Why treat compressed air

Air is inevitably subject to various types of contamination, starting with water and moving on to oil and microorganisms. When air is compressed, these contaminants can increase significantly, which is why it needs to be treated. 

Why compressed air needs to be treated

As mentioned, when air is compressed, harmful particles increase, compromising its purity. To give a practical example, a compressor operating 40 hours per week, with a flow rate of 1,000 m³/h FAD, can produce up to 2 g of harmful substances per week. 

Compressed air for industrial use is subject to ISO classification, so it must be treated in order to comply with regulatory standards. The standard that defines the purity standards for compressed air is ISO 8573-1:2010. This standard is therefore applied to air treatment systems, following tests carried out on components such as filters. It goes without saying that the tests carried out may yield different results depending on the conditions and field of application. For this reason, it is essential to carry out tests and checks periodically in order to assess whether the conditions are always the same and thus ensure adequate efficiency and purity results. 

What happens if compressed air for industrial use is not treated

Compressed air is used in many business sectors, from textiles to chemicals, food, and pharmaceuticals. Using untreated compressed air means risking the quality of the final products! 

Furthermore, “working” with compressed air that is not properly filtered and clean can cause breakdowns and machine downtime, which obviously translates into economic loss. Not to mention the negative impact on the energy efficiency of compressors. 

From the above, we can deduce the importance of always checking your systems and the purity of the compressed air. Riem Italy periodically analyzes compressed air and the efficiency of industrial compressors and also offers this service externally: 

Click here for more information: Riem Italy Compressor Assistance