What Is Bipolar Ionization and How Does It Work?
Salt is a common ionic compound, with sodium (Na) being the positively charged ion, and chlorine (Cl) being the negatively charged ion.
Bipolar ionization splits molecules in the air into positively and negatively charged ions. Ions occur naturally and are atoms that have either more or less electrons than usual. These opposite charges attract one another to form a compound. A common ionic compound that we see in our daily lives is salt (sodium chloride). In this compound, sodium is positively charged (having one less electron) while chlorine is negatively charged (having one more electron).
How Does Bipolar Ionization Work Within an Air Purifier?
Bipolar ionization works to create ions similar to salt, only using air molecules like water vapor (gas form of liquid water). When water vapor molecules are hit by the high energy of the machine, they will split into O2- and H+, similar to when they split into H+ and OH-. These will sometimes recombine into reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH) that are capable of removing hydrogen from other molecules, such as those that make up an essential part of a germ.
When bipolar ionization is deployed in a space, the positive and negative ions surround air particles. This added mass helps the air particles to fall to the floor and be pulled towards the building’s air filter to be removed from the air. Furthermore, as the positive and negative ions surround air particles that include pathogens (e.g. viruses, bacteria, mold spores) the ions pull hydrogen away from the pathogen.
In the case of a virus, the hydrogen is pulled away from its protein coat, or capsid. The hydrogen is a key component to the actual structure of the viral protein coat, and without it, the virus cannot infect. Think of the outer proteins of a virus as keys. They have to be able to fit the right lock (proteins on our cell’s surface). With a change in the key’s shape that resulted from the removal of hydrogen, it can no longer fit in the lock and infect us.
Watch: How does bipolar ionization work and how to apply properly
Bipolar ionization doesn’t replace higher filtration like a HEPA filter but helps bolster a filtration solution to help render viruses, bacteria, harmless and also treat VOCs and odors.
Due to some limitations in bipolar ionization technology, how it is applied is extremely important. Ions last only about 60 seconds so some facilities have difficulty getting proper ion counts into the occupied spaces when the systems are mounted in the ductwork. Ions also do not work instantly and take time to neutralize pathogens.
When bipolar ionization is integrated into a portable in-space system like an ISO-Aire™ commercial-grade air purifier, it allows for a more effective solution since it is paired with a HEPA and the ions are distributed right into the room without having to travel through the ductwork system. All ISO-Aire units utilize UL 2998 ozone-free ionization components.
Many businesses like restaurants, medical facilities, and schools have already begun to use portable air purifiers in their buildings to help protect the people inside. Because of its ability to cause viruses to lose their infectivity, various independent tests show that the clean air technology is also able to affect SARS-COv-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the same manner, making it a great technology for businesses to invest in.
And it’s not just germs that bipolar ionization helps to eliminate. In fact, the ions produced through the technology help eliminate harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odors, and other contaminants.
Learn more about how your building can protect the people inside by contacting our experts at ISO-Aire™. We also provide clean air solutions for school buses and transportation vehicles to help protect bus drivers and students with safe, purified air. Let us help you find the best solution for your property.
Watch: Top 5 Considerations When Looking at Bipolar Ionization
Watch: HEPA and bipolar ionization are the perfect pair