Hepa Filters Vs Ulpa Filters Comparison
Clean environments like biosafety cabinets, laminar flow cabinets, and clean rooms require a controlled environment free from dust, particles, and contaminants.
HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) and ULPA (ultra-low particulate air) filters are commonly used in the air filtration systems for delivering a controlled environment.
How does HEPA & ULPA compare?
| HEPA | ULPA | |
| What is it used for? | Trapping very small particles & contaminants by forcing air through a fine mesh. | Trapping very small particles & contaminants by forcing air through a fine mesh. |
| How does it work? | As air particles pass through the air filter, they are caught by three mechanisms: diffusion, interception, and impaction. | As air particles pass through the air filter, they are caught by three mechanisms: diffusion, interception, and impaction. |
| What can they filter? | Can remove 99.97% – 99.99% of airborne particles that are larger than 0.3 microns in size. | Can remove 99.999% of airborne particles that are larger than 0.12 microns in size. |
| What ISO Class? | ISO Class 5 | ISO Class 3 |
| Where are they used? | More broadly and commonly used for most biological & healthcare applications, including Laminar flow cabinets and biological safety cabinets. | Used for specialised applications – microelectronics, semiconductor manufacturing, or pharmaceutical work |
Additionally, in ULPA the airflow reduces by 20% to 50% for filters of the same dimensions. The cost of ULPA is typically higher by 25% to 35%, and life span of ULPA is 5-8 years compared to HEPA’s ~10 years.
Kewaunee International Group
Kewaunee, the global leader in total laboratory solutions, empowers organisations to achieve competitive advantage through safe, efficient, and contemporary laboratories. In existence since 1906, Kewaunee powers the laboratories for over 5,000 customers in more than 100 countries.
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