How Do Central Smoke and Dust Purifiers Work?

The best smoke and dust purifiers use a circulating fan to suck up air from around the room, filtering out unwanted particles. These include soot, cooking odors, bacteria, viruses and outdoor pollen.

You can check the room’s air quality at any time through a display or via a smartphone app. You can also program the device to switch modes and fans at different times of day.

PCO Air Purifier

PCO air purification is a cutting-edge technology that uses photocatalytic oxidation to destroy harmful contaminants in the air. Activated by UV light, the coating on the filter surface creates chemical molecules capable of decomposing pathogens, odors, smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde and benzene. This process also eliminates mold and mildew spores, which can trigger allergies and other respiratory ailments.

These reactions occur at the molecular level on the surface of the air purifier’s catalyst grid. Many manufacturers claim that their products are able to destroy non-microscopic biological contamination, such as dander and dust mites. This is a misrepresentation, as these objects are too large to be killed by the oxidation process. PCO’s principal targets are gas-phase pollutants and odors, and VOCs from carpet, paint, household cleaners and perfumes.

In addition to killing contaminant vapors, the reaction on the filter surface also destroys bacteria and viruses. As a result, a quality air purifier with a UV component can help central smoke anddust purification to prevent the spread of respiratory illness in a work environment.

Some of the problems associated with photocatalytic oxidation include the short catalyst lifetime and formation of potentially toxic byproducts. Research is ongoing to address these issues and improve the overall efficiency of the technology.

UV Air Cleaner

UV light disinfects the air by killing harmful pathogens and other microorganisms. It does this by exposing them to UV radiation – which is harmless to people because it only touches the surface of the microorganism, not its interior – and essentially “burning” them by damaging their genetic material.

The UV rays used in the most reliable air purifiers for coronavirus use are contained within the unit’s body to prevent direct exposure and are only applied for a limited amount of time. Because the light isn’t constantly turned on and off, it takes longer than a conventional filter to clean the entire air volume in the room.

As with ozone generators, many UV air purifiers also produce dangerous ground-level ozone. However, most leading personal devices designed for home and office use feature UV-C filtered lamps that don’t generate ozone and keep the light away from sensitive insulated wiring and plastic components.

Unfortunately, most HVAC systems move the air too quickly to allow for enough dwell time on contaminants to achieve effective inactivation. This is particularly true when a UV system uses a 6″ lamp rather than a 16″ one that would create the same amount of inactivation time with less light intensity. Also, because UV rays can change chemical bonds in some plastics, a poorly engineered UV device may actually deteriorate the wire or other plastic parts of an HVAC system, allowing germs and viruses to re-enter the airstream.

Welding Smoke Extraction Units

Welding fumes can be hazardous for employees and require proper ventilation in order to avoid long term side effects like respiratory irritation or even lung cancer. Welding smoke extraction systems (also known as welding fume extractors) work differently than natural ventilation, capturing weld fumes close to the source before they can disperse throughout a facility. They use a series of filters to capture hazardous compounds and are typically pulse clean, which means they can be run continuously without requiring manual cleaning or shutting down for maintenance. Some units also have a built in alarm (via light or gauge) to signal when the filter is nearing its limit and will need to be changed.

Some facilities choose to use point-of-use fume extraction systems where one unit is placed at each welding station. This is great for facilities with spread out layouts where it may not be practical to install ductwork at each welding station or workstation.

Other workers prefer centralized welding exhaust system where all fumes are captured, filtered and extracted in one location. This allows multiple welders to operate at the same time and reduces energy costs by not having to heat and cool a room to maintain work temperature. These types of systems also allow for the use of specialty hoods and extraction arms that are more maneuverable than standard portable models.

Ambient Dust Collection

Dust and fumes in the air can be dangerous for workers, as well as damaging to equipment. Effective industrial dust collection systems control, reduce and remove contaminant particles from air in production and manufacturing environments to meet environmental and workplace safety standards.

Regulatory agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) publish air quality standards regarding acceptable levels of central smoke anddust purification airborne particulate matter in manufacturing facilities. Meeting these standards ensures that employees can perform their jobs safely and efficiently.

There are several types of dust collection systems used in facilities that produce powdered materials. The type of system you select will depend on your facility’s chemistry, the size and volume of the material you are producing and the types of tools you use.

Cartridge dust collectors use perforated cylindrical metal cartridges lined with pleated nonwoven filter media to separate contaminants from air streams. They have moderate efficiencies (+90%) for larger contaminant particles and can be cleaned by shaking, reverse air flow or pulse jet methods. These types of systems are often used for powder coating companies and woodshops.

Silica is a common ingredient in cosmetic powders, and it creates a lot of dust. To meet OSHA requirements, cosmetic powder manufacturers install sophisticated dust collection systems. Baghouses, which are also called fabric or bag filters, use multiple fabric filter tubes to capture and separate silica from air streams. They are typically cleaned by shaking, pulse jet or reverse air flow methods.