[With Corona]

South Korea is lifting social distancing and has started With Corona from this month. Following the first phase lifting this month, the second phase is to come December and the third phase of complete lifting in January. However, the government is cautious of re-spread as experienced in some countries including the UK and Singapore. An official of the government points out that the lifting does not mean that people do not need to follow the daily quarantine guidelines if we are to avoid re-spread. In this regard, demand for effective air purifiers that can not only make the air clean but also kills harmful substances is high.

[Photocatalyst]

Photocatalyst is a material that absorbs light to stimulate photocatalyst oxidation chemical reaction. Photocatalyst is known to be found by professor Honda at Tokyo Institute of Technology in late 60s. The two photocatalystic substances are Ti02 and ZnO that can be commercialized industrially. Photocatalyst has a great organic matter oxidative degradation function that can turns harmful substances to un-harmful. In other words, it can remove viruses, bacteria and fine dusts in the air. Photocatalyst reacting to ultraviolet rays makes electrons to create holes which then create superoxide. The holes reacting to moisture in the air makes OH radical. Superoxide and OH radical turn harmful substances to un-harmful substances such as N and H2. For this reason, photocatalyst technologies are received as next generation air purification solutions. The drawback, however, is that photocatalyst in general needs ultraviolet rays to have a chemical reaction. But a hero has risen to give a solution to this: Jeongsik Kim, a new material engineering professor at University of Seoul, has developed ‘axial light photocatalysis’ that can have a chemical reaction even in enclosed spaces where there is no ultraviolet rays. It is the first case in the world. Receiving the patent from the professor on technology transfer, a South Korea company APC Technology is the first company to have succeeded making it into a product: Air Doctor.  

[Air Doctor]

At a test carried out by the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Air Doctor killed in 5 minutes 99% of certain influenzas, feline corona virus, and bacteria such as mold spores and staphylococcus aureus. It also killed 98.2% corona virus in 1 minute. Another test carried out by the Korea Testing Laboratory, a 30 minute operation of Air Doctor killed 99% of corona virus in the air in an enclosed space. Alongside harmful viruses and bacteria, Air Doctor removes volatile organic compounds which are human-made chemicals that are harmful to our body. Once installed, says Seungjin Kim, CEO of APC Technology, you do not need to change the filter but can use Air Doctor semi-permanently without operational degradation. Recognizing the excellence, numerous public institutions including the Daejeon Express Transit and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art are already placed Air Doctor here and there in the buildings. “Air Doctor not only performs excellent in public buildings and old or newly built houses but also in industrial buildings such as factories and cattle shed where bad and harmful smells are present. Air Doctor in a cattle shed in Gongju City proved to have reduced ammnoia to 60ppm from 110ppm after operating Air Doctor” emphasizes Kim with pride.

[APC Technology]

APC Technology is diversifying its product lines to portable air purification (Air Tumbler) and photocatalyst coatings. The photocatalyst coatings on the eight-lane road in Yangjae-dong, Seoul and on the walls of apartment buildings in Nowon District and Bundang proved to have effect of planting more than 100 trees in terms of air purification function. The company won the Digital Innovation Awards and received the Chungju Model Enterprise, and Chungbuk SME. Kim is ambitious to list the company in the stock market by 2023. (PowerKorea)

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