When you hear the word “filter,” you’re probably more likely to think about the items in your house than any other use. For instance, filters are found in water pitchers or on kitchen faucets, and they’re used for furnaces and air conditioners to keep dust and pollen out of a house. Filters that purify air and water aren’t just a necessity at home, though — they’re also used by all types of businesses all over the world.

In fact, filters are big business for the United States, generating about $12.4 billion per year, and by 2020, air filters alone will contribute about $19 billion per year to the global economy. So which types of businesses benefit from using these industrial filtration systems? Here are five industries that regularly rely on this type of technology.

• Automotive: You may not think about it much, but there are actually several filters in your car. Oil filtration systems are some of the most common, but coolant filtration systems are also found in passenger vehicles and big trucks alike. Cars also contain air filters, which need to be changed from time to time to keep the cabin air clean.
• Agriculture: It may sound weird to combine the use of filters with agriculture, but it actually makes perfect sense. Have you ever used weed barrier in your garden? That’s a type of filter. Large farms also use similar filters for landscaping and plant protection. These geotextiles help plants get light and water while still being protected from the cold.
• Chemical: The chemical industry also requires several different types of filters. In some cases, these are used to create different products, ranging from consumer products to those used only in industrial spaces, like solvents or coolants. In addition to coolant filtration systems, though, the chemical industry also needs filters in safety equipment to keep workers safe and prevent them from breathing in potentially toxic fumes.
• Environmental: Ever wonder what’s required in order to bring clean water to your house and take wastewater away? You guessed it: filters! Environmental filtration includes products for effluent streams and controlling gas emissions, but it also can be used for applications in fish farms to provide clean water in these facilities.
• Manufacturing: Finally, even manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad need filters in order to keep machinery functioning. Coolant filtration systems help prevent large machine tools from overheating and breaking down. These systems can also prolong the life of that machinery.

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