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There are a number of 0.1 micron filters commercially available today. These filters remove particulates and microorganisms and are used in a wide range of industries and applications. Although these filters are rated as O.1 µm, it is difficult to differentiate between these filters regarding particulate retention capabilities. Manufacturers of filters use different tests to determine retention effectiveness in filters. Sometimes the test results do not correlate with actual particulate retention capabilities of the membrane. One test, the latex bead challenge test, provides results which are indicative of a membrane's capability to retain particulates. The following is a discussion of the procedure and results of a latex bead challenge to 5 commercially available membrane filters that are rated O.1 µm.

Filter materials that were tested included those of leading manufacturers of cast, track etched and hollow fiber membrane. The test procedure consisted of a latex bead challenge, in which a latex bead solution was filtered by a test membrane. The resulting effluent was filtered and analyzed for the presence of latex beads. Test results indicated that the majority of the membranes tested allowed a significant number of latex beads to pass through the membrane, even though the membranes were all rated as 0.1 µm. The hollow fiber membrane exhibited superior efficiency in removing 0.1 µm be.

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