What Are Ozone Water Generators?
Ozone water generators generate low-concentration ozone in water from air, pure water, or oxygen gas.
Ozone has high oxidizing power and can be used to remove dirt, bacteria, and microorganisms, as well as to clean silicon wafers for semiconductors.
It is used in various industries such as medical, food, food and beverage, and semiconductor industries because the raw materials are inexpensive, metallic impurities are difficult to penetrate, operation is simple, and the system can be used immediately after start-up.
Applications of Ozone Water Generators
Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can decompose compounds that cause contamination and remove germs and microorganisms.
Ozone water generators are therefore used in the food, food service, medical, and other industries to sterilize, deodorize, and remove sliminess.
In addition, by increasing the ozone concentration, it can not only decompose organic matter, but also remove metals and etch organic films, so it is also used in the semiconductor, liquid crystal, and solar cell industries.
Another reason why ozonized water is used in the semiconductor and liquid crystal industries is that it does not contain metallic impurities.
Principles of Ozone Water Generation
Water, water vapor, or oxygen gas is used as the raw material for ozone (O3). When water is used as a raw material, high voltage is applied to the water to cause electrolysis, which produces a small amount of ozone in the water. Normal water electrolysis produces oxygen and hydrogen, but by increasing the voltage, ozone can also be produced.
When oxygen gas is used as a raw material for ozone, a high voltage is applied to the oxygen gas. By applying high voltage, oxygen molecules (O2) are decomposed into oxygen atoms (O), and the decomposed oxygen atoms combine with oxygen molecules to produce ozone.
Features of Ozone Water Generators
Hydrochloric acid, ammonia, and other chemicals used in the semiconductor industry are relatively expensive due to their high purity.
On the other hand, the raw materials for ozonized water are pure water, oxygen gas, and air, so the cost is relatively low.
In addition, various types of ozone water generators are available for different applications, such as those that can change the ozone concentration or generate large amounts of ozone water.
Since ozone is a relatively unstable substance, it is not suitable for long-term storage. However, since the standby time between starting up the equipment and actually using it is short, this is not a problem when the equipment is actually used.
Uses of Ozone Water Generators in the Medical Industry
As mentioned above, ozone water generators are also used in the medical industry.
For example, they are used to remove viruses and bacteria. Usually, drugs are used to counter viruses, but the longer they are used, the more likely it is that new viruses resistant to the drugs will emerge.
Ozone, on the other hand, directly destroys the DNA of bacteria and viruses, making them less resistant and more suitable for pathogen removal.
In addition, the concentration of ozone contained in ozone water generators is very small and has no effect on the human body because it decomposes immediately after use and is converted into oxygen molecules.
Furthermore, since ozonated water contains only water, oxygen, and a small amount of ozone, it is easier and less expensive to dispose of wastewater after use than wastewater containing various chemicals.
Furthermore, since ozone water generators are easy to operate, they can be used on a daily basis by personnel with different expertise.