Donaldson Co

Diesel Progress North American Edition, June, 2004

Donaldson Co. announced that the U.S. Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has accepted the company's new, patent-pending disposable exhaust filter for use on nonpermissible mining equipment. The new filter enables mine operators nationwide to meet key emission standards for diesel particulate matter (DPM)--standards that went into effect in July 2002 for permissible equipment and July 2003 for nonpermissible equipment.

MSHA's emissions regulations are designed to limit miners' exposure to DPM emissions. Many permissible applications use standard cellulose filters combined with water scrubbers to lower the temperature of exhaust. While such methods serve to reduce DPM emissions, the water involved in the process often contaminates cellulose media and can reduce filter life to approximately eight hours. Additionally, cellulose media can be ineffective at the high temperatures commonly found in nonpermissible applications. Donaldson designed its new disposable exhaust filter to successfully operate in exhaust systems at temperatures of up to 650[degrees]F and meet MSHA testing requirements for filter efficiency and suitability for mining applications.