月: 2022年12月

What Is a Wire Processing System?

A wire processing system is a specialized machine used in the manufacturing and electrical construction industries. Its primary functions include cutting wires, inserting marked tubes, stripping wire sheaths, and crimping terminals.

While these systems are generally categorized under a common name, various manufacturers have developed unique products to meet specific industry needs. Selection of the most appropriate system is crucial based on the specific requirements of a task.

The increasing demand for wire processing machines, particularly in the electrical construction industry, is driven by advancements in technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT).

Uses of Wire Processing Systems

These systems are extensively used for automating tasks in control panel manufacturing, including wire cutting, marking tube printing and insertion, wire sheath stripping, and terminal crimping. This automation, which replaces manual processes, leads to significant cost reductions and efficiency improvements.

Principles of Wire Processing Systems

Wire processing systems comprise four main components to automate control panel manufacturing:

1. Straight material input section
2. Processing station
3. Straight material feed mechanism
4. Discharge station

These components are controlled by servo cylinders, servo motors, and hydraulic tools, all regulated by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The PLC allows the system to handle various wire types and sizes, and to read data in formats like Excel and CSV for printing on marked tubes, thereby optimizing the processing operation.

Thanks to automation, these systems can reduce labor costs by more than 80% compared to traditional manual methods.

What Is an Electromagnetic Simulation Software?

An electromagnetic simulation software numerically solves Maxwell’s equations on a PC to analyze the electric and magnetic fields applied to an object. This type of software comes in two forms: free-to-use software and commercial software that requires a license fee, with JMAG being a notable example of the latter.

Such software is in demand for various applications, including electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) analysis for automotive wire harnesses, motor designs, and high-frequency analysis related to 5G technology.

Electromagnetic simulation software often incorporates coupled analysis, enabling the simultaneous analysis of electromagnetic fields along with vibration analysis and other methods.

Uses of Electromagnetic Simulation Software

A prime use of this software is in EMC analysis, which involves ensuring that devices neither emit nor are affected by external electromagnetic interference. Failure in achieving EMC can lead to equipment malfunctions or impaired performance, potentially causing severe damage.

While EMC is traditionally measured physically, the accuracy can vary based on measurement conditions and is time-consuming. Electromagnetic simulation offers a more efficient alternative, allowing for ideal condition settings and avoiding accuracy issues common in physical measurements.

Principles of Electromagnetic Simulation Software

At the core of electromagnetic field analysis are Maxwell’s equations, comprising four fundamental laws:

• Gauss’s law, describing the relation between electric charge and electric field.
• A magnetic counterpart to Gauss’s law, stating that magnetic charges do not exist and magnetic fields are always dipolar (N and S poles).
• Faraday’s law, indicating that changing magnetic fields induce electric fields.
• Ampere’s law, illustrating that electric currents generate magnetic fields.

The approach to solving Maxwell’s equations varies with frequency. At high frequencies, the interaction between electric and magnetic fields requires solving both simultaneously. At low frequencies, the equations can be simplified into separate electric and magnetic components. High-frequency analysis is inherently more complex due to the need to address both fields.

What Is Sawing Machinery?

Sawing machinery refers to machines designed to cut workpieces by rotating a blade equipped with a saw blade. These machines are automatic and use hand tools, such as saws and thread saws, to cut workpieces by pressing them against a fixed saw. Large sawing machinery, which is heavy and accommodates large workpieces, is secured using hydraulic pressure, and the rotating saw descends to cut the workpiece.

Uses of Sawing Machinery

Sawing machinery plays a crucial role in the initial stages of the machining process, cutting metal or other cast materials to desired sizes for further processing by other machine tools. The selection of saw type depends on the workpiece material, with options including high-speed tool steel, cemented carbide, or diamond for particularly challenging materials. The saw’s rotational speed can be adjusted to suit hard materials. Sawing machinery is categorized into three main types: for cutting steel, wood, and food.

1. Tabletop Type

Horizontal Type
The most common form of sawing machinery is the tabletop horizontal type, used for cutting metal pipes, square timbers, plates, and round bars.

Vertical Type
The vertical type, less common, is suited for cutting soft materials such as wood and aluminum.

2. Portable Type for Easy Transportation

Portable sawing machines, often rechargeable, facilitate cutting materials in inaccessible locations or at heights.

3. Stationary Type for Floor Placement

Large, industrial-grade sawing machinery, available in horizontal and vertical configurations, is designed for stationary use on the floor.

Principle of Sawing Machinery

Sawing machinery achieves cleaner cuts than other cutting tools by rotating blades in a consistent direction, reducing sparks and burrs. This is because the blades rotate slowly, unlike high-speed chip saws.

1. Tabletop Type for Desk Placement

Horizontal Type
The machine’s weight lowers the blade, enabling light-force cutting.

Vertical Type
The vertical type presses materials against the blade for cutting, allowing for curved cuts and angled cuts by tilting the table.

2. Portable Type for Mobility

Designed for portability, some models can also be used as tabletop machines with an optional stand.

3. Hybrid Type

A combination of tabletop and portable types, these sawing machines offer flexibility, with detachable tables and units for varied use cases.

4. Caster Type

Designed for cutting large steel pipes and materials without the need for transportation.

Types of Sawing Machinery

1. Band Sawing Machine

Band sawing machines use a high-speed rotating band-shaped blade to cut materials, offering smooth cuts in one direction. Available in vertical, horizontal, and portable types, they are versatile for cutting circular bars, pipes, and steel materials.

2. Circular Sawing Machinery

Circular sawing machines, utilizing disk-shaped blades, are known for high efficiency and rigidity, suitable for cutting large materials. They come with various blade types, including chip saws for precise cutting, metal saws for reusability, and grinding wheels for cost-effectiveness, despite the potential for sparks and dust.

3. Bow Sawing Machinery

Bow sawing machines, ideal for cutting circular bars, operate with an automatic reciprocating motion. They are not recommended for cutting small diameter bars (10 mm or less) to avoid bending and damaging the blade.

What Is a Metal Detector?

Metal detectors are devices that detect the presence of metals using electromagnetic induction. They are widely used in various scenarios such as locating buried metals, identifying foreign objects in food, and security screening. Unlike meters that only detect magnetic materials like iron and nickel, metal detectors can identify all metals, including non-magnetic ones like stainless steel and aluminum.

Uses of Metal Detectors

1. Security Checks

Metal detectors are integral to security at airports and event venues for screening baggage and individuals, helping prevent unauthorized metal entry.

2. Quality Control in Industrial Applications

They are essential in manufacturing plants for quality control, detecting foreign objects such as metal fragments in products to ensure safety and quality.

3. Other Uses

Additionally, metal detectors are used in treasure hunting, archaeological exploration, and mine detection.

Principle of Metal Detectors

Metal detectors are categorized into AC and DC types based on their detection principle. AC types detect both magnetic and non-magnetic metals, while DC types are specifically used in applications involving aluminum packaging.

1. AC Type Metal Detectors

These utilize a transmitter coil to emit an AC magnetic field and receiver coils to detect the presence of metals, identifying magnetic properties and eddy currents in non-magnetic metals such as aluminum, copper, and stainless steel.

2. DC Type Metal Detector

DC types are used in specific scenarios like detecting magnetic metals in aluminum-packaged foods and using permanent magnets and pickup coils to identify metal presence.

How to Select Metal Detectors

When selecting a metal detector, consider the type of metal to be detected, ease of operation, portability, and the environment in which it will be used. Different detectors are optimized for different types of metals and usage scenarios.

Other Information on Metal Detectors

1. Use in Factories

Metal detectors are used in manufacturing plants for non-destructive testing and in food factories for detecting foreign objects. Their installation and performance vary based on the product and metal types.

2. Precautions for Using Metal Detectors

Proper management of the power supply and periodic inspections are crucial for ensuring the stable performance of metal detectors, especially in critical environments like food factories.

What Is Mold Cleaning Equipment?

Mold cleaning equipment is used for the removal of mold contamination.

Traditionally, mold contamination has been removed through manual wiping. However, as mold processing technology has advanced and mold shapes have become more complex, cleaning by wiping has become increasingly challenging. This has led to the growing adoption of cleaning machines.

Mold cleaning equipment primarily relies on ultrasonic cleaning methods, although there are also cleaning methods involving lasers and dry ice.

Uses of Mold Cleaning Equipment

Mold cleaning equipment is primarily used to clean molds used in the production of plastic products.

Injection molding is a major manufacturing process for plastic products, involving melting plastic and injecting it into molds to form products. During the melting process, raw materials and additives can vaporize and leave residues in the molds, leading to contamination. If left unaddressed, this contamination can result in issues such as compromised product appearance and problems with mold operation. Mold cleaning equipment is employed to prevent and address these problems.

How to Select Mold Cleaning Equipment

When selecting mold cleaning equipment, such as a commonly used ultrasonic cleaner, consider factors like the frequency of ultrasonic waves. Low frequencies are effective in removing larger contaminants but may damage dense metals or electronic components during cleaning. It’s crucial to choose equipment that can output an appropriate frequency to effectively remove dirt without causing harm to materials and products. For example, a frequency of 28 kHz may be suitable for stubborn visible dirt, while 40 kHz is used for cleaning precision parts. Higher frequencies are employed for cleaning electronic components like circuit boards.

Mold cleaning equipment comes in separate or integrated configurations. Separate equipment includes an oscillator that generates vibrations and a transducer attached to the equipment, suitable for cleaning large molds. Integrated equipment, which can be placed on a tabletop, is suitable for smaller items.

Additional Information on Mold Cleaning Equipment

Mold Cleaning Solutions

The choice of cleaning liquid for mold cleaning depends on the material and type of contamination of the item to be cleaned. Materials can be categorized as metal, glass, or plastic. Contaminants can include common oils, dust, stains, abrasives, and other particles. Cleaning solutions are broadly divided into aqueous and non-aqueous (hydrocarbon- and solvent-based) systems, as described below:

1. Aqueous-Based

These solutions primarily consist of surfactants and are cost-effective and safe for a wide range of stains. Alkaline, neutral, and acidic solutions are used depending on the type of stain. However, drawbacks include the need for wastewater treatment, limited effectiveness against tough stains, and extended drying times after cleaning.

2. Hydrocarbon-Based

Hydrocarbon-based cleaning solutions contain carbon and hydrogen compounds. They are categorized based on carbon number and structure, including isoparaffinic and norma-paraffinic types. These solutions are effective at removing oil-based contaminants and can be recycled. Due to flammability and safety concerns, strict regulation is required under Fire Service Law.

3. Solvent-Based

Solvent-based solutions include fluorinated, brominated, and alcohol-based types. While they offer strong cleaning capabilities, they also have a significant environmental impact, leading to increased regulation and efforts to reduce their use.

Principles of Mold Cleaning Equipment

Mold cleaning equipment primarily relies on ultrasonic cleaning methods, often in conjunction with solvents and other cleaning chemicals.

Ultrasonic cleaning harnesses a phenomenon called cavitation. When ultrasonic waves with frequencies ranging from 20 kHz to 100 kHz are applied to a cleaning solution, gas molecules experience alternating positive and negative pressure. Positive pressure compresses the gas molecules, while negative pressure causes them to expand. The expansion and subsequent compression of gas molecules result in the formation and collapse of bubbles, a phenomenon known as cavitation. The force generated during cavitation can be used to physically dislodge dirt and contaminants.

The strength of the impact generated during cavitation depends on the frequency of the ultrasonic waves. Lower frequencies deliver more robust impacts but may stress the object being cleaned. For challenging stains and resistant cleaning objects, a lower frequency, such as 28 kHz, is suitable, while relatively higher frequencies, like 40 kHz, are used for less resistant materials and products.

What Is an Oxygen Meter?

An oxygen meter, also known as an oxygen analyzer, is a device used to measure the concentration of oxygen in the air. These devices are utilized in various fields such as industry, medicine, and environmental monitoring, employing different methods like electromagnetic and electrochemical analyzers.

Special features like explosion-proofing are often added to these instruments, making them suitable for different use cases and environments.

Uses of Oxygen Meters

1. Factory Sites

Oxygen meters are used to monitor gas concentrations in industrial settings, particularly for preventing oxygen deficiency accidents. They also play a crucial role in combustion control within industrial furnaces by measuring the oxygen concentration in the combustion zone and adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

2. Medical Field

Widely used in the medical sector, these devices monitor the oxygen concentration of patients undergoing oxygen therapy and help in determining the need for oxygen supplementation in high-altitude activities.

Principle of Oxygen Meters

Oxygen meters typically use oxygen sensors for measurement. These sensors, made from materials like ceramics, measure the amount of oxygen based on chemical reactions occurring within the sensor material as oxygen passes through. Results are displayed on a digital display or an analog meter.

Some models also include warning or alarm features for oxygen levels exceeding certain thresholds, utilizing diffusion and aspiration methods for oxygen collection.

Types of Oxygen Meters

1. Magnetic Oxygen Analyzer

This type of analyzer measures oxygen concentration by detecting pressure changes caused by the magnetic attraction of oxygen in the sample gas. Suitable for measuring flammable gases, though more expensive than other methods.

2. Galvanic Cell Oxygen Analyzer

Measures oxygen concentration based on the electric current generated by the oxidation/reduction reaction occurring when oxygen diffuses into an electrolyte. Compact and cost-effective, but parts need periodic replacement.

3. Zirconia Oxygen Analyzer

Utilizes the conductivity of zirconia at high temperatures to detect oxygen concentration, but may have errors in the presence of combustible gases.

4. Dissolved Oxygen Analyzer

Measures dissolved oxygen in water using methods like titration, diaphragm electrode, or fluorescent analysis. Each method has its advantages and limitations in terms of maintenance, calibration, and sensitivity.

Oxygen meters are essential tools in ensuring safety, maintaining health standards, and monitoring environmental conditions in various applications.

What Is a Tarpaulin?

A tarpaulin is a sheet made of special materials designed to shield against heat, electromagnetic waves, radiation, and other potentially harmful effects on living organisms and electronic devices.

Tarpaulin shielding effectiveness increases with thickness, providing enhanced protection against adverse effects. Tarpaulins can offer high levels of effectiveness when chosen appropriately for specific applications, as the materials used exhibit varying characteristics, including workability.

Additionally, films and sealed products are manufactured to conform to the shape of the object requiring shielding.

Uses of Tarpaulins

Tarpaulins are primarily employed to block external radiation and are commonly used in the following scenarios:

1. Radiation Tarpaulin

Radiation tarpaulins serve the purpose of shielding against external radiation. These shielding sheets are utilized in protective clothing and equipment to safeguard workers from radiation exposure, particularly in environments involving the handling of radioactive materials. Examples include the disposal of radioactive waste at nuclear facilities and reconstruction work in areas affected by nuclear power plant accidents.

Medical facilities dealing with radiation may also use them to shield against X-rays and gamma rays generated by particle beams such as electrons, neutrons, and protons, which are employed in radiation therapy to treat tumors.

2. Electromagnetic Wave Tarpaulin

Electromagnetic wave tarpaulins are used to mitigate the effects of electromagnetic waves originating from sources like broadcasting stations, smartphone base stations, and electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. These waves have the potential to negatively impact human health and disrupt electronic equipment. Tarpaulins are employed to attenuate the effects of such electromagnetic waves effectively.

Principles of Tarpaulins

The principles behind tarpaulins are rooted in the properties of specialized materials capable of shielding against radiation. The characteristics of tarpaulins can vary significantly based on the materials utilized.

1. Radiation Shielding Tarpaulin

Radiation shielding sheets are crafted from materials like lead or tungsten to achieve exceptional shielding effectiveness. However, they tend to be heavy and less manageable. When using such materials, consideration must be given to their appearance, particularly when bending or joining them to suit specific applications.

Tarpaulins composed of rubber or resin are designed to enhance shielding effectiveness by dispersing materials that can shield or absorb radiation within the sheet.

2. Electromagnetic Wave Shielding Tarpaulin

In electromagnetic shielding, conductive materials like copper are employed to surround radio waves. These materials reflect and scatter the waves on their surfaces, preventing their penetration or leakage. Magnetic shielding employs iron-based materials that can be magnetized to enclose and redirect magnetic fields, thus preventing their ingress. The demand for magnetic shielding has increased, especially for electronic devices like MRIs, which are susceptible to magnetic interference.

Additional Information on Tarpaulins

1. Radiation Shielding Tarpaulin

The selection of the appropriate tarpaulin should align with the type and energy level of the radiation source.

Alpha Rays
Alpha rays consist of helium ions composed of two protons and two neutrons. They are typically emitted from the nucleus of a radioactive isotope through a process known as alpha decay. Due to their low energy (less than 10 MeV), alpha rays have limited penetrating power and can be effectively blocked by materials as simple as a sheet of paper, rendering tarpaulins unnecessary for this purpose.

Beta Rays
Beta rays are emitted through beta decay from the nucleus of a radioactive isotope. They pose no health risks and do not cause electronic equipment malfunctions, thus obviating the need for tarpaulins.

Gamma Rays
Gamma rays, originating from the nucleus of radioactive isotopes, consist of photons. They possess high penetrating power and, while they do not directly induce electronic equipment failures, they can cause material degradation and pose significant health hazards. Effective shielding against gamma rays often requires the use of materials such as lead or tungsten, with thicknesses tailored to the specific gamma ray energy.

For lower-energy gamma rays, tungsten alloys, mainly comprising tungsten, are commonly used for tarpaulins due to their lower environmental impact. However, these materials can be inflexible, challenging to work with, and relatively expensive due to the high-temperature sintering process. To address these issues, a new type of tungsten sheet made of tungsten powder and recyclable elastomer resin has been developed. This composite material results in a flexible, high-density tungsten sheet with improved workability.

X-Rays
X-rays are essentially the same as gamma rays but are artificially produced using devices like X-ray tubes. They are primarily used for medical and industrial X-ray examinations and generally have lower energy levels (a few keV) compared to gamma rays. They do not pose health risks and do not interfere with electronic equipment, making tarpaulins unnecessary. White barium sulfate is sometimes used during upper gastrointestinal tract X-rays to enhance X-ray attenuation and improve radiographic resolution.

Neutron Radiation
Low-dose, high-energy neutron beams exist naturally, with a rate of approximately 12 neutrons per square centimeter per hour. Although they are not harmful to humans, they can disrupt electronic equipment. Shielding high-energy gamma and neutron rays typically requires materials like lead and concrete walls several meters thick. Weaker, low-energy neutrons are shielded using hydrogen-rich materials like paraffin, polyethylene, and water, often supplemented with B-10, a substance containing boron. Environmental considerations are crucial, as gadolinium and cadmium are toxic materials commonly used for neutron shielding.

For medical applications involving tumor treatment with neutron beams, high-energy electron beams, or proton beams, gamma and neutron radiation are also generated. As a result, shielding materials are necessary around the irradiation equipment.

2. Electromagnetic Wave Tarpaulin

Tarpaulin shielding sheets are typically composed of thin PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film with a conductive shielding layer, such as copper, applied through vacuum deposition on the surface. These sheets provide excellent electromagnetic shielding properties while remaining lightweight, flexible, and breathable. The porous structure of the film enhances its anchoring effect.

Utilizing its high shielding performance and thin film characteristics, this type of sheet is employed for electromagnetic shielding in various electronic devices, including space-saving mobile devices and cable sheathing materials requiring curvature processing.

Tarpaulins are also available in flexible paper and film forms made from stainless steel and copper materials using paper-making technology. These sheets can be easily cut into desired shapes using scissors or cutters. During processing, sintered metallic fibers prevent fiber shedding, and attention is paid to their impact on the working environment.

This type of tarpaulin sheet combines the advantages of metal conductivity, paper-like cushioning and flexibility, and the anchoring effect and air permeability offered by its porous structure. Based on these qualities, it is used as noise suppression material in various electronic devices and as an electromagnetic wave shielding filter for pressure reduction in differential applications.

What Is an Ultrasonic Oscillator?

An ultrasonic oscillator is a device that can generate ultrasonic waves, consisting of an oscillator and a transducer. It is used as a washing machine for ultrasonic cleaning by integrating it with a medium that transmits ultrasonic waves, such as water or a cleaning agent.

The frequency of oscillation can be set, and the optimal conditions of the transducer can be automatically detected and tuned, so that the intensity of cleaning power can be maintained at a constant level by oscillating stable ultrasonic waves. The intensity can be adjusted from weak to strong to meet a wide range of cleaning applications.

Uses of Ultrasonic Oscillators

Ultrasonic oscillators are used for cleaning and treatment using ultrasonic vibrations.

They are used to clean metal parts such as screws and press products that have persistent oil stains adhering to them, as well as fine particle dust adhering to HDD parts and semiconductors.

Ultrasonic oscillators should not be used to clean materials that lose their luster, such as pearls, or precision machinery, such as watches and cameras that require waterproofing.

Principle of Ultrasonic Oscillators

Ultrasonic oscillators are devices that provide power and generate vibrations through power conversion at the transducer, causing ultrasonic waves.

The transducer uses the principle of resonance, and there are two types: the electrostrictive type, which expands and contracts under the action of an electric field, and the magnetostrictive type, which expands and contracts under the action of a magnetic field, and is characterized by its high conversion efficiency.

When ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted into a liquid, the liquid becomes low pressure and generates bubbles filled with evaporated or dissolved gases, a phenomenon known as cavitation.

In ultrasonic cleaning using ultrasonic oscillators, the physical action of cavitation floats and peels off stuck-on dirt, which is then cleaned by the chemical action of the detergent.

The larger the cavitation, the greater the vibration’s effect on the object to be cleaned, but it can also clean persistent and difficult-to-remove stains.

Small cavitation causes less damage to the object to be cleaned and leaves no unevenness in the cleaning process.

What Is a Color Sorter?

A color sorter is a machine that employs technologies such as CCD cameras, near-infrared rays (NIR), and a chute with a camera to effectively sort and separate harvested crops into categories, including good quality, damaged, and foreign materials.

Harvested crops often contain not only desirable, high-quality produce but also defective items that may be discolored due to various factors, as well as foreign objects like stones and glass fragments.

Given the large volume of crop grains, manual sorting and removal of these defective and foreign items are impractical tasks.

Color sorters use CCD cameras to detect and identify defective products and foreign matter, which are then separated and removed using mechanisms like air jet nozzles.

Color sorters offer a range of features to assist in the sorting process, making them an indispensable tool for various applications, including agriculture and food processing.

Uses of Color Sorters

The primary application of color sorters is in the sorting of rice.

Harvested brown rice often contains a mixture of high-quality rice, damaged grains, and foreign materials.

Defective rice may include moldy grains, while foreign objects can consist of pebbles, glass fragments, and other items that are not safe for consumption and may pose health risks.

Defective products typically exhibit distinct differences in color compared to good quality grains. Color sorters utilize CCD cameras to detect these variations in color and then employ ejectors, such as air jets, to remove the defective grains from the stream of rice.

Some foreign materials, such as glass fragments, may closely resemble good quality grains in color. To address this, some color sorters are equipped with NIR cameras that utilize near-infrared light to distinguish between good quality grains and glass fragments, allowing for the removal of glass fragments as well.

In addition to rice, color sorters are also used for sorting other grains like wheat, barley, soybeans, and more.

Principles of Color Sorters

The fundamental principle underlying color sorters is the differentiation of crops based on their color characteristics.

When we refer to “color” in this context, it encompasses not only visible colors but also infrared “color” information that lies beyond the spectrum visible to the human eye.

Objects exhibit variations in the ratio of electromagnetic waves (light in the case of visible light) that are either reflected or transmitted (spectral reflectance/spectral transmittance) at different wavelengths.

Defective products exhibit distinct spectral reflectance and transmittance characteristics in the visible light spectrum, which makes them distinguishable by a standard CCD camera.

Transparent foreign objects, such as glass fragments, can be detected using an NIR camera because they display different spectral reflectance and transmittance patterns in response to near-infrared light.

The sorting process begins with raw materials being conveyed on a belt and directed to the optical section, which includes multiple LED light sources, two CCD cameras, and an NIR camera.

By illuminating the materials with LED light sources and analyzing them using CCD and NIR cameras, it becomes possible to identify variations in spectral reflectance and transmittance among good quality, defective, and foreign materials.

Simultaneously, the ejector section, linked to the cameras, expels air to sort the materials, separating good quality produce from defective products and foreign matter.

What Is a Degasser?

A degasser is a device that removes gases from water.

Normally, water contains oxygen and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These gases in water can change the taste and color of drinking water, interfere with chemical reactions, and lead to rust in pipes.

Degassers come in a variety of sizes, including large degassers used in factories for manufacturing and refrigeration, and small degassers used in laboratories.

Uses of Degassers

Because degassers remove oxygen and carbon dioxide from water, they are used in a variety of industries that handle water. For example, in the beverage and food industries, the dissolved oxygen in water directly affects the color and taste of products, so the water used is de-aerated.

Piping used to transport hot water, or steam is also often degassed as dissolved oxygen can cause rust. Other small degassers are also used in research and development.

For example, they are used to degass water used in chemical reactions or in analytical equipment such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Degassing is especially essential for devices such as HPLC that use a pump to keep water flowing, as air bubbles can cause pulsations in the pump.

Principle of Degassers

The principle of the degassing process is based on the law that the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid is proportional to the pressure on the gas side. Therefore, if a liquid and a gas are in contact, lowering the pressure on the gas side will reduce the amount of gas dissolved in the liquid. To put it extremely simply, if a vacuum is created, the amount of gas dissolved in the liquid will be reduced to zero.

In addition, the wider the surface where the liquid and gas come into contact with each other, the more efficient the degassing process will be. Simply increasing the diameter of the device will increase the surface where the liquid and gas come into contact, thereby improving the degasser’s performance, but the device itself will become larger and more costly.

As a countermeasure, the use of hollow fibers is effective. The surface where the liquid and gas come into contact with each other can be expanded, making it possible to degasser efficiently in relation to the size of the device. There are two methods of degassing in degassers: the tank method removes gas from a liquid by depressurizing the inside of the tank.

The degassing process varies in proportion to the size of the tank. The other method is the vacuum deaeration tower method, in which degassing is performed by depressurizing the liquid injected in particulate form. Since the liquid is in particulate form, the surface in contact with the liquid and gas is dramatically increased compared to the tank method, resulting in better degassing. However, the vacuum degasser method is expensive to install and requires large equipment.

Features of Degassers

Atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide dissolve in water in minute quantities. Since the amount of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide is minute, there is no problem when using small amounts of water, but in factories and other places where large amounts of water are used, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide can cause unexpected problems. For example, oxygen oxidizes metals, causing rust in pipes. In the food and beverage industry, oxidation caused by dissolved oxygen can change the color and taste of products.

Degassers remove such dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide. The degasser is equipped with a vacuum pump and a degasser membrane, and water flows through a channel covered by the degasser membrane. Because the flow path is depressurized by the pump, only small molecules, such as dissolved oxygen, pass through the membrane as they pass through the flow path. As a result, gases are removed from the water that is passed through the membrane.

Degassers can also degas liquids other than water, such as organic solvents. However, it is necessary to check the durability of the membrane against the solvent to avoid swelling or dissolving the membrane. Also, in the case of mixed solutions, it is necessary to confirm that the solution composition is not changed by passing through a line under reduced pressure.