Could microglass/synthetic media filters harm engines?

[Deontologist]

Glass is just SiO2, the same stuff that you don't want in a UOA, or the stuff you want your air filter to catch.

Couldn't a microglass filter harm an engine if maybe a piece of that glass broke off and ended up circulating?

 

[Kestas]

Glass fibers are almost always 10 micron diameter. I'm not sure if this size is harmful.

All glass fibers I've encountered have a chemical signature of Al - Ca - Si - O.

 

[Imp4]

So this is one of those hot summer afternoon thoughts people tend to have when there's not much else on their minds.

Let's put a little pragmatism to it.
Many high volume filter manufacturers use synthetic media in their premium filter lines.
This is what they give you when you spend the extra money to get the really good stuff.
Do you think just about everybody would use that material if it's ultimate result was to harm engines?!?

I mean, it's a pretty unreasonable premise, don't you think?

They use similar material in high end furnace filters. What if your furnace filter is actually killing you? Seems silly.

 

[WellOiled]

For a well engineered and manufactured filter, there would be no risk.

For a poorly engineered or manufactured filter, there could be a risk.

As long as the fiber diameter is less than the MOFT, then you would be good to go.

I do not know of a single instance where micro glass shedding caused an engine to fail.

 

[Job]

Very good question. Not all oil filters use glass, some cellulose and some polypropylene. Ford racing filters and Cummins use poly and Cummins makes quite a big deal that some of their filters are one single strand of poly, That reference was posted here I don't know where and am taking it from memory. Glass is liquid SiO2 with impurities and there is natural crystal quartz which has a higher hardness. Sand our engines inhale would be mainly crystal quartz I think. As far as I know we don't know here which filters use glass and which do not.

 

[CR94]

I admit to having wondered why that's not a potential problem. Is the "glass" in synthetic filter media actually a different, less hard material than the brittle clear stuff we normally know as glass, or the kind of fiberglass from which cheap HVAC filters are made?

 

[WellOiled]

Micro glass comes in many different grades, surface finish, diameters and length. The media manufacturer would have to have a process that stays in control.

A filter that sheds micro glass fibers could be a problem especially if the diameter exceeds the MOFT.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Can it happen (possiblity), sure I suppose...but will it happen (probability), not likely. I'm pretty sure the mfgs have tight controls on quality from sourcing the media to production, to mitigate the chances of this occuring.