What are the differences in purification efficiency between different types of smoke filters?

Due to differing core purification principles and technical approaches, different types of smoke filters vary significantly in purification efficiency, applicable scenarios, and operating costs. The following is a detailed comparison of their purification efficiency, characteristics, and applicable limits, categorized by mainstream type:

1. Mechanical: Basic purification, medium efficiency (70%-85%)

Mechanical smoke filters remove particulate matter from fume through physical interception. Common filter materials include mesh and cotton filters. Their core principle is to utilize physical structures such as metal filters and centrifugal separators to intercept large oil mist particles in fume through inertial collision and gravitational settling. This is considered a primary filtration technology.

Different Purification Efficiency Points:

1. Fume Removal Rate: These purifiers are only effective at filtering large oil mist particles with a diameter greater than 10μm, with poor filtering effectiveness for fine particles less than 5μm. Overall fume removal rates are typically between 70% and 85%, failing to meet the requirements of areas with high environmental standards.

2. Odor Treatment: These purifiers lack odor removal capabilities and can only separate oil mist, but cannot remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fume. Smells such as burnt and spicy cooking odors will still persist. 3. Efficiency Decrease: Filters are prone to oil accumulation. After one to two months of use, the filter pores become clogged with oil, causing a rapid drop in purification efficiency, potentially dropping from 80% to below 50%. Regular cleaning or replacement of the filter components is necessary to maintain efficiency.

Applicable Scenarios: Light household cooking, small restaurants, and low-oil fume-producing establishments like noodle shops and porridge shops. They can also serve as pre-treatment equipment for high-spec purifiers, intercepting large oil mist particles and protecting core components.

Key Features: Simple structure, low cost, and easy maintenance. However, purification efficiency is limited, and frequent filter replacement is required for long-term use.

2. Electrostatic: High-efficiency separation, the mainstream commercial choice (90%-98%)

Electrostatic smoke filters use the principle of electrostatic adsorption. As fume passes through the device, a pre-filter removes large particles. A strong electric field then ionizes and collects particles as small as 0.01 microns. Take the Chinese DR.AIRE brand oil smoke filter as an example. It uses electrostatic adsorption technology, achieving a purification efficiency of over 95%, making it the mainstream choice for commercial applications.

Purification Efficiency Differences:

1. Oil Fume Removal Rate: It effectively captures fine particles with a diameter of 0.1-10μm, which account for 60%-70% of total oil fume, achieving an overall oil fume removal rate of 90%-98%.

2. Odor Removal: It has a certain auxiliary effect. The high-energy ions in the electric field can decompose some simple volatile organic compounds, such as methane. However, it is limited in its ability to remove complex odors, such as burnt barbecue smells. To enhance odor removal, it requires additional purification equipment.

3. Efficiency Stability: The electrode plates accumulate oil more slowly than mechanical filters. Under normal use, cleaning only once every 3-6 months is sufficient. Efficiency decay is gradual, perhaps dropping from 95% to around 88% before cleaning. After maintenance, it quickly returns to high efficiency.

Applicable Applications: Medium- to large-scale restaurants and office cafeterias, among other high-volume cooking fume-generating venues, effectively treating the large volumes of cooking fumes generated daily.

Key Features: High efficiency, energy-saving, and easy maintenance, with high purification efficiency and excellent long-term stability. However, odor removal is relatively weak, requiring regular electrode plate cleaning.

3. Activated Carbon Type: Odor-Focused, Auxiliary Purification

Activated carbon smoke filters utilize the adsorption properties of activated carbon to absorb odors and some harmful gases from cooking fumes. Their primary function is odor removal, with limited ability to filter out cooking fume particles. They are typically used as auxiliary purification devices in conjunction with other types of purifiers.

Purification Efficiency Differences:

1.Fume Removal Rate: Their ability to capture particulate matter in cooking fumes is relatively weak, relying primarily on the pores on the activated carbon surface to absorb small amounts of fine oil mist. The overall fume removal rate is only 60%-75%, making them unable to meet environmental standards for cooking fume purification alone. They must be used in conjunction with mechanical or electrostatic purifiers.

2. Odor Removal: This is the core advantage of activated carbon purifiers. They effectively absorb odors from cooking fumes, such as fishy, burnt, and pungent smells. The odor removal rate can reach 80%-90%, significantly improving air quality and solving the problem of lingering odors after a single purifier.

3. Efficiency Decrease: Activated carbon has a limited adsorption capacity. With age, its adsorption pores gradually become saturated. Typically, the activated carbon needs to be replaced after 2-3 months of use. Otherwise, the odor removal efficiency will drop significantly, leading to high long-term operating costs.

Application Scenarios: Not used as a standalone smoke filter, but often used in conjunction with mechanical or electrostatic purifiers for enhanced odor removal. It can also be used in homes by adding an activated carbon module to an existing purifier to alleviate kitchen odors.

Key Features: Excellent odor removal and effective air quality improvement, but low fume removal rates require regular activated carbon replacement, resulting in high operating costs and making it suitable only as an auxiliary purification device.

4. UV Photolysis: Focuses on Odor Removal, Less Efficient in Oil Fume Purification

UV photolysis oil smoke filters use ultraviolet (UV) light (typically dual wavelengths of 185nm and 254nm) to irradiate oil fumes, destroying the molecular structure of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), breaking them down into water and carbon dioxide. UV light also reduces bacteria in the fume through its bactericidal properties. This is an odor-focused purification technology.

Purification Efficiency Differences:

1. Oil Fume Removal Rate: UV light has little physical interception capability for oil mist particles, only slightly altering their charge through UV light. This alone cannot meet environmental standards for oil fume purification and must be used in conjunction with mechanical or electrostatic methods.

2. Odor Removal: UV photolysis offers a key advantage, achieving an 85%-95% decomposition efficiency for cooking odors such as burnt, spicy, and fishy odors. It is a key complementary technology for odor control. However, please note that UV photolysis may produce a small amount of ozone, so choose a model that meets ozone emission standards. 3. Efficiency Limitations: Dependent on UV intensity, the lamps will degrade after 6-12 months of use and require prompt replacement, otherwise odor removal efficiency will drop significantly.

Application Scenarios: Typically used as an auxiliary module in conjunction with electrostatic or mechanical systems to address residual odor after fume purification.

Key Features: High odor removal capacity, which can improve overall purification effectiveness. However, fume purification efficiency is low, requiring regular UV lamp replacement. Furthermore, ozone emissions require attention.