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Friday, November 18, 2011

Want to Know About Carbon Air Filters?

In addition to exposure to outdoor pollutants, several other substances present indoors are found to have negative health effects. Air purifiers that remove indoor air pollutants and contaminants have become popular. They use various kinds of filters among which carbon filters are one.



Carbon air filters remove the contaminants by a basic principle of adsorption. Adsorption is a process of adhesion of various particles like ions, atoms, molecules of gas, liquid, and dissolved solids to a surface. Activated charcoal is the important constituent of carbon filters. Upon activation, the carbon of charcoal gets an electropositive charge and attracts the negatively charged impurities in air. Activated carbon filters have high porosity and a large surface area attracting more pollutants and hence, enable cleaning large volumes of air.

When the air passes through a carbon filter, the airborne gases (like carbon-dioxide, ammonia), chemicals (like volatile organic compounds), and odors stick to the carbon by a specific reaction. They are highly efficient in removing unpleasant smell from the room. Some of them are also good to remove dust mites, pollen and pet dander. As the porous carbon is filled with these contaminants after a long time use, it may not attract the pollutants any more. So, it is necessary often to replace the carbon filters with a new one to ensure efficient functioning. However, they are used in conjunction with other air purifiers like HEPA filters. The activated carbon works efficiently in any temperature and humidity conditions. It is also non-toxic and hence, the carbon filters are safe to use and handle. They are also available in affordable ranges.

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