FTC Houston strengthens filter media qualification with the POROLUX™ Revo
When filtration performance depends on microns, capillary flow porometry becomes mission critical.
Filtration Technology Corporation (FTC) in Houston uses the POROLUX™ Revo capillary flow porometer for filtration quality control and filter media qualification across demanding industries including chemicals, petrochemicals, general industrial manufacturing, and water treatment.
For FTC, implementing a capillary flow porometer for filtration applications transformed how they validate filter media performance and how they communicate with media suppliers.
FTC: Leading in fluid process filtration
Filtration Technology Corporation (FTC) operates at the heart of demanding industrial applications where filtration performance is directly tied to safety, efficiency, and capital cost. Serving industries such as chemicals, petrochemicals, general industrial manufacturing, and water treatment, FTC’s mission is clear: maximize filtration and separation performance through innovation, technology, quality, and service.
“We place a lot of emphasis on innovation and quality control. Our customers depend on us for certain solutions. And we make ourselves accountable for that”
To uphold that accountability, FTC continuously strengthens its internal laboratory capabilities -including advanced capillary flow porometry.
The challenge: Inconsistent pore size testing & reporting metrics
Filter media suppliers provide technical datasheets, but in practice, pore size information is often inconsistent. Test methods differ. Test settings vary. Measurement parameters are not always disclosed.
“Suppliers may provide pore size values, but without knowing the test settings behind them, those numbers aren’t always comparable. Small changes in settings can lead to very different results”
Without consistent porometry data, comparing media from different vendors becomes complex - and small differences in pore size (for example, from 9.5 µm to 10 µm) can significantly impact filtration efficiency and downstream fluid quality.
Investing in the POROLUX™ Revo enabled FTC to gain additional insight into the fundamental pore structure, driving performance.
FTC needed deeper control, tighter specifications, and a way to speak the same technical language as suppliers.
The solution: POROLUX™ Revo for daily porometry
FTC integrated the POROLUX™ Revo porometer into its Houston-based filtration laboratory. Today, the instrument is used daily by the R&D team for multiple needs, including:
Incoming filter media qualification
New media development
Coalescer design validation
Liquid permeability measurement
Every new media candidate must pass through bench testing - including porometry -before being manufactured into a filter element.
“Including porometry data has enabled us to gain meaningful insight to a media’s performance to go along with its other properties. It adds confidence to our decision making.”
Thanks to standardized porometry methods, FTC can detect variability and bring it to the timely attention of media suppliers. Small shifts in pore size distribution are identified early -before impacting downstream filtration performance.
Beyond data: The importance of meaningful support
For FTC, the value of the POROLUX™ Revo extends beyond the instrument itself. Filtration media vary widely -in material type, thickness, pore range, and structure. Therefore, selecting correct pressure settings and test parameters is critical to obtaining reliable capillary flow porometry results.
“Beyond meaningful data, having somebody qualified to have a discussion with to validate that data lends to confidence. So, wherever accuracy matters, you’re going to need support and a dialogue.”
According to Nemmara, the ability to have technical discussions with Porometer’s application specialists ensures reproducibility and confidence in the data.
“More than anything, what truly matters is customer satisfaction through improved performance solutions driven and backed by credible data.”
Everyday use, strategic impact
Today, members of FTC’s lab team use the POROLUX™ Revo as part of their routine workflow. It has become foundational to quality control and R&D. By bringing porometry in-house, FTC has achieved:
Tighter filter media specifications
Faster R&D cycles
Improved vendor alignment
Stronger data-backed customer discussions
Ultimately, this has led to greater confidence in filtration performance.
Interested in meaningful porometry data backed by expert dialogue?
Contact our application team to learn how the POROLUX Revo can support your filtration quality control and R&D strategy.
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The POROLUX™ Revo is a capillary flow porometer designed for accurate pore size measurement and pore size distribution analysis, open porosity estimation, and liquid permeability measurement. It supports applications in filtration, membranes, battery separators, nonwovens, and advanced porous materials.
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A capillary flow porometer measures, among pore size distribution, mean flow pore size, and bubble point in porous filter media. It is used for filtration quality control, media qualification, and performance validation.
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Filtration manufacturers need capillary flow porometry to measure pore sizes in the filtration media, validate supplier claims, detect variability, and correlate pore size with filtration efficiency.
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By measuring the fundamental pore sizes before manufacturing, porometry reduces risk, improves reproducibility, and ensures media meets required performance specifications.
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Bubble point testing identifies the largest pore, while full capillary flow porometry measurement provides, amongst others, complete pore size distribution, mean flow pore size, and smallest pore size.