Certain industries require the highest clean air standards when it comes to compressed air. They cannot risk any product contamination. They need an air compressor that can meet their standards with the cleanest air possible. A class zero air compressor is one that meets those high standards.
Class Zero Air Defined
The International Organization for Standardization provides a classification system in ISO 8573.1 and ISO 12500 that measures the main contaminants in compressed air systems. There are nine compressor purity classes listed, along with contaminants that may be inside a compressed air system.
The contaminant and purity classes listed allow users a method for understanding the main contaminants that can be present within a compressed air system. Class zero air would offer the highest air quality possible within the compressor. When you have class zero air, you can be sure that the compressor air is free of oil. The standards and guidelines for class zero air are rigorous in order to ensure quality.
What Are The Benefits Of Class Zero Air?
For the user, you can be assured that your air compressor is of the highest level of performance with maximum efficiency. Your air compressor is durable and reliable with premium quality. Class zero air compressors drastically reduce or eliminate oil contamination issues that lead to business downtime and negatively impact your products.
Using a class zero air compressor ensures that your business will be known for reliability and quality products.
Some additional benefits include:
- Using oil-free clean air
- Reduced maintenance costs
- A lower cost of ownership
- Maximized uptime
Any compressed air application can benefit from class zero air. But food, pharmaceutical, brewing, or any industry where contaminants could cause serious problems would benefit the most.
Achieving Class Zero Air
Following the ISO air quality standards is the way to achieve class zero air. You’ll need to look at different compressed air systems to understand how well they perform to these standards. ISO 8573 gives users a way to both measure and define the quality of the compressed air that they use. Furthermore, ISO 12500 standards help compressed air users understand what the manufacturers do to test and rate filters.
ISO 8573.1
The air standards here break down three main types of contamination that are found in compressed air systems.
- Process Contaminants – Impurities may be introduced into the system during the compression process. This could be from the compressor’s lubricant, or even vaporized lubricant.
- Internal Contaminants – The system itself could contain impurities such as mineral deposits, bacteria, pipe scaling, or rust.
- External Compressor Contaminants – These are contaminants that are in proximity of the compressor that may enter the air such as airborne particles, hydrocarbon vapors, or water vapor.
ISO 12500
ISO 12500 compliments ISO 8573 to develop comprehensive performance metrics for air compressor users. It’s a way to rank and quantify an air compressor filter’s ability to remove oil aerosols, vapors, and solid contaminants.
Finding A Class Zero Air Compressor
Are you looking for a class zero air compressor for your business? The experts at Compressor Services can help you find one that is right for you. Take a look at our sales page for more information, or if you have questions, contact us today!
