How Does PurAire's Glass DBD Bipolar Ionisation Work?
A Practical Explanation of PurAire Glass DBD Technology
PurAire Glass DBD bipolar ionisation uses a controlled dielectric-barrier discharge to create charged bipolar (positive and negative) Oxygen Ions from the surrounding air. Airflow carries those ions away from the Glass DBD tube and into the treated space, where they can interact with airborne compounds and particles.
Laboratory testing on specific PurAire configurations has measured reductions in selected odour compounds, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fine particles and airborne microorganisms under defined chamber conditions. Actual results depend on the product configuration, airflow, contaminant concentration, room volume and treatment time.
The Science Behind DBD Bipolar Ionisation
PurAire’s DBD technology mimics nature’s air purification processes, such as those during thunderstorms or at high altitudes, but delivers them indoors at scale. Here’s the step-by-step breakdown:
Air passes across the Glass DBD tube
Ambient air passes over our Glass ionisation tubes placed strategically in HVAC systems, FCUs, AHUs, cassette or split aircons, or dedicated portable and wall-mounted units.
A dielectric-barrier discharge is created
A controlled high-voltage field across the glass dielectric creates a Non-Thermal (also called Cold) Plasma Discharge along the tube surface. The glass barrier limits the electrical discharge and is a defining part of DBD design.
Bipolar Ion Generation Occurs
This discharge excites oxygen molecules (O₂), splitting them into positively charged ions (which lose an electron) and negatively charged Oxygen ions (which gain one), primarily O₂⁺ and O₂⁻.
Ion Dispersion into the space
Billions of these ions are then propelled into the space via HVAC or FCU air currents, vents, or fans, reaching and saturating the room from corner to corner.
Contaminant Neutralisation
The ions actively seek out pollutants, odours, mould and mildew spores, VOC’s attaching to them, and reacting with them to break them down at the molecular level.
Here's a simplified illustration showing how the process works.
PurAire's Bipolar Ionisers are Trusted
Resorts
Spa areas, poolside interiors and changing rooms, where chlorine and damp odours build up in enclosed spaces.
Restaurants & F&B
Private dining rooms and front-of-house seating, where food odours need to clear between sittings. Kitchen exhaust and grease extract are a different problem and are handled by a separate ProMedUSA product line — ask us about it.
Hotels & Serviced Apartments
Guest rooms, corridors and lift lobbies, treated through the fan coil unit already in the room or with portable units on housekeeping rounds or with our in-duct series.
Resorts
Spa areas, poolside interiors and changing rooms, where chlorine and damp odours build up in enclosed spaces.
Restaurants & F&B
Private dining rooms and front-of-house seating, where food odours need to clear between sittings. Kitchen exhaust and grease extract are a different problem and are handled by a separate ProMedUSA product line — ask us about it.
Hotels & Serviced Apartments
Guest rooms, corridors and lift lobbies, treated through the fan coil unit already in the room or with portable units on housekeeping rounds or with our in-duct series.
Offices
Meeting rooms, open-plan floors and pantries, treated through the existing fan coil or cassette aircon, our PurAire Ultra Series or our smaller PurAire DUO or AirPro-MAX for smaller spaces.
Hospitals & Clinics
Waiting areas, consulting rooms and treatment rooms.
Casinos
Gaming floors and adjoining bars, where tobacco odour carries into every adjacent space. Here's where our PurAire Ultra Series is useful and practical.
Bin Centres & Grease Trap Rooms
Refuse handling areas and grease trap rooms — handled by a separate ProMedUSA product line, generally not by bipolar ionisation. Ask us about it.
Bin Centres & Grease Trap Rooms
Refuse handling areas and grease trap rooms — handled by a separate ProMedUSA product line, generally not by bipolar ionisation. Ask us about it.
See What Some of Our Customers Have To Say
“We were very skeptical if this would really work. We have a lot of guests who smoke in our non-smoking rooms. We also have a number of problem rooms which constantly smell mouldy and mildewy. We installed PurAire in several of these rooms as a trial, and within hours, the smoke smell was gone. Mould and mildew took a bit longer, but now all our trial rooms are up to our 5-Star standards. We now use the PurAire-DUO for portable daily use, and our engineers have installed PurAire units in 15 guest room FCU’s with great success and are budgeting to install more units in the balance of our rooms next quarter.”
“PurAire transformed our clinic’s waiting area—odours gone, patients notice the fresh air!”
“We were using a very heavy, and expensive type of air purifier to clean the smoke and durian smells from our rooms. Also mould smells too. We tested the PurAire DUO for a week, and it was much more better than any other machine we have used – and it is much cheaper too. It works fast and is very easy for my staff to carry. We are buying!”
“A Singapore executive housekeeper reported “PurAire’s portable ionisers help my staff to quickly remove odours from our guest rooms. We can now, clean and deodorise and put these rooms back into inventory within 30 minutes or less. The PurAire-DUO has paid for itself in less than a week.”
“I was skeptical when my housekeeper told me about your PurAire-DUO. We purchased 1 unit, and tried it in several of our rooms where we had some bad mouldy odours. It removed those odours in a few hours, and we could sell those rooms again! Your PurAire-DUO paid for itself in 3 days. Here’s our PO for 6 more units. Please ship as quickly as you can. These really work amazing and we need them!”
“For our discerning clients and patrons, we need to keep all of our private dining rooms smelling fresh, clean and inviting. We have tested many products and technologies to help us achieve that goal, but the only one that performs up to our standards of excellence are the PurAire Bipolar Ionisers. James, one of our staff remarked: “After using the ioniser the food smells are totally gone and don’t linger. Truly a great product! I would highly recommend PurAire Ionisers to anyone or any business who has odour issues in their premises.”
- Technology, Safety & Certification
Frequently Asked Questions
A controlled high-voltage electrical field creates a safe, non-thermal plasma discharge along the tubes. This discharge excites oxygen molecules (O₂), splitting them into positively charged ions (which lose an electron) and negatively charged ions (which gain one).
Billions of these ions are propelled into the space via air currents, vents, or fans, reaching and saturating the room from corner to corner.primarily O₂⁺ and O₂⁻.
The ions actively seek out pollutants, attaching and reacting to break them down—far more efficient than waiting for contaminants to reach a filter.
DBD stands for dielectric barrier discharge. In PurAire equipment, glass acts as the dielectric barrier between electrodes, allowing a controlled non-thermal, also called Cold Plasma discharge to form along the tube surface.
They perform different functions. HEPA is designed for high-efficiency capture of particles that pass through the filter. Bipolar ionisation is an active air-treatment approach used for odour, VOC and particle-related objectives. They can be complementary.
Ionisation can electrically charge particles and promote agglomeration, deposition or capture by filtration. A specific PurAire chamber test recorded PM2.5 reduction under the stated test conditions.
It can depend on product design. Selected PurAire models have UL 2998 Zero Ozone Emissions Validation; other models do not.
YES – Hundreds of our customers report that PurAire bipolar ionisation produces substantial reductions in odours from body odours, cigar and cigarette smells, mouldy-mildewy-stale room odours to toilet odours including ammonia and hydrogen sulphide.
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(Division of ProMedUSA Pte Ltd),
111 North Bridge Road,
#08-27, Peninsula Plaza
Singapore 179098