How does the WO3-based PCO Vitesy technology work?
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In a market colonized by HEPA air purifiers, the PCO Vitesy technology based on WO3 wants to set a paradigm of change for a more economical, effective and sustainable solution.
- How does the air purification market work?
- What is the difference between PCO filters and HEPA filters?
- How does the WO3-based PCO Vitesy technology work?
- The purification process
- No filters to change
- Economic saving - What are the Vitesy solutions to purify the air?
- Natede Smart
- Natede Basic
- Eteria - What do Vitesy's customers say about their air purifiers?
- Natede Basic, the new sustainable purifier from Vitesy
How does the air purification market work?
The air purification market has been expanding very quickly in the last period, thanks above all to the very special period we experienced due to the pandemic.
People are increasingly aware that having a healthy environment in their interior spaces is essential for living well. After all, is there anything more essential than the air we breathe every day?
Not everyone is aware that the indoor air we breathe in our homes or offices can be up to 5 times more polluted than the outdoor air, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). And the solutions that are proposed on the market often represent old, expensive and polluting technologies.
Vitesy recognized this problem and embraced it in an innovative way by asking a very specific and serious question:
"Why provide consumers with polluting and unsustainable solutions, for the natural right of every person to breathe healthy and clean air?"
What is the difference between PCO filters and HEPA filters?
Vitesy technology uses photocatlysis, also known as PCO. PCO stands for PhotoCatalytic Oxidation. It is an innovative process that not only blocks pollutants such as HEPA filters, but eliminates them through a safe, effective and sustainable process.
In fact, HEPA filters block particle pollutants thanks to their tight and dense meshes, in this way the air that passes beyond the filter is renewed since the pollutants have been "captured" by the thick layers present in the filter, which makes it definitely an efficient and functioning technology for different purposes and needs.
However, there is a criticality related to their operation that cannot be ignored, because this technology should be analyzed only partially.
Quoting a study conducted by Chuaybamroong and published in the "Indoor Air: International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health", important conclusions emerged on the microenvironment that is created inside the filter, which can harm the purification process itself:
Although the HEPA filter can effectively capture the microorganisms present in the aerosol, it can also become a breeding ground for microbes. With proper temperature and humidity, microbes trapped inside a filter can multiply using the particulate adhered to the filter as a food source, and their offspring will eventually disperse in the filtered air. Thus, instead of being an apparatus for controlling air quality, it becomes a source of pathogens.
This therefore involves a continuous change of filters and a waste of materials that are not recyclable.
In fact, it is estimated that every year 20 million unused filters are thrown away, which very often it is difficult to dispose of in the short term: and the quantity is destined to increase over time, given the expansion of the air purification market.
How does the WO3-based PCO Vitesy technology work?
Seeing this serious and unaddressed problem, Vitesy has decided to focus on innovative, green and sustainable technology.
In fact, photocatalysis represents the vanguard of air purification, because it allows our devices to eliminate pollutants using less energy than a light bulb and with truly excellent performance.
This feature is due to the special photocatalytic technology our filters use: PCO WO3 technology, made possible thanks to the combination of 2 elements: tungsten trioxide (WO3) and the visible band light of the LEDs.
In fact, our ceramic filter is engineered with this nanomaterial (WO3) which is activated once hit by the visible light of the LEDs that are placed under the filter. These LEDs have been selected precisely because they have a wavelength compatible with the chemical-energy characteristics of WO3.
The purification process
The air purification process based on Vitesy's technology is performed by free radicals that are created when tungsten trioxide interacts with the oxygen and humidity present in the air, creating less than 1 millimeter from the surface of the filter a excellent molecular disintegration:
e− + O2 → •O2− Superoxide Radical
h+ + OH− → •OH Hydroxyl Radical
Billions of these two elements are created in billionths of a second and ensure an effective abatement of pollutants and dangerous microorganisms present in the air such as VOCs, viruses, bacteria, odors, fine dust and nitrogen oxides.
No filters to change
This ability to eliminate pollutants gives our filters an extraordinary capacity: they do not need to be replaced.
In fact, for their "maintenance" it is only necessary to rinse them under water once every 2-3 months to eliminate any (albeit very rare) residues that may cover the surface of the filter and thus obstruct the passage of the LED light.
Economic saving
The fact that the filter cannot be changed allows the owners of a Vitesy air purifier a great economic saving in the long run. In fact, you can save up to €100 per year, when compared to different HEPA technologies that require a monthly filter change. It is therefore possible to save up to €600 in just 6 years.
And in addition to a great economic saving, there is also a great saving of materials and resources. In fact, as already mentioned before, over 20 million filters are thrown away once they are used and cannot be recycled. Therefore, by purchasing a Vitesy purifier you not only save economically, but also take a sustainable and environmentally friendly action.
What are the Vitesy solutions to purify the air?
The solutions currently on the market that Vitesy offers are 3:
- NATEDE SMART
- NATEDE BASIC
- ETERIA
Natede Smart
Natede Smart is a natural air purifier that exploits the phyto-purification power of plants, increasing it thanks to the power of our photocatalytic technology.
It was designed starting from a NASA study according to which some types of plants are able to eliminate air pollutants (in particular Volatile Organic Compounds, the so-called VOCs).
This extraordinary power of plants is exploited by Natede Smart to purify the air in a double purification step.
First the air passes, it is made to flow into the roots of the plants, and then it is definitively purified by passing through the photocatalytic filter, where the pollutants are rendered unarmed and transformed into harmless substances.
Natede Smart is also equipped with the latest generation sensors that monitor air quality by transferring the results via app in real time thanks to the free "Vitesy Hub" app.
This monitoring system gives you the values of:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- COV
- Fine powders
- CO2
Made entirely of A-quality recycled plastic and supported by a base in a sustainable material, Natede Smart is the perfect device to control and purify the air you breathe by adding a unique touch of design to your indoor environment.
Natede Basic
Natede Basic is Vitesy's entry level product. It is the natural air purifier that uses the same technology as Natede Smart, but at an affordable price for everyone!
It was created to give anyone the opportunity to enjoy clean and renewed air at home or in their office, thanks to the double purification step that characterizes the Natede product family.
Simple to use, elegant in every place where it is placed, it guarantees purification of the internal air with a very simple management of its 3 modes through gesture controls. An air purifier suitable for anyone and anywhere!
Eteria
Eteria is our personal and portable air purifier, equipped with a widespread monitoring system.
Eteria is an optimal solution because it combines the effectiveness of photocatalysis with portability, thus creating a high-performance, sustainable and comfortable device that creates a bubble of pure air around you in every situation of your daily routine.
The monitoring modules Eteria is equipped with are smaller units than the purifying one, which have the function of monitoring the levels of pollutants in different points of the house, to provide you with a complete map of the overall and specific pollution level. room by room, of your home.
Eteria, which has the same IoT technology as Natede Smart, provides in real time through the "Vitesy Hub" app the levels of:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- COV
- CO2
This system was designed precisely to allow you to be able to move your air purifier both to the places where you usually perform your tasks, and to purify particular areas of your interior spaces, if you notice through the app that they are particularly polluted at that time.
What do Vitesy's customers say about their air purifiers?
Our job is to ensure the well-being of people, so the primary goal of selling our air purifiers is always to improve the health of our customers.
Here are some reviews from those who bought our air purifiers:
As a person with high allergy I noticed when I used the natede that my allergy reaction dropped, so it is no joke, it really works.
I received the product in excellent packaging and it looks compact and beautiful. I could set up the unit easily and connected with Vitesy Hub app. The operational modes are useful. The product works well as promised.
I have a cheaper air purifier but it's difficult to know what it's doing to the air quality. With Eteria, it's easy to track what it's doing on the app. The air in my home is pretty good, which is reassuring. You can see graphs too.
