Product Information

One of the most effective ways of reducing the exposure of underground workers to diesel particulate matter (DPM) contained within diesel exhaust emissions is to fit the equipment with a disposable diesel exhaust filter.

Disposable DPM filters have been fitted and used on diesel equipment in the underground mining industry throughout the world for quite a number of years. The Australian underground coal mining industry began using disposable DPM filters to varying degrees as far back as the early 2000’s.

Historically the disposable DPM filters used on underground coal mining equipment in Australia have a short operational life. The reason for this has long been believed by equipment operators to be due to the fact that they are installed after a wet scrubber which saturates the exhaust stream and therefore the filter element, with water causing the filter medium to swell or become saturated with water. The result being the exhaust filter blocks in a short time, not because it is loaded with diesel particulate, but rather it is saturated with water and chokes’ off the passage of exhaust gases through the filter element.

In the USA the underground mines and their legislators and regulators have been actively managing the same issues in regards to DPM and its effective filtration for many years. Since before 2004, the USA began evaluating and using high temperature  disposable diesel particulate filter elements in their underground coal mines.

Global Mining Supplies FST glass fibre based filter elements are proven and tested to work effectively in both wet and dry scrubber systems on diesel engine systems approved for use in underground coal mines.

In trials in an underground coal mine in Australia, the high temperature disposable DPM filter manufactured and supplied by Filter Services and Testing Incorporated  (FST) in the USA, had an operational life 5-7 times longer than other currently available DPM filters in Australia.

FST filters have been tested at Test Safe and the NSW Mine safety technology Centre and are approved for use in underground coal mines in NSW addtionally MSHA found to be compliant with 30 CFR Section 72.500,72.501, and 72.502 of the MSHA compliance regulations.

The rules and test protocols used by MSHA are very stringent and thorough. They are all publically available.  The tests which were performed on filters to support the DPM regulations are described in Part 7 subpart E of Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations which can be found at http://www.msha.gov/30cfr/7.0.htm and http://www.msha.gov/30cfr/7.89.htm

Global Mining Supplies filter media is rated to a maximum operating temperature of > 700C. This is combined with an efficiency of greater than 90%, for over 90% of the filters operational life.

In response to commonly asked questions raised by some of our customers in regards to the suitability of the FST filters for the use on diesel equipment in operation in underground coal mine envorionments, we have attempted to provide direction to the facts and studies that support answeres to these questions. (Refer to FAQ)