Imagined by NASA

Houston, we have a ‘VOC’ problem!

​​​The Airora story begins when NASA started planning for a manned mission to Mars. One major challenge, amongst many, was how to how to feed the crew when there’s no way to resupply them?

​NASA’s answer was to grow fruit and vegetables within the space vehicle. But guess what, it is not that easy! (is it ever?)

​Most plants, and particularly those that produce fruits and vegetables, emit ethylene gas. Ethylene, a typical volatile organic compound (VOC), is a naturally occurring plant hormone that encourages fruits and vegetables to ripen. In our gardens and orchards ethylene naturally dissipates into the atmosphere. 

But, within a sealed spacecraft, ethylene doesn’t dissipate, it concentrates, causing vegetables and fruits to ripen too quickly, spoiling them before they can be consumed. 

​In short, NASA had a VOC problem.​

Their challenge was complicated by the fact that the VOC gas molecules are so small that they would pass through even the most effective HEPA type filters. So, how to remove the ethylene, and by the way use little power, be maintenance free and produce no harmful side effects? – a challenge indeed!

NASA’s elegant solution

NASA’s elegant solution resulted in a way to purify the air to a level never before possible. It used the natural decontaminating action of hydroxyl radicals, which NASA said 'acts like a detergent in the air, breaking down other gases'. ​

They essentially created a cauldron of hydroxyl radicals (hydroxyls) in a reaction chamber (later christened Photocatalytic Oxidation, or PCO), filtered the air through the chamber, and thereby destroyed the ethylene gas. The big plus was that hydroxyls are entirely safe for humans. ​

​Back on earth this solution has been widely applied in specific applications for filtering out ethylene gas and in 2001 during the tragic Anthrax threats in Washington, D.C., the technology was tested by the University of Wisconsin who determined it to be effective in eliminating Anthrax spores.

In fact, the hydroxyl radicals eliminated over 99.9% of spores that entered its reaction chamber. This discovery spurred other research which determined the technology was highly effective in destroying bacteria, viruses, and virtually every VOC it came in contact with, as well as neutralising pollen, mould spores, mycotoxins, dust mites … you name it!

Back here on earth

​Unfortunately, NASA’s imagined use depended on cleaning the air within a space vehicle by passing it through a hydroxyl filter. In a small, sealed space vessel, where all the air circulates through a regeneration and cleaning device, this is a practical proposition. 

​But here on earth NASA's basic PCO technology is not very effective. In common with traditional air purifiers, PCOs act as a filter which only treats the limited amount of air passing through the device and would never be able to clean more than a small proportion of the ever changing air in a typical room. 

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Problem solved!

​This is where Airora's scientists enter the story.

​Our scientists have taken NASA’s idea and invented a way to create an active hydroxyl cascade that spreads in seconds throughout a whole room, or even a whole building. No longer does all of air to be cleaned need to pass through the device as pollution is destroyed in-situ, at source, on contact with the hydroxyl cascade.

​Our air cleansing products employ our new patented technology, which creates the same environmental conditions inside as occur naturally outside. 

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Those environmental conditions support a self-sustaining hydroxyl cascade throughout the space, not just within the device. That cascade distributes by molecular diffusion throughout the indoor space in seconds, without relying on air movement, destroying all types of harmful viruses and bacteria on contact as well as breaking down all types of both gaseous and particulate pollutant. We have, in effect, recreated the outdoors, indoors.

​​Where NASA imagined, Airora delivered!

Next - The chemistry behind Airora >

Simply put, Airora is the future of clean, safe indoor air

Coming soon, keep up to date ...