That isn't a very good filter and it's overpriced for what it contains. The charcoal half is for odor removal which isn't necessary since the compressed air isn't for breathing. The clear beads are silica gel desiccant. It would be much more efficient if it contained 3x, 5x, or 13x zeolite molecular sieve desiccant. I can't tell if that plastic cartridge is owner repackable. If it is, I'd throw away the charcoal and buy some tan desiccant beads. I recently bought a pound of desiccant beads on eBay for $11 shipped. It is enough to last for a decade in my Alkin repackable filter cartridge.
You can McGiver your own desiccant cartridge. Buy a pack of clear projector transparency sheets from an office supply store. Use a single edge razor blade to cut 1/2" plugs out of the round tampon tube filter that came with the compressor. Buy some 8x12 bead size molecular sieve. Size a transparency sheet by rolling it up and allowing it to expand to the inside diameter of the gold filter tower. Tape the outside of the tube. Place a plug on one end and pour in the desiccant, leaving room for the other end plug. Plug the other end and you have a more effective and much cheaper filter than the one pictured from PA.
