In this article, we break down the different air quality standards and the various applications they are used in.
ISO Air Quality Standards
The International Standards Organisation (ISO) is a global network of experts sharing knowledge and developing market-relevant International Standards. These standards provide consistency across global industries, services, and systems.
For compressed air quality and testing, the ISO standards outline three series, including ISO 8573 Series, ISO 12500 Series, and ISO 7183 Series. In most cases, the ISO 8573 Series provides a good basis for compressed air quality monitoring and testing.
The ISO 8573 Series specifies purity classes with respect to particles, water, and oil, as well as gaseous and microbiological contaminants. Based on contaminant concentrations, the air is assigned a purity class, between Class 0, the purest air and Class 9, the dirtiest air. Note that Class 0 doesn’t necessarily have no contaminants, it just has fewer than Class 1.
Air quality testing
Poor quality compressed air will negatively impact your maintenance and breakdown costs, impacting performance and longevity as well. It will also increase the build-up of rust and dirt in your compressed air piping systems. To check the quality of your air, request an air quality test by clicking below.
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Air quality standards for compressed air systems
Contaminants can be introduced into the compressed air via the air drawn into the compressor, internal compressor mechanisms, or the compressed air distribution system. To achieve a higher air quality classification, your system must be optimised accordingly. Two of the most effective ways to do this are with the right piping and an oil-free compressor.
Refrigerated air dryers
A refrigerated air dryer processes hot, moist air to the dew-point temperature of 3°C. It runs through a heat exchanger and then a refrigerant air exchanger brings it down to dew-point. The oil and water vapour condenses and is drained off, leaving the compressed air dry and free of moisture contaminants.
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Desiccant dryers
Desiccant adsorption dryers clean and dry compressed air with two drying towers. These are filled with a powerful hygroscopic drying agent, working together to eliminate water particles from the compressed air supply.
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Filtration
Filters remove solid particles, water, oil aerosols, hydrocarbons, odour, and vapours from your compressed air to meet the required compressed air quality. PneuTech’s range ensures every application using compressed air is covered, from low pressure to full sterile and process filtration.
Filtration systems may include condensates, desiccants, pressure gauges, internal filters, medical vacuum filters, and process filters.
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Water-oil separators
Our water-oil separators extract lubricant oil from condensate generated in compressed air systems. The process begins in a cyclonic depressurisation chamber and continues in a filter cartridge. When the cartridge is saturated, simply unscrew it and replace it with a new one.
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Carbon towers
Carbon towers are designed to separate oil vapours from compressed air. An activated carbon bed separates oil vapours and some hydrocarbons during adsorption, sometimes paired with a fine coalescing filter and dust filter to intercept finer particles.
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Stainless steel or aluminium compressed air piping
Stainless steel piping
Due to its smooth and non-porous surface, stainless steel is extremely clean and resistant to bacterial growth. This makes stainless steel one of the most hygienic materials for compressed air piping, particularly for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries.
By reducing moisture and contaminants, stainless steel pipes also help to protect your end-use equipment against moisture, contaminants, and corrosion over time. Therefore, stainless Pneupress piping may be required for food-grade and processing factories.
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Aluminium compressed air piping
Aluminium won’t degrade or corrode, making it an ideal choice for high-quality compressed air. With a smooth, corrosion-resistant, and non-porous surface, aluminium pipes produce cleaner air than PVC or steel.
Our superior Alu Air range also has a thin-walled construction, encouraging higher air flow rates. For applications that demand performance, longevity, and a higher level of air purity, the Alu Air range offers an excellent balance.
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Compressed air pipe sizing calculator XLS
When deciding which piping is right for your compressed air system, our sizing calculator will make the job easy. Simply answer a few questions about your factory and we’ll let you know the best piping sizes for your needs.
Oil-free air compressors
Oil-free compressors are engineered to function without any oil. For example, a scroll compressor has two interlocking scrolls. As one scroll moves closer to the other, it traps air in the inlet, increases the pressure, and the air is compressed. As the two scrolls do not need to touch, there is no need for lubrication.
Learn more about how oil-free air compressors work in this article.
At Industrial Air Systems, we stock two different series of oil-free compressors — the PneuTech's RSCRD-V series and the RSCRXA range of scroll compressors.
PneuTech RSCRD-V series
These compressors are variable-speed rotary screw air compressors. They are renowned for safety, durability, and unparalleled performance. This series produces 100% oil-free air of the highest purity level, guaranteeing food safety and Class-0 certification.
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RSCRXA range
These scroll compressors produce oil-free air to class 8573.1. With no internal friction, the compressed air is pristine and devoid of any metal contaminants plus the silicone-free construction eliminates the need for inline filtration to purge hydrocarbons.
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Your Guide to Compressed Air Quality Standards
The ISO air quality standards can be daunting so we’ve created a guide to help you make sense of them. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to understand ISO 8573-1:2010, including:
- The ISO 8573-1:2010 standard document.
- Compressed air contaminants.
- Purity classes for each contaminant.
To help you make sense of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards, we've created a FREE guide to help you understand them as well as compressed air contaminants and purity classes.
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