A variety of industrial processes require the use of destructive fluids such as hot acids or solvents. For example, in the semiconductor fabrication industry, concentrated sulfuric acid heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Centigrade) is used for etching. In use, these destructive fluids usually become contaminated, e.g., with small undissolved particles, and either must be replaced or must be purified and reclaimed.
Since these destructive fluids may be expensive or may be used in large quantities and since it is difficult to safely dispose of these fluids, it is typically more desirable to purify and reclaim them than replace them. Various filtering apparatus for purifying contaminated destructive fluids have been previously suggested in the art. However, these filtering apparatus, which typically include a porous filter and support and flow-directing structure associated with the filter, frequently fail to withstand the deteriorative effects of the destructive fluids being purified. Either the porous filter or the associated structure, or both, are damaged or destroyed in the purification process. On the other hand, filtering apparatus immune to the deteriorative effects of these destructive fluids are frequently fabricated from exotic materials, such as certain exotic metals, and, therefore, are not only difficult to fabricate but also expensive.