Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
In Fram's videos on how they test their Oil Filters, it sure looks like particle counts are used in testing, and the > pretty much follows logical sense (see how the test dust fractions are additive / cumulative up to 100% being equal to
OR below 120 microns in ISO Medium Test Dust table I previously posted)? It would be like trying to build a vacuum cleaner that only picks up particles of a certain size range into the bag - for example picking up dust but leaving pet hair behind.
I really don't follow the hypothetical where particle size collection at 35 microns is < particle size collection at 40 microns and all particle size distributions are 1:1 the same vs. what the specs are for ISO Medium Test Dust so I can't comment on the hypothetical procedure hypothesized a few posts back (FutureDoc).
With Fram 99% > 20, to validate that claim, you need to know the efficiency of the filter at various levels (how efficient is it at 20, 30, 40, and up to 80). Because the number (N) of each particle is a known range, you can validate the cumulative efficiency. In laymans terms, you need to know what they are counting (the particle size) and how many (distribution of the particle size... which is provided in the dust example). This is not random capture, it is a capture of a known quantity at a know level.
The ISO 4548-12 test breaks down the efficiency at different particle sizes. Since the ISO 4548-12 test spec certainly calls out to use ISO test dust (most likely the ISO 12103-1, A3 Medium Test Dust), I don't see how Fram or anyone else who uses/references ISO 4548-12 can fudge the test result numbers. It's either 99% efficient to remove all the test dust particles >20 microns or not. If the filter can remove 99% of all particles that are 20.001 microns or larger, then it's essentially "99% @ 20 microns" efficient.
And naturally how filters work, they are more efficient at removing larger particles, so even if the ">20 microns" statement it used and if the efficiency at 20, 30, 40, 50, etc was listed, you would see that the filter would be more efficient at the larger particle sizes. If it was 99% @20 microns then it would most certainly be 100% at some of the larger sizes of particles.
FutureDoc, I appreciate your effort to look for every angle possible to explain away the ">20 microns" statement, but since certified ISO test dust is used in the ISO efficiency test, I just don't see how using ">20 microns" is going to change anything different than saying "@20 microns".
You did read this, which was linked earlier? It gives some good information.
Oil Filter Efficiency Testing