When working in a laboratory on the analysis of various substances you may wonder which type of filter paper would best serve you. Qualitative and Quantitative filter papers serve distinctly different purposes and knowing what that difference is will be vital for the accuracy, integrity, and quality of you and your team’s work.
But how do you know which type of filter paper is best for you? What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative filter paper? What are all the nuances in between?
We are here to help you break it down and answer those questions so you can make the best decision about the tools needed for your work.
What are Qualitative Filter Papers?
Qualitative is defined as of, relating to, or involving quality or kind according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary.
But what does this mean in lab analysis terms?
Qualitative filter paper is used in the qualitative technique of chemical analysis and corresponding filtration separation. This means that it is best suited for analysis of what the components of the substance are. It’s an analysis of what the ‘kind’ or ‘quality’ is of the components the substance is made up of.
Qualitative filter paper also does not exceed 0.13% ash content after ashing.
What are Quantitative Filter Papers?
Quantitative is defined as of, relating to, or involving the measurement of quantity or amount according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary.
And again, what does this mean for the purpose of lab analysis?
Quantitative filter papers are used for the quantitative technique of chemical analysis of samples. Generally speaking this means they are used for measurement analysis of samples. These papers can also be used to prepare samples for gravimetric analysis. Gravimetric analysis is a type of analysis that determines the mass or concentration of a sample by analyzing the change in mass.
Quantitative filter papers do not exceed 0.0009% of ash produced after ashing. Quantitative filter papers are also available entirely ashless.
Are There More Options Than Just Qualitative and Quantitative?
Of course there is! Under the umbrella of these two categories are a wide variety of choices for your work.
- Cellulose Filters Papers
These filters are made up of high quality cotton liners treated to have an alpha cellulose content of at least 98%. These filters can be either quantitative or qualitative and come in different degrees of harness and purity and of varying chemical resistance. This makes them a wonderful choice for many different laboratory analyses
- Hardened Filter Papers
These papers are acid hardened giving them an extremely low level of ash content. As you may guess, that makes these papers quantitative! Depending on the speed of filtration they can be used for a wide variety of applications.
- Ashless Filter Papers
Ashless filter papers allow for enhanced filtration speed without sacrificing the purity of the substance. This makes them ideal for getting the best possible result in the shortest amount of time. Who doesn’t love a time saver! Ashless filter papers are quantitative as well.
- Soil Analysis Filter Papers
Soil analysis filter papers are specifically designed to handle soil components. Analysis of soil deals with a variety of different analyses. And so, these papers can be either qualitative or quantitative in nature.
- Glass Microfiber Filter Paper
Glass Microfiber Filter Paper can come as either binder glass microfiber or binder glass free microfiber. These papers are made up of 100% borosilicate glass. Often they are used for a hard to filter substance or to prefilter. They can be used in analysis using very high temperatures and they have a fast flow rate.
What Else Should I Consider When Choosing Filter Papers?
There are so many factors to be considered when choosing a filter paper for your purposes. You need to consider filtration speed, ash content, the chemical compatibility of the substance you are working with, filter paper grade, and the level of purification needed.
To Summarize
There are many choices for you and your team in terms of what type of filter papers to use in your work. Your choice depends upon the type of analysis you will be doing and what elements are coming into play in that analysis.
Here at Tisch Scientific we have everything you need for your work. No matter what the quantity of the work you are doing we are here to guarantee it will be quality.