These are composed of vegetable fibres (cotton, flax, wood, etc.) with a high cellulose content, compressed together in the form of blocks, slabs or plates without the aid of any binding materials, the fibres remaining in a loosely adherent condition.
The vegetable fibres may be mixed with asbestos fibres; in that case, the blocks, slabs or plates are classified in this heading provided that they still retain the character of articles of paper pulp. Before manufacture into blocks, slabs or plates the fibres are reduced to the consistency of paper pulp and, in view of the purpose for which they are required, are freed from all impurities in order to avoid giving a colour, odour or taste to the filtered materials. Filter blocks may also be manufactured by compressing together two or more such slabs made (sometimes by hand) from the prepared and purified pulp. Filter blocks (also known as filter mass) are used in filters for clarifying liquids (e.g., wine, spirits, beer, vinegar). They are classified in this heading irrespective of their size or shape.This heading excludes :(a) Cotton linters merely compressed in the form of sheets or slabs (heading 14.04). (b) Other paper products used for filtering liquids, e.g., filter paper (heading 48.05 or 48.23), cellulose wadding (heading 48.03 or 48.23).
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