Innovative Enhancement of the Design and Precision of the Capillary Suction Time Testing Device

Abstract

The capillary suction time (CST) test can be used as an alternative to predict the otherwise expensive, hard-to-run specific resistance to filtration test. One of the major drawbacks of the CST test, however, is relatively high variability of test results. The aim of this study was, therefore, to improve the product design by testing the effectiveness of using a funnel sealant to reduce variability. Use of a funnel sealant resulted in increased test precision. There was a reduction of up to 63% in the coefficient of variation and a substantial improvement in the predictability of the specific resistance to filtration test.