Profile: Lab Society specializes in providing lab supplies and laboratory equipment. Vacuum filtration (or suction filtration) is an indispensable technique for distillation, extraction, and purification. Compared with traditional, gravity-assisted filtration, adding a vacuum to your system greatly increases speed and efficiency in lab. The theory behind this powerful process is relatively straightforward, as we'll outline below. Filter paper used for filter applications in the lab. Made from cotton cellulose and is most commonly used for clarifying solutions.