Glossary of Filtration Technologies: A

AAPS

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a dynamic forum for the exchange of knowledge among pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnology scientists. GEA Filtration have exhibited at several AAPS events and have mainly been promoting the advanced membrane filtration unit model M pharma pilot plant - a cGMP laboratory-scale test plant designed for feasibility testing in the microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration ranges.

AARH - Arithmetic Average Roughness Height

It is a method of determining surface roughness.

Absolute Pressure

The measurement of pressure relative to the pressure in a vacuum. It is equal to the sum of the pressure shown on a pressure gauge and atmospheric pressure.

Actuator

A device used to transfer motion from one object to another. An actuator activates a movement or a process.

Acidophilus milk

Acidophilus milk is milk seeded with living Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria used to improve the balance of beneficial bacteria in the intestines of the person who drinks the milk.

ADPI

American Dairy Products Institute.

Algae

Algae is a very diverse group of photosynthetic plants, ranging from microscopic single- cell forms to multi-cellular, very large forms such as seaweed. All of them contain chlorophyll and hence most are green, but some of them may be different colors due to the presence of other, overshadowing pigments.

Ambient temperature

Room temperature, in laboratory reports, is taken to be roughly 21-23 degrees Celsius (70-73 degrees Fahrenheit), or 294-296 kelvins. The "standard" room temperature is 22 °C (72 °F or 295 K).

AMI - The American Meat Institute

AMI is the national trade association representing companies that process 70 percent of U.S. meat and poultry and their suppliers throughout America. Headquartered in metropolitan Washington, DC, AMI keeps its fingers on the pulse of legislation, regulation and media activity that impacts the meat and poultry industry and provides rapid updates and analyses to its members to help them stay informed. In addition, AMI conducts scientific research through its Foundation designed to help meat and poultry companies improve their plants and their products. The Institute's many meetings and educational seminars also provide excellent networking and information-sharing opportunities for members of the industry. The American Meat Institute was founded in Chicago, IL in 1906 just after passage of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, one of the first U.S. laws to set federal food processing standards. Originally called the American Meat Packers Association, the organization devoted much of its efforts in the early years to helping its nearly 300 member companies acclimate to the new federal inspection. Other early issues included fighting Congressional efforts to saddle the meat industry with the cost of its own inspection, pushing for greater meat export opportunities and sponsoring meat nutrition research. AMI supports the Worldwide Food Expo (together with the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)) where GEA Filtration always exhibit their latest technologies.

Amino Acids

Amino Acids: Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (NH2) and a carboxyl (COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.

Amorphous

Amorphous - meaning lacking definite form (shapeless); lacking organization (formless); lacking distinct crystalline structure. Note that the term amorphous is often used loosely in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The actual definition limit "amorphous" to materials which truly have no long range order, only the short range order characteristic of liquids. Anyway, the term amorphous is commonly used to encompass other materials, such as disordered crystalline and microcrystalline solids.

Antibody

An antibody is a protein produced by the immune system in humans and animals, which binds to a specific antigen.

Antigen

Antigen is a foreign substance that, when introduced into the body, can simulate an immune respose.

Antioxidant

A compound or substance that inhibits or delays oxidation. Vitamin A, C, E and some B's, betacarotene, as well as some enzymes are antioxidants and can affect important processing steps in the beverage (especially beer and wine), food and dairy industries.

AOCS

American Oil Chemists' Society.

API

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient. API is obviously an abbreviation for many different phrases but in our industry it is commonly used as substance in a drug that is pharmaceutically active. Some medications may contain more than one active ingredient. The traditional word for the API is pharmacon. A dosage form of a drug is traditionally composed of two things: the API and an excipient (which is the substance of the tablet, or the liquid the API is suspended in, or other material that is pharmaceutically inert).

Aseptic

Aseptic means "free of pathological microorganisms" or using methods "to keep free of microorganisms". In the processing world we refer to "aseptic processing" - meaning a processing area or system free of living germs and organisms. An aseptic processing system or area can also be classified as a sterile system or area.

Asphaltenes

Insoluble, semi-solid, or solid particles which are combustible and are highly aromatic. Asphaltenes contain a high carbon to hydrogen ratio and entrap water, fuel ashes and other impurities.

ATEX

ATEX is the name commonly given to the framework for controlling explosive atmospheres and the standards of equipment and protective systems used in them. It is actually based on the requirements of two European Directives, namely Directive 99/92/EC (a.k.a. ATEX Workplace Directive) on minimum requirements for improving the health and safety protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres and Directive 94/9/EC (a.k.a. ATEX Equipment Directive') on the approximation of the laws of Members States concerning equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Autoclave

An autoclave is an apparatus (vessel) for sterilizing utilizing a combination of heat and high pressure steam.

GEA Filtration supplies membrane filtration plants. For further information please use the navigation bar and the links on the top section of this page.