Particle filter classes

Pocket filters of filter class F7 according to EN 779

The particle filter class indicates - in connection with the scope or a standard - the ability or efficiency of a filter material arrangement to capture the undesired substances (solid particles , liquid particles, organisms and gases ) contained in the penetrating volume flow (gaseous dispersion such as aerosol or gas mixture) and hold on. Filter classes are defined for ambient air-dependent breathing apparatus , ventilation systems and dedusting systems .

A filter class is independent of whether a gaseous dispersion is treated by easy-to-clean surface filters , e.g. B. Teflon - membrane or screen surface, or by difficult to clean or non-regenerable depth filter , z. B. cellulose fabric or synthetic fleece , but also activated carbon .

Respiratory protection filter

European Union - respiratory protection filter classes :
- Gas filter according to EN 14387: 2004 + A1: 2008; Protection against gases (no aerosols)
  - Filter classes A1, A2, A3
  - Filter classes B1, B2, B3
  - Filter classes E1, E2, E3
  - Filter classes K1, K2, K3
  - Filter class AX (divided into gas groups 1, 2, 3 or 4)
  - Filter class SX (gas filter according to manufacturer specification)
- Gas filter according to EN 405: 2009; Protection against gases (no aerosols)
  - Filter classes FFA1, FFA2 - filter classes A1 and A2 in a special design "gas-filtering half mask"
  - Filter classes FFB1, FFB2 - filter classes B1 and B2 in a special design "gas-filtering half mask"
  - Filter classes FFE1, FFE2 - filter classes E1 and E2 in a special design "gas-filtering half mask"
  - Filter classes FFK1, FFK2 - filter classes K1 and K2 in a special design "gas-filtering half mask"
  - Filter class FFAX - filter class AX (gas groups 1, 2, 3 or 4) in a special design "gas-filtering half mask"
  - Filter class FFSX - filter class SX according to manufacturer specifications in a special design "gas-filtering half mask"
- Particle filter according to EN 14683: 2014; Protection against aerosols with liquid, solid or organic substances of 3 µm for ready-to-use medical face masks, e.g. B. Mouth and nose protection (medicine) . Filter effect harmonized with ASTM F2100-11 (see USA) since 2014.
  BFE: Bacteria filtration efficiency for bacteria ≥ 3 µm; English: Bacterial Filtration Efficiency
  - Filter class Type I (BFE ≥ 95%)
  - Filter class Type II (BFE ≥ 98%)
  - Filter class Type IIR (BFE ≥ 98% and protection against moisture penetration against liquids in the form of drops and splashes)
- Particle filter according to EN 143; Protection against aerosols with solid, liquid and non-volatile substances (not against gases or aerosols with highly volatile substances)
  - Filter class P1 (low separation capacity)
  - Filter class P2 (medium separation capacity)
  - Filter class P3 (high separation capacity)
- Particle filter according to EN 149: 2001 + A1 : 2009; Protection against aerosols with solid, liquid and non-volatile substances (not against gases or aerosols with highly volatile substances)
  - Filter class FFP1, FFP1S - filter classes P1 in a special design, particle-filtering half mask
  - Filter class FFP2 - filter class P2 in a special design Particle-filtering half mask
  - Filter class FFP3 - filter class P3 in a special design Particle-filtering half mask
    - Designation example: EN 149: 2001 + A1: 2009 FFP2 NR D
United States
- Particle filter according to ASTM F2100-11; Protection against aerosols with liquid, solid or organic substances for ready-to-use medical face masks, e.g. B. Mouth and nose protection. Filter requirements against bacteria adopted in European standard EN 14683: 2014.
  PFE = particle filtration efficiency for particles ≥ 1 µm; English: Particle Filtration Efficiency
  Liquid resistance = resistance to the penetration of liquids; 1 mmHG ≈ 13.6 mmH ₂ O.
  - Filter class level 1 (BFE ≥ 95%; PFE ≥ 95%; low liquid resistance 80 mmHG ≈ 1087 mmH ₂ O)
  - Filter class level 2 (BFE ≥ 98%; PFE ≥ 98%; mean liquid resistance 120 mmHG ≈ 1631 mmH ₂ O)
  - Filter class level 3 (BFE ≥ 98%; PFE ≥ 98%; high liquid resistance 160 mmHG ≈ 2175 mmH ₂ O)

Ventilation systems

European Union - Air filters for general ventilation technology (filter testing and classification):

EN ISO 16890 is the international standard ISO 16890 adopted for the EU and classified according to the measured degree of separation (in%) of inhalable dusts in the three internationally recognized particle size classifications :

PM ₁₀ (≤10 µm , fine dust passing through the larynx , approx. 72 percent by weight in urban air )
PM _2.5 (≤2.5 µm, respirable fine dust , spores , approx. 9% by weight in urban air )
PM ₁ (≤1 micron, the cell membrane of the alveoli penetrating fine dust, bacteria , about 3 wt.% In city air).

The filter group / class results from the smallest particle size group that is filtered out to at least 50%.

Example: with a filter of class ISO ePM ₁₀ 60%, at least 60% of all particles of size PM _{10 are} filtered out, but less than 50% of all particles of size PM _2.5 and PM ₁ .

The filter classes may be assigned to filters whose initial efficiency when charged is at least 20% for PM ₁₀ particles and a maximum of 99% for PM ₁ particles. For filters with an initial efficiency of> 99% for PM ₁ particles, EN 1822 applies in the EU and ISO 29463 internationally (see below).

EN ISO 16890 was introduced in December 2016 and replaced EN 779 after a transition phase in mid-2018.

European Union - filter classes for air and dust filters
standard	Coarse dust filter (particles> 10 µm)	Medium dust filter		Fine dust filter
EN ISO 16890 (current)	ISO Coarse 20%	-	-	-
	ISO Coarse 25%	-	-	-
	ISO Coarse 30% replacement for G2 according to EN 779: 2012	-	-	-
	ISO Coarse 35%	-	-	-
	ISO Coarse 40%	-	-	-
	ISO Coarse 45% replacement for G3 according to EN 779: 2012	-	-	-
	ISO Coarse 50%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 50% replacement for M5 according to EN 779: 2012	ISO ePM _2.5 50% replacement for M6 according to EN 779: 2012	ISO ePM ₁ 50% replacement for F7 according to EN 779: 2012
	ISO Coarse 55%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 55%	ISO ePM _2.5 55%	ISO ePM ₁ 55%
	ISO Coarse 60% replacement for G4 according to EN 779: 2012	ISO ePM ₁₀ 60% replacement for M6 according to EN 779: 2012	ISO ePM _2.5 60%	ISO ePM ₁ 60%
	ISO Coarse 65%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 65% replacement for M6 according to EN 779: 2012	ISO ePM _2.5 65% replacement for F7 according to EN 779: 2012	ISO ePM ₁ 65%
	ISO Coarse 70%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 70%	ISO ePM _2.5 70%	ISO ePM ₁ 70% replacement for F8 according to EN 779: 2012
	ISO Coarse 75%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 75%	ISO ePM _2.5 75%	ISO ePM ₁ 75%
	ISO Coarse 80%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 80%	ISO ePM _2.5 80%	ISO ePM ₁ 80% replacement for F9 according to EN 779: 2012
	ISO Coarse 85%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 85%	ISO ePM _2.5 85%	ISO ePM ₁ 85%
	ISO Coarse 90%	ISO ePM ₁₀ 90%	ISO ePM _2.5 90%	ISO ePM ₁ 90%
	ISO Coarse 95% only related to the dust load when the filter is loaded (initial degree of separation) because the filter does not achieve the degree of separation ISO ePM ₁₀ 50%.	ISO ePM ₁₀ 95% based on the filtering of PM ₁₀ particles	ISO ePM _2.5 95% based on the filtering of PM _2.5 particles. A better filter effect for larger particles is not taken into account when classifying the filter class.	ISO ePM ₁ 95% (95% to 99%, corresponds to F9 according to ISO 779: 2012 or E10 according to EN 1822) based on the filtering of PM ₁ particles. A better filter effect for larger particles is not taken into account when classifying the filter class.
DIN 24185 (outdated)	EU1 EU2 EU3 EU4	-		EU5 EU6 EU7 EU8 EU9
EN 779: 1993 (obsolete)	G1 G2 G3 G4	-		F5 F6 F7 F8 F9
EN 779: 2002 (obsolete)	G1 G2 G3 G4	-		F5 F6 F7 F8 F9
EN 779: 2012 (obsolete)	G1 G2 G3 G4	M5 M6		F7 F8 F9

European Union - Air conditioning systems, ventilation and exhaust ventilation - HEPA filters according to EU standard EN 1822-1: 2009:
- Particle filter classes E10, E11, E12 - EPA filter (high-performance particle filter)
- Filter classes H13, H14 - HEPA filter (particulate filter)
- Filter classes U15, U16, U17 - ULPA filter (high-performance particulate filter)
European Union - obsolete:
- EU10, EU11, EU12, EU13, EU14 - HEPA filter according to BS 3928: 1969 (outdated, based on a simple method for particle generation)

United States - Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Exhaust:
- HEPA filter according to DOE -STD-3020-97 HEPA filter according to US standards

Worldwide - air conditioning, ventilation and ventilation - in parallel, national standards remain valid:
- according to ISO 16890 (adopted for the EU as EN ISO 16890, see above)
- according to ISO 29463: 2011:
  - ISO 15 E, ISO 20 E, ISO 25 E, ISO 30 E - EPA filters
  - ISO 35 Hd, ISO 40 Hd, ISO 45 Hd - HEPA filters
  - ISO 50 U, ISO 55 U, ISO 60 U, ISO 65 U, ISO 70 U, ISO 75 U - ULPA filters

HEPA filters (particles <1 μm) for air conditioning systems, ventilation and air extraction

for bacteria, viruses; Tobacco smoke; Metal oxide smoke; (from E12) oil vapor and soot as they arise; radioactive suspended matter; (from H14) aerosols

European Union

Filter classes E10 to U17 according to DIN EN 1822-1, a distinction is made between the overall efficiency of the filter and its worst local point:

Filter group	Filter class	Degree of separation (total)	Degree of separation (local)	Application area
High-performance particle filter (EPA = Efficient Particulate Air filter )	E10	> 85%	-		Final filter for rooms with high and highest requirements (e.g. laboratories ; production rooms in the food, pharmaceutical, electrical industry; in medicine)
	E11	> 95%	-
	E12	> 99.5%	-	Exhaust air filters in nuclear facilities ; Final filters in civil defense systems as well as for clean rooms of classes ISO 7 and ISO 5
HEPA (HEPA = High efficiency particulate air filter )	H13	> 99.95%	> 99.75%
HEPA (HEPA = High efficiency particulate air filter )	H14	> 99.995%	> 99.975%	Final filter for clean rooms of classes ISO 4 and ISO 3
High-performance particulate filter (ULPA = Ultra Low Penetration Air filter )	U15	> 99.9995%	> 99.9975%
	U16	> 99.99995%	> 99.99975%
	U17	> 99.999995%	> 99.9999%

Worldwide

Filter classes according to ISO 29463: 2011
Filter group	Filter class
EPA filter	ISO 15 E
	ISO 20 E
	ISO 25 E
	ISO 30 E
HEPA filter	ISO 35 Hd
	ISO 40 Hd
	ISO 45 Hd
ULPA filter	ISO 50 U
	ISO 55 U
	ISO 60 U
	ISO 65 U
	ISO 70 U
	ISO 75 U

Dust collectors

European Union - Dust Removing Machines:
- L, M, H - dust classes for which approved industrial vacuum cleaners may be used according to EN 60335-2-69
European Union - obsolete:
- U, S, G, C, K1, K2 - Use categories for industrial vacuum cleaners according to BIA ZH 1/487 - (replaced by L, M, H according to EN 60335)

Individual evidence

↑ DIN EN 779: 2012-10 Particle air filters for general ventilation technology - Determination of the filter performance; German version EN 779: 2012. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

↑ DIN EN 1822 Part 1: 2011-01 Particulate matter filters (EPA, HEPA and ULPA) - Part 1: Classification, performance testing, labeling; German version EN 1822-1: 2009. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

↑ DIN EN 60335-2-69: 2008-11 Safety of electrical devices for household use and similar purposes - Part 2-69: Special requirements for dust and water vacuums including power-operated brushes for industrial and commercial purposes; German version EN 60335-2-69: 2003 + A1: 2004 + A2: 2008. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

↑ DIN EN 14387: 2008-05 Respiratory protective devices - Gas filters and combination filters - Requirements, testing, marking; German version EN 14387: 2004 + A1: 2008. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

↑ DIN EN 149: 2009-08 Respiratory protective devices - Filtering half masks for protection against particles - Requirements, testing, labeling; German version EN 149: 2001 + A1: 2009. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

↑ DIN EN 143: 2007-02 Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, labeling; German version EN 143: 2000 + AC: 2005 + A1: 2006. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

↑ Correct selection of breathing apparatus. , PDF, 136kB, Dräger Safety AG (Ed.), Lübeck 2009, accessed on June 21, 2016.

↑ respiratory protection. (Training documents), PDF, 32kB, Feuerwehr-Online.de, accessed June 21, 2016.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Efficiency test of the BFE bacterial filtration. In: Eurolab. Türcert Technical Control and Certification inc., 2017, accessed on May 4, 2020 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f closer to reality. With the new ISO 16890 for the best possible filter solution. In: freudenberg-filter.com, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies SE & Co. KG, Version: 2018, accessed on November 2, 2018.

↑ PM1. (see: Filter technology> Industry specifications), in: camfil.de, Camfil KG, Version: 2018, accessed on November 2, 2018.

↑ Basics of filter technology. HS-Luftfilterbau GmbH (Ed.), Kiel, Rev. 22, May 11, 2018, p. 8, PDF (6.6 MB) , accessed on November 2, 2018.

↑ ISO / DIS 16890-1 (en) - Air filters for general ventilation. , in: iso.org, 2014, (English). Retrieved June 24, 2016.

↑ Eurovent (Ed.): Industry Recommendation for Residential Air Filter Performance Measurements. First edition. , in: Eurovent, 4/22, Brussels, November 16, 2015, (English), archive.org PDF (779 kB), from the original saved on June 24, 2016.

^ Andreas Nägeli: News from the filter standardization. , in: swiss / ccs, Unifil (Ed.), April 20, 2016. archive.org PDF (396 kB), from the original saved on June 24, 2016.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o Jaqueline Huttner: 49 instead of 9 filter classes: an overview of the air filter standard ISO 16890. Robatherm, Burgau, version February 16, 2018, pp. 2 and 3, PDF (842 kB) , accessed on November 3, 2018.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ISO 16890: Air filters for general ventilation technology , HS-Luftfilterbau GmbH, current version February 2018, first version January 2017, accessed on November 7, 2018.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Take a deep breath! - Translation help. in: architekturzeitung.com, AZ / Architekturzeitung, Stuttgart, version February 7, 2018, accessed on November 3, 2018.

↑ ^a ^b ^c How can ISO 16890 affect your filtration solutions? In: freudenberg-filter.com, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies SE & Co. KG, Version: 2018, accessed on November 2, 2018.

↑ Information on EN779: 2012 laboratory test method with test aerosols (DEHS = Di-Ethyl-Hexyl-Sebacat) and synthetic filter test dust. Classification: G1-G4 for coarse dust, M5-M6 for "medium grain sizes" and F7-F9 for fine dust filtration; accessed in January 2017

↑ DIN EN 1822 Part 1: 2011-01 Particulate matter filters (EPA, HEPA and ULPA) - Part 1: Classification, performance testing, labeling; German version EN 1822-1: 2009. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

[1] DIN EN 779: 2012-10 Particle air filters for general ventilation technology - Determination of the filter performance; German version EN 779: 2012. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

[2] DIN EN 1822 Part 1: 2011-01 Particulate matter filters (EPA, HEPA and ULPA) - Part 1: Classification, performance testing, labeling; German version EN 1822-1: 2009. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.

[3] DIN EN 60335-2-69: 2008-11 Safety of electrical devices for household use and similar purposes - Part 2-69: Special requirements for dust and water vacuums including power-operated brushes for industrial and commercial purposes; German version EN 60335-2-69: 2003 + A1: 2004 + A2: 2008. Beuth Verlag, Berlin.