Ionized Hydrogen Peroxide – A Game Changer in Disinfection Technology
The need for hygiene in almost all areas of our public and private lives is now as high as ever before. With the Covid pandemic still affecting nearly every country, the search for and development of easy-to-use and effective disinfection technology is at an all-time high. One innovation in this field is disinfection via a mist of ionized hydrogen peroxide. The new technology relies on KNF pumps that work in stationary and mobile devices.
Depending on the field of application, a wide range of conventional disinfection technologies is available. However, most of these methods have limitations. Established disinfectants like bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds or UV light may stain material, leave residues, are hard to disperse evenly, require touching or are incompatible with electronics.
The Innovation: Ionized Hydrogen Peroxide
Dissatisfied with the status quo, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded the research of new disinfection technologies. This resulted in the introduction of a technology that ionizes a 7.8% hydrogen peroxide solution by passing it through a cold plasma arc turning it into a fine mist. Almost gaseous, the disinfectant is then dispersed over a targeted area. Upon contact with pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungal spores, the mist oxidates proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, and thus eliminates them reliably.
Wide Range of Advantages
Using ionized hydrogen peroxide offers several advantages in comparison to other methods. It leaves no residues, disperses evenly, is compatible with electronics, eliminates even tough-to-kill germs, does not bleach, can be applied quickly and most importantly offers high-log efficacy. This means that is a very effective disinfection technology eradicating an extremely high percentage of pathogens.
Suitable for Various Fields of Application
Because of its many advantages, ionized hydrogen peroxide can be used in multiple areas. The technology is available as a handheld device or as a portable version. While the portable device can disinfect entire rooms, the handheld solution allows for applying the mist to specific areas. These scalable options make this technology feasible for public and private transportation, hospitals, life sciences, education, retail, logistics, food safety and many more fields. Specific applications can be, for example, the disinfection of operating rooms by fogging them completely, or the disinfection of cars where many surfaces are difficult to reach with conventional means.
Disinfection Technology Needs Smooth Flow
At the heart of this disinfection technology, a customized KNF liquid pump works in combination with a filter. The pump provides the required pressure to the solution. For this purpose, it is essential that the flow of the media is smooth. This is ensured by the pump’s advanced Smooth Flow Technology. Additional pump requirements include chemical resistance, long service life and compact size. These specifications ultimately lead to the decision for a custom-tailored solution by KNF.
International Supplier Required
Besides the technical properties and the customizability of KNF pumps, the manufacturer trusted in KNF because of its international representation. The stationary ionized hydrogen peroxide device was developed in the U.S., the mobile disinfection technology was developed in Australia. With representations in both countries and therefore being able to closely support collaboration of R&D and manufacturing on two continents, KNF proved to be the right supplier.
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