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Marketing - Science (general) / water filtration | | French term or phrase: La chasse aux 9. | To explain the context, here is the text that follows: Cette tactique implique l’utilisation de méthodes d’analyse plus poussées pour permettre de prétendre à un pourcentage de réduction du contaminant plus élevé. Ainsi, tout est mis en œuvre pour atteindre le très peu réaliste 99.99%.
As per text. this is one of three actions undertaken by water filtration device manufacturers to sell their products. I have never heard of this "chasse aux 9" strategy. Is there an equivalent in English? If not, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! |
| Sonia GouinKudoZ activityQuestions: 31 (none open) ( 2 closed without grading) Answers: 0
| | Local time: 17:39
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| | English translation:"the quest for nines" | Explanation:
I notice that your quoted text refers to 99.99% or "4 nines" although other answerers are referring to 5 nines. So I don't think the number of nines is necessarily relevant.
Filter performance is quoted either as % or as a log value. For example, 99.999% would be 10(5) [10 to power 5]. They can be hard to interpret - 99.999% is TEN times better than 99.99%, which is TEN times better than 99.9%, and so on. As log (or so-called "titre or log reduction" values), these three efficiencies become 10(5), 10(4) and 10(3), making the differences easier to interpret.
When I worked in the filter industry, which I did for 24 years, I dealt with titre reduction values for sterilising filters of > 10(13), in other numbers, 99.99999999999% (13 9's). This becomes essential since bacteria grow, so in theory even one passing through the filter could grow to produce many billions by the time an injectable drug reaches your arm!
I never came across this actual phase but the sense of your text made me think of the "Quest for the Holy Grail". |
| Selected response from:
 Simon Cole
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:39
| Grading comment I was first tempted to go with "aiming for five nines" since it is a common expression in the industry but you have convinced me that the number of nines is not relevant. Thanks so much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
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3 mins confidence:  
45 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +3 "the quest for nines"
Explanation:
I notice that your quoted text refers to 99.99% or "4 nines" although other answerers are referring to 5 nines. So I don't think the number of nines is necessarily relevant.
Filter performance is quoted either as % or as a log value. For example, 99.999% would be 10(5) [10 to power 5]. They can be hard to interpret - 99.999% is TEN times better than 99.99%, which is TEN times better than 99.9%, and so on. As log (or so-called "titre or log reduction" values), these three efficiencies become 10(5), 10(4) and 10(3), making the differences easier to interpret.
When I worked in the filter industry, which I did for 24 years, I dealt with titre reduction values for sterilising filters of > 10(13), in other numbers, 99.99999999999% (13 9's). This becomes essential since bacteria grow, so in theory even one passing through the filter could grow to produce many billions by the time an injectable drug reaches your arm!
I never came across this actual phase but the sense of your text made me think of the "Quest for the Holy Grail".
| Simon Cole
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 4
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| | Grading comment | I was first tempted to go with "aiming for five nines" since it is a common expression in the industry but you have convinced me that the number of nines is not relevant. Thanks so much. |
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The translation workplace 
