Bipolar Ionization - Background

Bipolar Ionization - Background Ionization is a process in which decomposition of molecules of gas into atoms is effected by the aid of high energy sources.

The natural source of this energy is UV solar radiation and radioactivity of soils. That fact assures that we will always have bipolar air ions (AI) in nature and basically no ions at all in indoor environment.

Decomposition of a molecule into atoms is accompanied by generation of free electrons. Molecule with a free electron attached to it is called a negative ion, while a molecule lacking an electron is called a positive ion.

Air ionization process is always accompanied by generation of ozone (O₃) owing to the integration of oxygen O₂ molecula and 
oxygen O atom. 

O₂ + O = O₃

Engineering option to restore the required ion level in indoor environment is ions generation by corona discharge energy that originates from high voltage of 3 / 10 kV applied to a needle or a thin wire shaped electrode.

This technology enables to generate the same ions that are produced in nature in a wide concentration range - from natural concentrations to those thousands of times higher than that.

Ions generation technology can be either unipolar when only one polarity ions are generated or bipolar when ions of both polarities are generated.

Unlike unipolar ionizations technology that is not limited by any standards, the minimal and maximal ionization levels as well as the requirements to the equipment for bipolar ionization are determined by appropriate standards­¹.

The important characteristics of a bipolar ionizer are the output levels of different polarity ions, polarity coefficient defined as the ratio between positive ion concentration and negative ion concentration and concentration of ozone (O³) being a side effect of the ions generation process.

At bipolar ionization the ozone level becomes an important issue since in fact the amount of generated ions is twice as big as at unipolar ionization.

The importance of keeping the low level of ozone can be illustrated through an example of the use of an ionizer in a room and in a car.

When an ionizer with ozone concentration half as low as the maximal allowed level in a room is used in a car where the air volume is 10 times as low as in a room concentration of the generate ozone will be 5 times a high as the value allowed by the standard.

Human sense organs are unable to perceive positive and negative air ions since ions have no smell and they are invisible. Therefore the problem of indication of generation processes, control and stabilization of the output levels of ions becomes very important. Especially, due to the fact that ions generation process varies with the temperature, humidity and electrodes contamination with dust present in the air.

STERIONIZER™ is high technology device in bipolar ionization field, owing its unique features to the output flow stabilization capability (enables long life without service) and diagnostic capability that supplies data to the computer or indicator about any problem in the unit.

STERIONIZER™ is characterized with a very low level of ozone (neglect able) which makes its application field virtually unlimited. Bipolar Ionization - Background.doc