AERIS SYSTEM

The Aeris™ banknote cleaning system extends the life of banknotes by extracting sebum and other contaminants that limit the usability of paper and polymer substrate using a dry process based on supercritical CO₂ cleaning. Unlike traditional cleaning fluids that can damage the material they clean due to their harsh chemical properties, supercritical CO₂ penetrates the banknote substrate, leaving the banknotes clean and dry without damaging the paper substrate, inks and costly security features. Our Aeris machine can clean 120,000 – 150,000 notes per cleaning cycle. With a two hour processing time for each cleaning cycle, more than 500,000 notes can be processed in an eight hour shift.

In addition to the extraction of sebum and other contaminants, the processing of banknotes in a supercritical CO₂  environment effectively neutralizes biohazards (viruses, toxins, and bacteria) on paper and polymer banknotes to help protect the public and banknote processing staff. 

In collaboration with Nova Biologicals Inc. laboratory, tests were performed to measure the efficacy of Aeris banknote decontamination. The testing determined:

• A reduction in viral load to non-detectable limits.
• A 10⁴ reduction in bacteria was found, which is in line with the efficacy of household disinfectants such as Lysol.
• E. Coli, Staphylococcus, and Spores were not able to be detected after Aeris cleaning.
• Tests measured a >99% reduction in:
  • heavy metals (mercury)
  • pesticides, and insecticides.