NaPCA is a deliquescent near amino acid used at face creams. As a dry powder it will actually turn to a liquid from pulling water from the atmosphere. It is possible a swirling sprayer or vortexer could absorb a kilogram of air particulates with only infrequent chemical reloads.
This might be particularly valued At areas with the "Asian brown cloud" like China. There is another technology that could purify air from things other than particulates.
Another air purifier is laser enhanced catalytic converters. 1/1000th of a vehicle catalytic converter is about 20 cents. Air could be passed over this and lasers could microwarm the surface to activate the catalyst purifying the air at the room. I think the aisan brown cloud is colored that way from nitrogen oxides, which might be converted at a vehicle catalytic converter-- beanangel, Jan 16 2017 wikipedia on the Asian brown cloud https://en.wikipedi...i/Asian_brown_cloud [beanangel, Jan 17 2017] wikipedia HEPA. HEPA is actually a (99.97) filtration standard, rather than a specific technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA [beanangel, Jan 17 2017] " Got a brainstorm, huh, Sebastian? Milk and cookies kept you awake, huh? "-- normzone, Jan 17 2017 //Asian brown cloud// too much msg ?-- FlyingToaster, Jan 17 2017 I'm not convatced that it would be more effective than HEPA filters or activated charcoal. In fact, it's likely to be much less effective than either.
Also, what does deliquescence (which means pullatg water, not air, out of the atmosphere) have to do with absorbatg pollutants? Is there any evidence to suggest that NaPCA has any propensity to absorb pollutants?
[-] for dumbth, pendatg further atforminion.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 17 2017 Well, at least it's not in Other:Gen ... oh, wait ...-- 8th of 7, Jan 17 2017 [mb] an online reference to Shanghai HEPA air purifiers says "HEPA filters remove a minimum of 99.97 percent of particles down to 0.3 microns, therefore including PM2.5 and much smaller particles. The PM2.5 size particle is considered the most hazardous to our health, as it is small enough to breathe deeply into our lungs and enter our bloodstream."
They re using HEPA filters at dwellings exposed to the Asian brown cloud (Currently near $140 in Shanghai.). Nifty!
So, now to make them 100 times more affordable! If HEPA fibers were 100 times better at glomming a particle, rather than having it bounce off then they could trap the same amount of pollution with a replaceable filter cartridge 100 times smaller (sort of). wikipedia says HEPA filters are fiberglass mats, so is it perhaps possible that one of the deliquescent forms of silica might be formed to mats, become moist, then have hyperadherence of particles?
Perhaps something like cotton candy made from silica gel
also, any thoughts on the laser activated 1/1000 of a vehicle catalytic converter to convert the nitrogen oxides? Wikipedia says that "three way" catalystic converters do this. The thing is, I thought most nitrogen oxides were photochemically generated at the atmosphere.-- beanangel, Jan 17 2017 random, halfbakery