6 mm, and sintering the irregular-shaped titanium powder at 800 to 1100 C.

Thermoplastic bicomponent binder fiber can be combined with other media, fibers and other filtration components to form a thermally bonded filtration media. The filtration media can be used in filter units, such as breather caps. Such filter units can be placed in the stream of a mobile fluid and can remove a particulate and/or fluid mist load from the mobile stream. The unique combination of media fiber, bicomponent binder fiber and other filtration additives and components provide a filtration media having unique properties in filtration applications.

A filter element for the filtration of fluids can be manufactured from powdered metal using a laser manufacturing process. The powdered metal is deposited in a layer on fabrication platform and a laser beam is directed toward the layer of material so that the powdered metal granules fuse together to form a first component of the filter element. Successive layers of powdered metal can be deposited over the first component and also fused with the laser beam to form additional components. During the manufacturing process, the power or scan rate of the laser beam many be changed so that the formed layers of the filter element may have different porosity characteristics, for example, with certain portions being fluid permeable and other portions being fluid impermeable.

Thermoplastic bicomponent binder fiber can be combined with other media, fibers and other filtration components to form a thermally bonded filtration media. The filtration media can be used in filter units, such as breather caps. Such filter units can be placed in the stream of a mobile fluid and can remove a particulate and/or fluid mist load from the mobile stream. The unique combination of media fiber, bicomponent binder fiber and other filtration additives and components provide a filtration media having unique properties in filtration applications.

A composite filter aid may include at least one mineral associated with an antimicrobial metal compound, wherein the filter aid has a permeability ranging from 0.1 to 20 darcys. The antimicrobial metal compound can be chemically deposited on the mineral surface or bonded to mineral structure by binder or high temperature calcination.

A separator element for obtaining molecular and/or particulate separation by tangential flow of a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, the element comprising a structure (2) of at least two porous rigid columns (3) made of the same material, positioned side by side to define outside their outside walls a volume (4) for recovering the filtrate, each column (3) presenting internally at least one open structure (5) for passing a flow of the fluid medium, opening out in one of the ends of the porous column for inlet of the fluid medium for treatment and in the other end for outlet of the retentate. The element is a single-piece rigid structure (2) made as a single piece that is uniform and continuous throughout, without any bonds or exogenous additions.

A filter element for the filtration of fluids can be manufactured from powdered metal using a laser manufacturing process. The powdered metal is deposited in a layer on fabrication platform and a laser beam is directed toward the layer of material so that the powdered metal granules fuse together to form a first component of the filter element. Successive layers of powdered metal can be deposited over the first component and also fused with the laser beam to form additional components. During the manufacturing process, the power or scan rate of the laser beam many be changed so that the formed layers of the filter element may have different porosity characteristics, for example, with certain portions being fluid permeable and other portions being fluid impermeable.