Blog Tag: carbon adsorption

For many years carbon media or expanded carbon, has been used for the reduction and removal of organic and inorganic gaseous pollutants. Expanded carbon or charcoal is produced using heat under high pressure that creates a surface area that has thousands of tiny openings that are capable of adsorbing gaseous molecules much higher in weight than the carbon itself. 

While carbon granules are often used in liquid filtration, the most common use is in air filtration whether in a stand alone filter or fan powered air filtration system. Carbon media filters have a fair amount of resistance and are therefore more often used in conjunction with a fan powered unit. 

Even though the expanded carbon has a high adsorption rate to weight of the carbon media, it will, over time, load up and stop adsorbing the odors or gases. Replacement cycles can be as long as once every 6 months to once every 6 weeks depending upon the severity of the gaseous pollutant.

For more information on carbon media filters and the complete line of air filtration systems, please go to our website at http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll free number at  800 869 8025.

Smoke from cigarettes and cigars is highly visible and has a distinct odor. It is pungent and will stick to any surface and re-release the odor for a long time. It will cling to clothing and stain hard surfaces over time. Of all the airborne contaminants we generate, cigarette smoke is the most difficult to remove from the air.

Smoke from cigarettes and cigars has both a particulate component and an odor component. Both difficult to capture using filtration systems. The odor can only be removed using carbon based media and the cigarette smoke will even plug up a HEPA filter over time.

The use of ozone generators or UV lights also do very little to alleviate this situation indoors and it is now  the reason smoking is prohibited in almost all indoor facilities, restaurants and eating establishments. It is just too difficult to mitigate with almost any filtration technology.

Pure Air Systems has been making high end, HEPA based, fan powered air filtration systems since 1985 and one of only three companies in the world that make systems for both the commercial and residential markets. The systems range in capacity from 50 DFM to 2000 CFM and can include a prefilter, scanned HEPA filter and carbon media. The systems now all use variable speed drive motors and are digitally controlled. The units are also capable of being used in 120/240 50/60hz applications.

For more information please go to our website at:  http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

The removal of gaseous pollutants ( odors ) is often accomplished by using a masking agent sprayed into the room or area with the odor. If the odor is temporary or infrequent then the aerosol spray deodorizers will usually meet the task. If, however, the odor is from a continuous source and is strong enough or dangerous to breathe then commercial grade carbon media filters will be required.

The use of expanded carbon ( charcoal) for the reduction/removal of airborne gaseous pollutants has been around for over 100 years. These carbon media packs ( usually 1 inch to 4 inches in depth) can be very effective at removing these strong, continuous odors and the carbon can be combined with other materials to catalyze some pollutants that are not removed by just carbon alone.

Pure Air Systems, has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based, fan powered, commercial grade air filtration systems, since 1985. These metal framed units incorporate the newer variable speed motors and the air flows range from a low of 50 CFM up to 2,000 CFM. PAS offers a wide range of sizes and configurations to fit any specific need. Some of the large units can hold up to 80 lbs of carbon media or applications where high concentrations of gaseous pollutants are present. 

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon filtration systems please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll free number at:  800-869-8025.

The removal of airborne odors and gaseous pollutants is a totally different technology than the removal of airborne particulate. To capture gaseous odors and pollutants requires some form of material or compound that can capture the gaesous molecules and hold them in place. The most commen type of material used for this type of process is carbon which is activated charcoal placed in a web-like enclosure. This material is created under high tempertures and has a very high surface area with lots of openings that can capture gaseous pollutants up to ten times its own weight. 

The term used for capturing gases and odors with carbon and other materials is the “adsorbtive process” This is different than the term “absorb” which is used with sponge-like materials. Carbon has a great affinity to capture and hold the majority of organic and inorganic gases and will hold them until the carbon becomes saturated at which time the carbon needs to bed replaced. Frequency of change is dependent upon the amount of odor producing gas and the volume of air ( in CFM ) that you are cleaning. 

Granular carbon media can be packaged in many ways. For water filtration the carbon media is placed in a porous bag or fine screen enclosure. For use in airborne processes it can be placed in a cardboard frame with fine screening material or infused in a  filter media type substrate an placed accordian style in a frame sized to fit into any opening. These carbon filters can be placed in the return air of HVAC ductwork and used in conjunction with air filters.

Pure Air Systems manufactures a complete line of fan-powered air filtration systems that can include HEPA and Carbon media filters or all Carbon media for applications where just gases and odors need to be removed. In all cases a prefiter is always placed in front of the carbon or HEPA filter fo keep the secondary filters clean.

For more information on the complete line of air filtration systems please go to our website at:  https://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at:  800-869-8025.

It is often said that people don’t want to hear you complain about issues and things that bother you on a regular basis. With the ability to express your every thought using social media, your issues are now broadcast around the world. Yes, everyone wants to vent about something and everyone hopes someone else will jump on their complaint band wagon.

However, when we do have a legitimate issue, especially one pertaining to our health, we do want someone to take our complaint seriously and not reject it as another “boy who cried wolf” emotion.

For 31 years Pure Air Systems has been selling their HEPA based air filtration systems to a wide range of customers including medical, institutional, industrial and residential. A large number of residential customers suffer from allergies or respiratory dysfunctions brought on by ingesting sub-micron airborne allergens and various types of particulate matter. Because the airborne particles are too small to see with the naked eye, when someone in the house or office complained about their severe reactions to the environment most people disregarded their complaints and paid little attention.

But for allergy sufferers and those individuals who really have issues with airborne molds and other building generated airborne contaminants these issues are real and can cause significant long-term health issues. It is ironic the the particles that tend to be trapped in the lung linings and mucus membranes are too small to see yet cause much more damage than the larger, visible airborne particulate that are aspirated in then out again.

The ability for the commercial grade, scanned HEPA filters, rated at 99.99% efficiency, to remove over 97% of these small, sub-micron particles is the reason people continue to purchase the PAS units over other types of filtration devices or systems. With over 31 years of experience in this arena, Pure Air Systems has become a major supplier of high-end, high performance, fan powered HEPA filtration systems.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based systems please go to our website at:   https://www.pureairsystems.com or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

Odors can trigger memories that are both pleasant and repulsive. You walk into your old school building and it has that same smell you remember as a young child and it instantly brings back memories of your days at that institution. You open up the trash can lid that is full of garbage and the odor instantly reminds you of the days you worked in landfill in the summer between college semester.Both odor are significant. One positive and one negative.

Our olfactory senses are more keen than our visual processes and smells and odors often affect us more than what we see.

In 1980 Pure Air Systems was formed to provide high performance, fan powered air filtration systems that would incorporate both HEPA filters and Carbon media. The HEPA filters remove a high percentage of sub-micron particulate and the carbon media removed a large percentage of odors and gaseous pollutants.

It is difficult to see any airborne particle that is smaller than 100 microns in size ( about the diameter of your hair) so it is often difficult to know if the HEPA system is actually working. If you suffer from allergies triggered by airborne pollen, ragweed, etc. and you notice that while you are in your air filtered living environment that you have fewer issues with your allergies then one can assume the filtration system is working. When you have specific odors in the house, be they animal, cooking or smoking odors, a significant reduction or removal of the odors is notice immediately upon entering that room or living environment.

The systems manufactured by Pure Air Systems can incorporate up to 60 lbs of granular activated carbon in replaceable 15 lb framed cartridges. The smaller unit can carry up to 30 lbs of carbon. These high density, high capacity systems can significantly reduce odors and gaseous pollutants in commercial, institutional, industrial, medical and residential applications.

Typically these carbon filters need to be changed on a 3 to 6 month basis depending upon the nature of the odor and the amount of time the systems are running. For most home applications 6 months is a good change out frequency. These systems can be attached to an existing, ducted HVAC system or used as stand-alone units. The variable speed ECM motors used in these systems allows for incremental control of the speed and air flow.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based systems please go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com  or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

Star Wars new movie will be in theaters in 19 days. May the Force be with you and all the Christmas themed Star Wars  paraphernalia that will line the shelves of the stores starting anytime soon. If you have a daughter she is probably a Frozen Movie fan and if you have a son he will be a Star Wars fan…even if he was not around for the first 6 installments he will join the SW Cult. It is written in the stars.

Gaining this type of multi-generational following is somewhat extraordinary when you think about it. There are few movies or books that have hooked people of all ages. Even Harry Potter books and movies are followed mostly by the younger generation and not much interest has spilled over to the over 50 crowd. The baby boomers grew up with Star Wars and this year billions of people will go see this movie which will make it the biggest money maker in the history of the movie industry.

In 1985 the first commercial HEPA based filtration systems were produced and sold to the residential market place. Up until then, true HEPA units were almost used exclusively by the electronics industry and the newly formed micro-chip manufacturing companies. Pure Air Systems introduced the HEPA filter systems to a much broader market and over the years developed a total of 7 systems.

Today, 32 years later, Pure Air Systems is one of the major players in the development and production of high performance, fan powered, commercial grade, variable speed control volume HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems. And like Star Wars, PAS products have become somewhat generational in that people that purchased our HEPA systems in the mid 80’s are now watching their children use them in this decade. In fact, the only other company that makes an industrial grade HEPA system is located in Sweden. Making PAS the premier supplier of true HEPA filtration systems for the residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and medical markets in the U.S.

For more information on our complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025

3D Printing has become a passion of mine. One of my business ventures entails the use of 3D printing to develop prototypes of hard technologies, objects and working parts for entrepreneurs. I also work with schools to help them obtain 3D printers for their classrooms. As all schools have eliminated wood shop, metal shop and any type of mechanical equipment education, the 3D printer can now take the place of any or all of these now defunct instructional classes.

One of the great things about 3D printing is their ability to use over 50 different types of materials for making almost any object. The more typical filaments include ABS ( typical plastic used in Lego’s and most household items, PLA, a plastic made from corn starch and HIPS, high impact polystyrene. Of course you can now print with all types of nylon, carbon fiber, graphene, conductive, magnetic, poly carbonate and stem cells if you prefer.

Of the three most commonly used filaments, ABS has some distinct positives and negatives. It is very durable and has great compression and shear strength and prints fairly easily. The downside is the odor that is generated by the high temperatures required to melt the filament at the extruder head..usually 230 to 240 degrees C. Also, as the layers of ABS cool they tend to shrink a little and if the printer bed is not heated ( usually 110 dgrees C) and if there are cold drafts the print object can actually lift off the build platform.

To both minimize the odor and shrinkage issue, Pure Air Systems has created a prototype housing that will fit over almost all of the 3D printers on the market. The size was based upon the Aleph Objects Companies, Lulzbot TAZ 5 open source 3D printer. This is one of the more popular printers on the market has a fairly good size footprint. The enclosure has four sides including a swing over the top hinged front door for easy access to the entire print surface including the filament and it is all made out of plexiglass. On the top of the unit is a small compartment with a true carbon media filter and a small fan to very gently pull air from around the bottom of the enclosure to remove the odor but maintain the temperature of the interior of the enclosure above ambient by holding in the heat from the build platform. Thus eliminating the odor issue and keeping the ABS objects on the build platform and ending up with a better print.

Pure Air Systems makes a complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration products for every market and is now 32 years old. Their expertise in ventilation, HEPA filtration and odor control will help them produce a product that is both high performing and lost cost. Look for more information on this new 3D Enclosure coming soon.

For more information on Pure Air Systems, please go to their websites at: https://www.pureairsystems.com or call them anytime at: 800-869-8025.

When magicians place a person in a box, cover the box, then pull the cover away within seconds and the person is gone, this trick is often referred to as misdirection or sometimes called slight of hand. In either case the idea is to get you to look one way while the action is actually taking place somewhere else. Simple, effective and easily done by trained entertainers who couch themselves as Magicians.

Misdirection was, and in many cases still is, used often in the early 30’s and 40’s when a peddler selling a product would demonstrate the operation and value of the item to the audience. When you purchased the item, always packed in a box, took it home it often didn’t work or would not perform at the same level as described by the salesmen. When you went to return the item the seller was often no where to be seen. Even today with the “As Seen On TV” products flood the dollar stores and discount houses, the products often fail to meet the perceived expectations.

The technicians at Pure Air Systems have been manufacturing commercial grade, certified, fan powered HEPA based air filtration systems  since 1985. From the beginning the systems produced by PAS always met or exceeded the performance expectations of their customers. The PAS systems are a more expensive product than some of the other non-HEPA based filtration, air purification and electronic air cleaners currently on the market. Unfortunately many of these “lesser performing devices” claim to provide the same particle reduction capabilities as HEPA filters, but at a lower cost.

Often times a new Pure Air Systems customer will try one, two or more alternate “air filtration/purification” devices before they actually purchase one of the seven different HEPA models offered by PAS. The other “HEPA Type” or “HEPA Like” companies provide inaccurate information as to the overall ability of their products to remove and/or reduce the levels of harmful airborne particulates and contaminants. But because the systems are less expensive individuals will buy the hype only to find their is truth in the statement, “you get what you pay for.”

This is not to say that other types of filtration and purification systems are effective. But for those companies, institutions and medical operations that require initial efficiency’s of 99.99% at 0.3 microns or larger, then the only option they have is to use the HEPA based systems by Pure Air Systems. Don’t be fooled by the imitators.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com  or follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems, or call us at anytime on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

There is no lack of comment, opinion and overblown diatribe regarding the upcoming potential “fiscal cliff.” The politicos love to be able to scare people by predicting economic catastrophe if certain members of either party don’t come to a consensus on how to resolve this problem. The interesting thing is that even if the parties don’t agree something will happen without their involvement or decision. And, chances are that all this partisan posturing will be replaced with a compromise that will give credit to both parties while making the right decision for the American public. Disaster averted!

In the field of air filtration there are often two distinct approaches to resolving the same problem. And, like the political parties, one is often more correct than the other. More over, the right decision will have a very positive effect over a very long period of time and for a large number of individuals.

The removal of airborne particles from indoor air environments has always employed some type of mechanical filter. Cloth medias, fiberglass filters, cotton fiber filters and the man made medias ( including HEPA ) have been around for over 70 years. Mechanical filters are simple in nature. They capture the airborne particles that are drawn through them ( usually by a fan or air moving device) and the larger particles get caught in the media fibers while some of the tiny particles pass through. Over time as the filter media loads up, or gets dirtier, even most of the smaller particles are caught in the filter. In the case of HEPA filters, sub-micron particles are captured at efficiencies approaching 99.99% at less than 0.3 microns in size.

One other type of filtration device was also developed and used in the early 50’s and a variation of that technology is still use today. The electronic air cleaner was a simple device that used positive/negative charges to attract particles as they passed through a charged wire grid. The earlier versions were not very effective except for capturing very large particles. The newer versions are slightly better but this technology is really not appropriate for any applications except general duty residential.

In the 70’s another style of air filtration device hit the market. However, these devices were referred to as air purifiers and not air filters. These consisted of ozone generators and ionizers. They did not use any type of media and were touted as being able to purify the air in your home or office and no filters needed to be changed. Simply wipe the attraction plates or replace a small component part once in a while and you had all the clean air you could ask for. Unless you really wanted it to actually work at removing airborne particles.

Air purifiers are simply not capable of eliminating the harmful, sub-micron, airborne particles and allergens in the air. This is the reason that hospitals, laboratories, chip manufacturers, optics companies, the CDC, etc. etc. do not use air purifiers for any application. They rely only on mechanical filters such as HEPA filters. But, the discussion continues to rage on and there are proponents on both sides of the equation.

For more information on mechanical filter and HEPA air filtration systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com or follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems. You can always reach us at our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.