The heart of Brink mist eliminators is the collecting fibre. Fibrebed mist eliminator performance can be affected over time by fibre corrosion or by accumulation of plugging agents. MECS provides free fibre sample analyses for Brink mist eliminator users to evaluate the condition of their fibrebeds to help predict remaining service life.

There are a number of ways to collect fibre samples. One way is to take a few "pinches" off the upstream surface of the bed. Another option is to take a core sample if there is a need for a more in-depth evaluation.

If internal plugging is suspected, a fibre core sample can be taken which is a small round section of packing removed from the fibre bed. The entire depth of the bed is removed. Core samples are very useful in detecting the presence of plugging materials and the extent to which plugging materials have penetrated the fibre bed. A rubber cork borer ranging in size from about 3/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter (9 to 12 mm) is used to take core samples. A rubber cork borer can be obtained from a laboratory supply store. It is then convenient to use a plunger to push the core sample into a test tube for safe keeping. After samples are taken, the resulting hole in the element should be carefully plugged using laboratory glass wool sometimes referred to as "angel hair".

Before sending fiber samples, a safety sample data sheet needs to be completed first and sent to MECS for approval. Click here to download the data sheet.