Written by Panda Radio, Serbia.

On December 9, 2020, Anikó Kaszás, Managing Director of Solvelectric Technologies Ltd., and Dr. Imre Dékány, a professor and researcher at the University of Szeged, talked about the latest product of Solvelectric Technologies Ltd with us. The discussion focused on, among other things, the birth of SolveAir UNI, how it works, how it is used, its outstanding benefits, and what their plans are for the future.

How did the joint work start?

First, Dr. Imre Dékány spoke briefly about the fact that the disinfecting phenomenon, as the professor put it, began with roughly three decades of basic research, but the phenomenon has been known for more than forty years. The phenomenon is that some materials decompose on a specific surface under the influence of natural light. The professor said regarding the beginning of the study of this phenomenon: “… I set up a research group at the university with some young colleagues, where we started the studies in sunlight and then with natural light sources. We noticed that in an enclosed room, if we illuminate such surfaces, which were coated the correct materials, then in half an hour to an hour these gases, vapors ‘disappear’ from there and the end product is carbon dioxide and water.” Then Anikó Kaszás (hereinafter: Anikó) described how she met the professor and how the joint work started: “Our first meeting took place two years ago, when our company was given the Southern Great Plain Innovation Award, and the professor was the transferor. At that time, we were already cooperating with several faculties of the University of Szeged, but we had no direct contact with the Department of Chemistry and the meeting started with the development of a prototype that would have served a different purpose… an equipment that was meant to decompose vapors and gases. This prototype development was successful, the result of our joint work was a high-efficiency device and then came the Covid-19 pandemic… and we started thinking together about how this product could be further developed.”

The birth of SolveAir UNI

Then we discussed the important benefits of this newly developed device. Anikó talked about this topic first: “There are so-called air purifiers, which are traditionally used to filter out particles, various pollens, etc.…, our device works on a completely different principle, as it does not have a filter. It's true that we don't filter particles, we disinfect air, so it's based on a completely different process.” Afterwards, the professor spoke about the operative principle of SolveAir UNI: “this was one of the most important features, we wanted to develop a device that does not produce ozone… We were aware that ozone is a strong oxidizer and an aggressive substance. Its inhalation is not recommended and it is forbidden to be in the room while ozone is being used and rooms need to be ventilated after being disinfected with it. We started developing a low energy consumption, therefore LED light source-based device that definitely would not produce ozone during operation. The LEDs were calibrated with a specific wavelength and used to illuminate a nano-coated surface, which would oxidize the particles, bacteria and viruses on or flowing near the surface.”

What are the main advantages of SolveAir UNI and why should I choose it over other devices?

Anikó mentioned how the name of the device, SolveAir UNI, was chosen. Naming a product within the company is always a joint effort, so everyone submits an idea and there is a voting on the suggestions afterwards. ‘Solve’ comes from the company name and ‘Air’ refers to air. ‘UNI’ is short for universal and it is also meant to show that this is the first entry and product for the SolveAir brand. Universal also refers to the many places it can be used in. Its small size means it can even fit in a backpack, allowing you to take it with you anywhere, such as a meeting. The device is suitable for disinfecting a room of about 20 square meters. It can also be mounted on a wall, so it can be used safely in households with children and pets, but it can also be used in a car connected to a cigarette lighter socket. Another important advantage is that its power consumption is only 15 watts, so it can be operated all day long. The professor added that the devices deodorizing effect is also noticeable, so the device can even be installed in the kitchen for this purpose. Then Anikó talked at length about SolvElectric Technologies Ltd., its operation and the product: “Our company will be 30 years old next year… For me there are 3 very important aspects that need to be represented with all of our products. Those who know me also know that I am very committed to the environment, so the primary aspect is environmental awareness. From the packaging to the product, we design everything with this aspect in mind. The other important factor is is energy efficiency, so we also strive to achieve results with the least possible energy consumption.” She added: “What is also important is that it is user friendly so that the customer can easily turn it on and the device is maintenance free. It really doesn’t require any maintenance, but there is a fan filter in front of the fans that is worth cleaning at regular intervals to protect the inside of the device from dust buildup. These can be washed with clean water and the replacement filters included in the package can be used while the recently cleaned filters are drying.”

Then we discussed who the buyer can turn to in the event of malfunction or failure. Anikó stated that since SolvElectric Technologies Ltd. is the manufacturer of the product, you should turn to her and her colleagues in such cases, whether it is a warranty or non-warranty repair.

What does the future hold?

Finally, Professor Imre Dékány answered the question of whether there will be a continuation of the joint work and what the plans are for the future: “…Our task for the future will be to develop new types of catalyst layers that makes this photooxidation effect even more effective.” He added: SolvElectric engineers have managed to create a simple device that is incredibly reliable. As Anikó mentioned earlier, apart from the fact that sometimes the fan filters need to be cleaned, the appliance does not require any other maintenance or care and its efficiency will not deteriorate. The professor also said that further development of the product could be very important not only for human health but also for animal health and this technology could even be developed in that direction. Regarding the size of the device, he said that a device suitable for industrial use is also planned. Finally, the operative principle of the air disinfectant was described in more detail by Anikó: “The device has a so-called photocatalyst or photoreactor, which consists of a coating invented by the professor and is illuminated with an LED of a certain wavelength. As the air flows between the lamellae, oxidation takes place and microbes, viruses and pollens in the air are destroyed.”

We would like to thank Panda Radio for the great opportunity and interview.

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