An air ionizer, or air ioniser depending on where you live, is actually a negative ion generator! This is an electronic device that you can use in your home, which uses a electric high voltage to ionize molecules of air. This is the natural air that surrounds us all the time and ionizing just means that the air molecules affected by the process become electrically charged.
By using ionization, the air molecules that interact with a device like this can be given an electric charge that is either positive or negative. A commercial air ionizer is designed to create negatively charged air molecules, which are also called negative ions or anions. These negative ions are in effect particles that have one or more extra electrons and because of this they confer an overall net negative charge to that particle. This is what is produced by these ionizer devices.
If the air molecules are positive ions then they are actually missing one or more electrons, and then they are called actions and the resulting particle will have a net positive charge. These are not produced by these types of air purifier! Almost all of the commercial air ionizers you see advertised have been specifically designed to only generate the negative ions from surrounding air molecules. An air ionizer as we know it will be used in air purifiers that we buy to use in our homes.
This is how they work most often. In the air around us there are always very small airborne particles which you cannot see with the naked eye and these are then attracted to the ionizer’s electrode using a method that is similar in effect to that caused by static electricity. Rub a balloon and you will know what is meant by this!
This process ionizes the particles and normally these ions would be de-ionized just by touching earthed conductors located nearby such as the walls and ceilings in your home. An air ionizer is a very clever device. And in order to increase the real efficiency of this de-ionization process you will find that some of the more commercial models will provide similar surfaces within the ionizer device to make sure that everything works so much better!
By using ionization, the air molecules that interact with a device like this can be given an electric charge that is either positive or negative. A commercial air ionizer is designed to create negatively charged air molecules, which are also called negative ions or anions. These negative ions are in effect particles that have one or more extra electrons and because of this they confer an overall net negative charge to that particle. This is what is produced by these ionizer devices.
If the air molecules are positive ions then they are actually missing one or more electrons, and then they are called actions and the resulting particle will have a net positive charge. These are not produced by these types of air purifier! Almost all of the commercial air ionizers you see advertised have been specifically designed to only generate the negative ions from surrounding air molecules. An air ionizer as we know it will be used in air purifiers that we buy to use in our homes.
This is how they work most often. In the air around us there are always very small airborne particles which you cannot see with the naked eye and these are then attracted to the ionizer’s electrode using a method that is similar in effect to that caused by static electricity. Rub a balloon and you will know what is meant by this!
This process ionizes the particles and normally these ions would be de-ionized just by touching earthed conductors located nearby such as the walls and ceilings in your home. An air ionizer is a very clever device. And in order to increase the real efficiency of this de-ionization process you will find that some of the more commercial models will provide similar surfaces within the ionizer device to make sure that everything works so much better!
