Microns are units of measurement recognized by the International System of Units. Also known as a micrometer, they represent 0.000001 meter or one millionth of a meter, and are the second smallest recognized unit of measurement.
Expressed with the abbreviation μm, microns are used to measure objects that are usually invisible to the naked eye. Indeed, in order to be perceptible to the naked eye, an object must measure approximately 50 microns at least. To put the actual size of this unit into perspective, the thickness of a human hair is on average 70 microns.
Different units of measurement recognized by the International System of Units
Kilometer | Centimeter | Millimeter | Micrometer | Nanometer |
1000 meters | 0.01 meter | 0,001 meter | 0.000001 meter | 0.000000001 meter |
What are they used for in filtration?
The usefulness of microns in the field of filtration lies in the simple and effective identification of the size of the pores present in any membrane. Based on the pore size, we can quickly estimate the types of contaminants that can be removed by a type of membrane.
Overview of extraction capacities of different filtration technologies
| Microfiltration | Ultrafiltration | Nanofiltration | Reverse Osmosis |
Filtering size | 0.1 Micron | 0.01 Micron | 0.001 Micron | 0.0001 Micron |
Water | X | X | X | X |
Monovalents ions | X | X | X | √ |
Multivalents Ions | X | X | √ | √ |
Viruses | X | √ | √ | √ |
Bacteria | √ | √ | √ | √ |
Suspended solids | √ | √ | √ | √ |
- X : Is not blocked by this type of filtration
- √: Is blocked by this type of filtration