What Is Whatman Filter Paper? and Uses of Whatman Filter Paper!

What is Whatman Filter Paper?

Whatman filter paper is a cellulose paper made by using a high percentage of alpha-cellulose. Its contents are a sign of its consistency and high quality as alpha cellulose is considered the most stable form of cellulose. Not only this, it has the highest degree of polymerization.

Qualitative filter papers like Whatman filter paper are based on numerous properties which include thickness, retention, and weight. While quantitative filter papers are of ashless grades and can be burned off for various analytical applications, qualitative papers are used for general purposes.

Whatman quantitative filters are best for gravimetric analysis and for preparing samples for conducting the various instrumental analysis. They are made in different formats and designed appropriately to meet your specific needs.

Qualitative filter papers are cellulose filters that are known for their usage in qualitative analytical techniques. These filters help in determining and identifying materials. Qualitative filters are available in a pre-pleated form which increases the loading capacity and provides an improved flow rate in comparison to flat filters.

Whatman filter paper is available in a range of wet strengthened qualitative filters. They are known for containing a small quantity of chemically stable resin which is responsible for giving high wet strength. These are also known for not introducing any impurities into the filtrate which may be significant.

However, the resin does contain nitrogen which makes these grades not usable in Kjeldahl estimations. All wet strengthened grades are generally available in pre-pleated forms and provide a huge range of qualitative filters in order to meet specific needs.

Filter papers in our day-to-day life are used for fulfilling different purposes which may include soaking up the coffee spills, testing soil samples, or removing dissolved gases from beer. There are different types of filter papers available in the market as per need and of various grades.

In the coming blog, you will read about different grades of Whatman filter paper, how to choose the best Whatman filter paper for your application, the uses of Whatman filter paper, the difference between Whatman filter paper and normal filter paper, and why Tesca Technology is the best Whatman filter paper manufacture, supplier and exporter?

Grades of Whatman Filter Paper

There are different grades of Whatman filter paper that are available in the market. Let’s read about them in detail.

Standard Grades of Qualitative Filter Papers

Grade 1:11 µm – This is the most widely used grade of filter paper for routine application. It is used with a medium flow rate and retention. Its extended ranges of size include 10mm to 500mm diameter circles and 460mm x 570mm sheets.

Grade 2:8 µm – This grade of filter paper is a little more retentive than Grade 1 and has a corresponding increase in filtration time and it has a slightly slower filtration speed.

Grade 3:6 µm – This grade of the filter is double in thickness as compared to Grade 1 and has finer particle retention with excellent loading capacity.

Grade 4:20-25 µm – This filter grade is known for having extremely quick filtering speed along with excellent retention of coarse particles.

Grade 5:2.5 µm – This grade has the maximum degree of fine particle filtration in the qualitative range and is capable of retaining the fine precipitates encountered in chemical analysis.

Grade 6:3 µm – This filter grade has a speed that is twice as fast as Grade 5 but with similar fine particle retention.

Grade 591:7-12 µm – It is a thick filter paper having very high loading capacity facilitating fast filtration of medium to coarse precipitates.

Grade 595:4-7 µm – This filter grade is very popular as it is a thin filter paper that allows medium to fine particle retention facility. It is mainly used in routine analytical applications in various industries.

Grade 597:4-7 µm – A filter paper of this grade is known to have medium fast filter paper with medium to fine particle retention which is used in various industries like food testing.

Grade 598:8-10 µm – This type of filter paper has a high loading capacity which combines medium retention with medium-fast to fast filtration speed.

Grade 602h:<2 µm – A filter paper of this grade is known for collecting minute particles and for removal of fine precipitates.

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Ashless Grades of Quantitative Filter Papers

Grade 40:8 µm – This is the classic ashless filter used to general-purpose with medium speed and retention. Typical applications of this grade include gravimetric analysis for various components in clays, cement, steel, and iron products.

Grade 41:20-25 µm – This is the fastest ashless filter paper which is recommended for analytical procedures that typically involves coarse particle such as aluminum hydroxides or iron.

Grade 42:2.5 µm – This grade is a world standard used for critical gravimetric analysis. It is known to have the finest particle retention of all Whatman cellulose filter papers.

Grade 43:16 µm – This grade is intermediated in retention which lies between Grades 40 and 41 and is twice as fast as Grade 40.

Grade 44:3 µm – This grade of Whatman filter paper is a thin version of Grade 42 known for retaining very fine particles.

Grade 589/1:12-25 µm – This filter is also known as the black ribbon filter as it is the established standard in quantitative analysis for the filtration of coarse precipitates.

Grade 589/2:4-12 µm – This filter is known as the while ribbon filter and is generally used for medium fine precipitates which offer medium filtration speed.

Filter Papers and Membranes

Grade 589/3:2 µm – A blue-ribbon filter, this is an ashless standard filter paper used for filtering very fine precipitates. It is a slow filter paper with high efficiency for pouring out very small particles.

Hardened Low Ash Grades of Quantitative Filter Paper

Grade 50:2.7 µm – This filter paper is the thinnest of all Whatman filter papers and helps in the retention of finest crystalline precipitates. It has a hardened and extremely glazed surface.

Grade 52.7 µm – This is a hardened filter paper with medium retention and flow rate.

Grade 54:20-25 µm – This filter paper has a very fast filtration and is best for use with coarse and gelatinous precipitates. Its high wet strength makes it suitable for vacuum assisted quick filtration of coarse precipitates.

Hardened Ashless Grades of Quantitative Filter Papers

Grade 540:8 µm – This is a general-purpose hardened ashless filter paper that has medium retention and flow rate. It is extremely pure and strong with a hard surface.

Grade 541:20-25 µm – This grade of filter paper is used for fast filtration of coarse particles and gelatinous precipitates in alkali or acid solutions during gravimetric analysis.

Grade 542:2.7 µm – This is used for high retention of fine particles under various demanding conditions. It has a slow flow rate and is extremely hard and strong with a high level of chemical resistance.

How to Choose the Best Whatman Filter Paper for your Application

There are many different grades of Whatman Filter Paper available for usage as discussed previously in this blog. Each type of filter paper is unique in its way because of the properties that it possesses. They have different applications and therefore, you may select the one as per your requirement.

In case you are not sure which is the best filter paper for your application, it is best to browse through the details of various filter papers. For example, if you are looking for a filter paper with medium retention and flow rate, then you may opt for Grade1:11 µm.

If you are looking for a thick filter paper that has a high loading capacity then Grade 598:8-10 µm can be used. While selecting which filter paper will suit your needs, you must shortlist the best ones on the basis of different factors before finalizing.

These factors include checking the paper quality whether it is thin, thick, or hardened. The next one is to check their capacity to filter as each filter paper has its own handling ability. While some filter paper might be best for filtering out fine particles, the others might be best suited for filtering the hard ones.

This point is crucial as ultimately you need to filter and if you choose the wrong filter paper, it will only go waste. You must be well aware of what exactly you are looking for in a filter paper. If you don’t know precisely what you need to filter out, you might end up selecting the wrong filter paper.

So, the most accurate way to select the right filter paper is to first understand what exactly you need. Once you understand this, you will be only left with going through the details of different grades of filter paper and selecting the right one!

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Uses of Whatman Filter Paper

Whatman filter papers have many uses, let’s get to know what these uses are.

Whatman qualitative filter papers are basically cellulose filters that are used to determine and identify materials in qualitative analytical techniques. There are pre-pleated qualitative filters available that provide improved flow rate and increases the loading capacity.

Whatman has a range of wet strengthened qualitative filters which are known for providing high and improved wet strength. These filter papers contain a small quantity of chemically stable resin because of which this happens.

Whatman quantitative filter papers are designed in such a way that they provide the best result when used for gravimetric analysis. These papers are available in different formats to fulfill the specific needs of the user.

Hardened low ash grades have maximum ash content and are an intermediate between ashless and qualitative grades. These filter papers are best suited for Buchner filtrations in which it is essential to recover the precipitate from the filter surface after filtration. These filter papers have high wet strength and chemical resistance which makes them similar to acid-hardened ashless filter papers.

Hardened ashless grade quantitative filter papers are the supreme filter paper that has high wet strength. These papers are acid hardened and are known to reduce ash to a high low level. The tough surface of these filter paper makes these suitable for a varied range of critical analytical filtration operations.

These filter papers not only have high filtration speed but also provide the convenience of particle retention. Apart from these filter papers, Whatman also offers two types of glass microfiber filters which are manufactured from 100% borosilicate glass. These are ideal to be used in applications that involve air filtration.

In addition to air filtration, these are best for gravimetric analysis which involves volatile materials where ignition is also involved. Yet another use of Whatman filters is that as a prefilter. Prefilters help in increasing the particle loading capacity of a filtration system.

Whatman glass microfiber filters such as GF/D or GF/B are considered ideal for prefiltration because they have a low resistance to fluid and have high particle loading capacity. Whatman Multigrade GMF 150 is considered valuable for the prefiltration of solutions and large volumes which seem difficult to filter.

Difference Between Whatman Filter Paper and Normal Filter Paper

Whatman filter paper is different from normal filter paper in many ways. Whatman filter paper is suitable and best for conducting qualitative analysis while normal filter papers are suitable for both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

There are two types of filter paper which are qualitative filter paper and quantitative filter paper. Qualitative filter paper is used for filtration in the qualitative chemical analysis. After ashing, this filter paper produces ash, not more than 0.13%.

Quantitative filter papers are used to filtrate in the quantitative chemical analysis. During this filtration, the amount of ash produced is no more than 0.0009% after ashing. Therefore, it is also considered as an ashless filter paper.

While Whatman filter paper is a specific type of filter paper that is best when used for qualitative analysis, the normal filter paper is a semi-permeable barrier that is used to separate components present in a liquid flow or airflow.

Whatman filter paper contains cellulose fibers and is manufactured by using high-quality cotton linters. These filter paper contain a high percentage of alpha cellulose which gives is consistency and improves its quality. There are numerous grades of Whatman filter paper available which are divided according to thickness, weight, and particle retention.

Normal filter paper is used to separate components from air or liquid flow by acting as a semi-permeable barrier. These papers have volumetric flow rate, efficiency, capacity, wet strength, particle retention, compatibility, and porosity.

Whatman filter paper has an ash content of about 0.13% while the ash content of normal filter paper ranges from 0.0009% in quantitative analysis and 0.13% in qualitative analysis. Filter papers are barriers that help in filtering impurities or unwanted particles. Whatman filter paper is a grade of filter paper.

Why Tesca Technology is Best Whatman Filter Paper Manufacture, Suppliers, and Exporters?

Tesca Technology offers a range of Whatman filters, devices, and membranes to best fit your applications. We provide Whatman extensive line of filter papers that have innovative features that make these perfect for filtering techniques. These filter papers may be used for basic analytical testing, environmental monitoring, checking food samples, and in the pharmaceutical industry.

We are the manufacturers and exporter of the test, measuring, and technical education equipment. Our facilities are ISO 9001:2015 certified and we are a member of the Export Promotion Council, New Delhi, India.

With sales across 85 countries worldwide, we make sure that quality control is done at multiple stages. Our technical support team is well trained and we have a proper installation and demonstration facility as well. We provide excellent service support and hassle-free shipment ordering.

We have a diligent team of professionals with major industrial experience in their fields who take utmost care of the industrial standards and norms to provide the best services. All these efforts make us the best Whatman Filter Paper manufacturer, supplier, and exporter.