PlasmaWave technology was created by Drexel Plasma Institute Research Partners and the company Winix.
Below, you can learn more about how this technology works, the benefits, drawbacks, and safety concerns.
How PlasmaWave Technology Works
PlasmaWave works by using electricity that produces positively and negatively charged ions. The electricity that’s being released in small quantities and lasts for a matter of nanoseconds.
As a result, the air is transformed into a state of being plasmatic. Oxygen and hydrogen are the particles that are emitted into the air. These particles are able to form a radical compound that looks to find any kind of particle in the air.
These particles include the ones that are polluting the air in your home. The technology works to not only remove the pollutants from the air but to destroy them.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are among the particles that can be destroyed. Furthermore, other bacteria and odors are completely eradicated from the air.
The radicals emitted from the Plasmawave technology cause the chemical structure of the pollutant particles to be changed to become safe. Hydrogen is the element that’s removed from the pollutant particles to make them harmless.
This technology has become the norm when it comes to the primary source of air filtration among air purifiers by Winix.
Safety Concerns
Winix has mentioned that their air purifiers with Plasmawave technology do not release dangerous levels of ozone emissions. Therefore, people with respiratory issues or asthma won’t have to worry about their condition being worsened.
Having said that, there is ionizing technology being implemented. So, there’s a very small amount of ozone emissions being emitted into the air. It may give you peace of mind in knowing that the Winix air purifiers have to pass certain guidelines for ozone emissions.
The air purifiers must produce under 0.05 ppm of ozone emissions. These guidelines are set by CARB (California Air Resources Board).
The small electrical emissions are also contained and safe. This is because the charge of electricity lasts for just nanoseconds.
Comparisons to Ionizer Technology
People often confuse Plasmawave technology with ionizer technology. Initially, it seems like they work similarly, but there are some key differences.
Plasmawave technology releases both positively and negatively charged ions into the air. Air purifiers with ionizer technology only emit negative ions.
The ions from Plasmawave technology latch onto pollutant particles and alter the chemical structure. As a result, they’re able to eliminate the particles and make them safe.
When it comes to ionizer air purifiers, the negatively charged ions also attach themselves to pollutant particles. However, they’re not capable of making any chemical change. Instead, they simply bring the pollutant particles down to the ground.
From there, a plate is often available with the air purifier that can collect the pollutant particles that have dropped lower down.
Drawbacks
While Plasmawave technology is highly effective at eliminating pollutant particles from the air, they also use up more energy than other air purifiers. Therefore, you’d need to consider whether the higher maintenance cost would be worth it for you in the long run.
Furthermore, the Plasmawave technology can be caused to defect when there are other electronic devices being used in the same area.
Now that you know more about Plasmawave technology, you can check our detailed Winix 5500-2 review and also compare the Winix air purifiers against others if you weren’t sure which type to go with.
