Vapor Filter 6059 3M™

The 3M 6059 filter is a combined gas cartridge of type ABEK1. It protects against four families of contaminants at once, making it the all-round filter of the 3M 6000 series range.

What ABEK1 means

• A: organic gases and vapours (solvents, thinners) with a boiling point above 65 °C.
• B: inorganic gases and vapours (chlorine, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen cyanide).
• E: acid gases (sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride).
• K: ammonia and amine derivatives.
• 1: capacity class, suited to low to medium concentrations.

Compatibility

The 6059 fits by bayonet onto 3M reusable masks: 7500 series half mask, 6000 series half mask and 6000 series full face masks such as the 3M 6800. Filters are fitted in pairs, one on each side, and are always changed together.

What it does not do

A gas cartridge does not stop particles. For work that produces both vapours and dust or aerosols (paint spraying, sanding treated materials), a particle pre-filter must be added.

Nor does it protect against oxygen deficiency, or against concentrations too high for a filtering mask. In that case, a powered air or supplied-air system is needed.

When to change it

As soon as the wearer notices a smell or taste of the contaminant, the cartridge is saturated. But some gases have no noticeable smell: this signal cannot be relied on, and replacement must follow a schedule set according to exposure. When not in use, store the mask and filters in a sealed bag: a cartridge left in the open keeps loading.

See also our reusable masks and our respiratory protection range.