The Smarter Route to Chemical Compatibility in Filter Housings

Written by David Keay | Nov 17, 2025

When specifying filter housings for aggressive chemical or solvent-based processes, material selection is always a balancing act. Stainless steel offers mechanical strength, pressure integrity, and ease of fabrication — but it can corrode in contact with strong acids, chlorides, or mixed solvents.

Historically, the common workaround has been to use PTFE-lined housings. While PTFE provides excellent chemical resistance, its mechanical and thermal limitations often lead to premature failure, maintenance issues, or contamination risks.

Today, there’s a more advanced and permanent solution: Tantaline® vapour deposition — a technology that transforms the surface of stainless-steel housings, giving them tantalum’s exceptional chemical inertness without sacrificing the strength and practicality of stainless steel.

How Tantaline® Works

Tantaline® vapour deposition uses a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process to apply a tantalum diffusion layer directly onto the surface of stainless steel or other base metals.

At high temperature, tantalum atoms bond metallurgically into the substrate, creating a dense, uniform, 2–5 µm thick surface layer that behaves as pure tantalum. Unlike coatings or linings, this surface cannot flake, peel, or delaminate — it’s an integral part of the metal itself.

The result: a housing with the mechanical integrity of 316L stainless steel and the corrosion resistance of tantalum, one of the most chemically inert metals known.

Tantaline® vs PTFE-Lined Housings

Feature	Tantaline® Surface	PTFE-Lined Housing
Chemical Resistance	Excellent – resists all inorganic acids including HCl, HNO₃, H₂SO₄, HF, and chlorides	Excellent in many acids but limited by temperature and mechanical stress
Temperature Limit	Up to 500 °C+	Typically below 200 °C
Mechanical Strength	Full stainless-steel strength retained	Lining can creep, deform, or tear under load
Bond Integrity	Metallurgically bonded, will not delaminate	Adhesive bond, prone to detachment under thermal or pressure cycling
Surface Cleanliness	Metal surface, minimal extractables – ideal for high-purity systems	PTFE can release fluorinated compounds over time
Maintenance Needs	Permanent – no re-lining required	Lining may need repair or replacement
Lifecycle Cost	Higher initial cost, lower long-term cost	Lower upfront cost, higher maintenance costs

Where It Fits in Filtration

Tantaline®-treated housings are especially valuable in chemical process filtration, where aggressive fluids and cleaning regimes can destroy conventional housings or liners.

Typical applications include:

Acid filtration systems – HCl, H₂SO₄, HF, and mixed acid processes
Pharmaceutical and API production – resistance to solvents and cleaning agents like nitric acid or caustic CIP
Fine and specialty chemicals – protection against chlorinated organics and solvent blends
Semiconductor and electronics – high-purity, low-extractable systems for ultra-clean fluids
Catalyst and recovery systems – where longevity and chemical inertness improve process economics

By upgrading stainless housings with Tantaline®, filtration engineers can extend equipment life, reduce maintenance frequency, and maintain system purity even in the most aggressive chemistries.

Benefits for Filtration System Owners

Longer Service Life: Eliminates corrosion-related failure, extending housing lifespan manyfold.
No Liner Maintenance: Removes the need for periodic re-lining or inspection of PTFE bonds.
Improved Purity: No fluoropolymer extractables or contamination risks.
Simplified Design: Uses standard cartridge sealing and closure systems — no special adaptors needed.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Reduced downtime and replacement costs over time.

For decades, PTFE-lined housings have been the default choice when corrosion resistance was required. However, with the advent of Tantaline® vapour deposition, engineers now have a permanent, high-performance alternative that delivers the same — and often better — chemical resistance while retaining all the structural benefits of stainless steel.

In short, why line it when you can tantalize it?

Tantaline® surfaces provide the ideal foundation for chemical process filter housings, ensuring longer service life, higher reliability, and reduced total cost — a clear win for both process engineers and plant operators.

If you have any questions on Tantaline® vapour deposition or our range of Multi or Single Industrial Filter Housings or the cartridges used in chemical processing; PTFE Membrane Filters or PP Pleated Depth Filters, then you can give us a call or send us an email - we’d be more than happy to help.

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