Nonionizing polarized media is an IAQ technology finding broader market uses. It applies an active electric field to capture airborne particles, changing the way particles behave in the air. In smaller residential equipment, this allows an electronic air cleaner (EAC) to operate efficiently within a space only 1-inch wide - the same space as a disposable filter. In larger commercial systems, it can mean high levels of air quality with reduced operating costs.
As with most high-efficiency filtration products, polarized media has its roots in industrial applications. Although there have been a number of different configurations since then, all of them are based on charging, or polarizing fibers in a filter and particles in the air to generate an electric force between the fibers and particles.