Ozone, a compound consisting of three oxygen atoms, is a highly efficient cleaner. When paired with an ultraviolet light source, ozone is able to clean nearly any surface rapidly and effectively. This has been confirmed through years of testing and research.

In the 1970s, a series of experiments first began to show the efficacy of UV cleaning, and eventually, the combination of UV and ozone. An early experiment in 1972 showed that UV light, combined with a quartz filter and a mercury lamp that generated ozone, was able to successfully aid the depolymerization of photoresist polymers.

Another experiment was able to demonstrate the ability of UV and ozone to clean hydrocarbons from glass and gold surfaces. The results indicated that absorbed hydrocarbons could be removed from these surfaces after 15 hours of exposure to the UV/Ozone mixture, and that storing the surfaces underneath the cleaner would allow that cleanliness to be retained indefinitely.

Another series of tests in the late 1970s demonstrated the ability of an UV/ozone mixture to cleanse surfaces in less than a minute, under optimal conditions. Since then, use of UV/ozone has been steadily increasing in many industries.
In order to determine the optimal conditions for UV/ozone cleaning, the experimenters began by creating two UV cleaning boxes, made out of aluminum. Both boxes contained mercury lamps, which would be used to generate different wavelengths of light, serving as the variable in the experiment. Only the light that is absorbed can be of use in cleaning, so it is important to determine what wavelengths are most efficiently absorbed.

Two different wavelengths were of the most interest to the experiment- 184.9nm and 253.7nm. The lights passed through three different envelope materials (quartz, high silica glass, and glass) at each wavelength. Quartz was able to lead to the creation of both 184.9nm and 253.7nm, while the glass envelopes could not produce both. The production of both wavelengths is significant. Ozone is created at the 184.9nm level, while the presence of 253.7nm helps in the destruction of ozone. If both are present, then there is a constant creation and destruction of ozone, which in turns encourages the formation of atomic oxygen, an exceptionally strong oxidizing agent.

While ozone and UV radiation combine to be a strong cleaner, the experimenters did find that gross contamination should be removed before the process. Pre-cleaning allows for the removal of contaminants like dust, which cannot be cleaned by the ozone and UV light. Also, it prevents contaminants from forming a shield against the UV rays through excessive buildup.

By removing the major contamination with another wash process, the UV and Ozone stage will be able to strip away the more difficult to reach, smaller, particles of contamination. The experiment shows that various methods, whether they are aqueous, solvent, or a combination will be adequate.

Depending on the amount of contamination and distance from the source of the cleaning mixture, the cleaning process can be remarkably quick. To measure this, the experimenters placed one piece of material to be cleaned 5mm from the light source in the first box and in the second box placed a piece of material at 8cm. The piece located at 5mm was cleaned 10 times faster than the sample at 8cm.

With a combination of wavelengths at 184.9nm and 253.7nm through the use of a quartz filter, a small distance from the light source, and a pre-cleaning, the sample materials were cleaned in approximately 10 seconds. The materials reached a remarkably high standard of cleanliness in this method- it produced near-atomically clean surfaces, as evidenced by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), and ion scattering spectroscopy/secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ISS/SIMS) studies.

UV/Ozone cleaning has many applications. It can be used to clean semi-conductors, as it was in the experiment. It can also be effective in cleaning water. The cleaning combination has shown the ability to clear water of toxic contaminants like ethanol, medical waste, and pesticides. Further tests on the subject of water cleaning with UV/Ozone have shown that using the two in conjunction is more effective than using either alone.

This method of cleaning works well on many flat surfaces provided the proper setup is used. As long as the surface to be cleaned has had gross contamination removed, is properly exposed to the light, and given the optimal amount of time to be cleaned, UV/Ozone cleaning will produce a nearly completely clean surface by any measurement.

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Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/uvozone-cleaning-introduction-and-basics-316122.html#ixzz0pYSVyMSa

Nine out of ten diseases, including the common cold and the flu, are caused by water or airborne bacteria and viruses. When comparing disinfectants one should keep in mind that there are very few bad chemical solutions for killing micro-organisms.
Nearly all biocides will disinfect nearly any water if the right dosage and reaction time are applied. The most important future issue of disinfectants will be how environmentally friendly the antimicrobial agent will be:

What disinfectant by-products will be formed and how efficiently, that is how quickly can the disinfectant applied achieve a sufficient log reduction of bacteria, viruses and fungi?

Ozone (O3) is poisonous and can kill bacteria and fungi as well as cause changes in molecular/chemical structures to eliminate odors caused by these bacteria. Ozone kills microorganisms with a process known as “cellular lysis”. In the oxidation process, ozone ruptures the cellular membrane of microorganisms and disperses the bacterial cytoplasm into solution, thus making reactivation impossible. This process takes place in about 2 seconds. In water ozone releases extra oxygen molecules so that Hydrogen dioxide (H2O) results in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).) This causes anything that relies on water, such as bacteria and fungi, to be effected: rubber and plastic can dry out, water exposed long enough becomes hydrogen peroxide, many odorous substances become neutralized and/or it’s causing bacteria/fungi will be sterilized (It can even be used on tear-gas residue).

As a comparison based on 99.99% of bacterial concentration being killed and time taken ozone is:
25 times of that of  HOCl  (Hypochlorous Acid)
2,500 times of that of  OCl  (Hypochlorite)
5,000 times of that of NH2Cl (Chloramine).

Further more, ozone is at least 10 times stronger than chlorine as a disinfectant.  Chlorine reacts with meat forming highly toxic and carcinogen compounds called THMs or tri-halomethanes – rendering meats lesser quality products.  THMs was also implicated as carcinogens in developing kidney, bladder, and colon cancers.  Chlorine also results in the production of chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chloromethane besides THMs.  On the other hand, ozone does not even leave any trace of residual product upon its oxidative reaction. Like chlorine, ozone kills microorganisms. The sterilization action of ozone is by “direct kill attack” and oxidation of the biological material. Virus destruction with ozone is instantaneous, safe and foolproof, as ozone is nature’s own purifier. Chlorine’s reactive oxidant is hypochloric acid which is formed when chlorine is dissolved in water. This powerful oxidant will have significant long term negative effects on our water sources. Ozone, on the other hand, has no side effects as far as the treatment of water is concerned. It has properly been described as the “add-nothing” sterilant.

Ozone generators for swimming pools and spas.

Hand-crafted in the USA.

If you have been doing some research on Ozone, you have no doubt already read many articles describing its characteristics. Really simple, it is 3 oxygen atoms that were combined through one of several processes. It becomes a very unstable molecule in this state, and is just waiting for a chance to stabilize again by oxidizing something, almost anything actually. 3′s a crowd right and as soon as our O3 molecule meets something, it uses that 3rd atom like a bomb to oxidize whatever it met.

What we want to do with the O3 we produce will play a big part in which process we use to make it. Here, we are concered with water, but Ozone also has many other uses. How we make the Ozone will determine how powerful it is. Then the biggest issue is how we will apply it. You can take the finest Ozone producing equipment available, and render it next to useless if it is not applied right. A few issues to be concerned with are concentration, solubility and contact time. There are the UV style Ozone generators (the bulb/lamp style) which do not use air preparation systems, and Corona Discharge (so called lighting storm style) ones that do. Although sometimes used without air prep. systems, CD style resonators should always use prepared air or oxygen to produce ozone. Humidity in the air will cause the process to create nitric acid which will destroy the generator in a short time. Humid air also produces very little ozone.

Solubility is realy important, because if we can’t dissolve the Ozone in the water, it won’t work. Just bubbling some ozone into the water may dissolve some ozone, but much will be wasted and just off gas to atmosphere. Without a long explanation, this is where venturi injectors are so effective. They literally squeeze the Ozone into the water. We also want the bubbles to be as small as possible because there is more surface area in many small bubbles then in large. Again, the venturi injectors are very good at this point.

In dealing with concentration, what we want to make is getting those bubbles to contain the most ozone they can. The more Ozone a bubble contains the more oxidizing power it has. Oxygen of course, has more oxygen in it to produce ozone than air, and no humidity, so we get a much higher concentration. Dried air has less humidity than room air, so we again get higher concentrations. Taking a Corona Discharge generator and using oxygen as a feed gas, we will get by far the highest concentration. If we took 1 gram of ozone and put it in 1 big bubble, there would be a lot of ozone in the bubbles interior not able to contact anything. If we took that same gram and put it into 1000 fine bubbles, the increased surface area allows more ozone molecules to react with something, and so very little ozone would be wasted as off gas.

As with chlorine, bromine or any other cleaner or oxidant, Ozone has a time that it takes to kill or oxidize a given thing. This is known as contact time. The molecule will come in contact with something, and after a certain period, that something is eliminated. The most powerful, commonly used product used we are known with is chlorine. O3 has 100 times the oxidizing power of chlorine. It also kills bacteria and cysts etc. up to 3,000 times faster. Residuals and kill rates are calculated as CT Values, which is the Concentration multiplied by the exposure Time. If we look at the Giardia Cyst in water at 68° F with a pH of 7.5, we will find that free chlorine has a CT value of 83 to obtain a given inactivation of the cyst. O3 has a CT value of .72. This means that at 1ppm, free chlorine will take 83 minutes to perform this feat, whereas 1ppm O3 will take only about 40 seconds.

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Some scientific info

Ozone (O3) is a molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic O2. The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere filters potentially damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the Earth’s surface. It is present in low concentrations throughout the Earth’s atmosphere. It has many industrial and consumer applications.

Ozone can be used to remove manganese from water, forming a precipitate which can be filtered:

2 Mn2+ + 2 O3 + 4 H2O → 2 MnO (OH) 2 (s) + 2 O2 + 4 H+

Ozone will also turn cyanides to the one thousand times less toxic cyanates:

CN- + O3 → CNO- + O2

Industrial Use

Mainly the ozone is used in the preparation of pharmaceuticals, synthetic lubricants and other organic compounds. It is also be used to bleach substances and for killing microorganisms in air and water sources. Many drinking water systems kill bacteria with ozone instead of the more common chlorine as it does not form organ chlorine compounds, nor does it remain in the water after treatment. The Safe Drinking Water Act mandate that these systems introduce an amount of chlorine to maintain a minimum of 0.2 ppm residual Free Chlorine in the pipes, based on results of regular testing. Ozone is also a cost-effective method of treating water, where there is electric power since it is produced on demand and does not require transportation and storage of hazardous chemicals. Once it has decayed, it leaves no taste or odor in drinking water. Other important applications of ozone:

• Disinfect water in place of chlorine
• Kill bacteria on food or on contact surfaces;
• Sanitize swimming pools and spas
• Kill insects in stored grain
• Scrub yeast and mold spores from the air in food processing plants;
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables to kill yeast, mold and bacteria;
• Chemically attack contaminants in water (iron, arsenic, hydrogen sulfide, nitrites and complex organics stick together as “color”);
• Eradicate water borne parasites such as Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium in surface water treatment plants.

Swimming Pools

Ozone has been in regular use for more than fifty years in the west European countries, such as France, Germany and others as they realize the consequences of chlorine gas.

Ozone has also been in use in Europe since the 1890’s for drinking water purification. Some large cities in the United States such as Los Angeles and Milwaukee now boast the best drinking water in America since they began using Ozone as a purification method.

Ozone, although a disinfectant or sanitizer and oxidizer, it is normally referred to as the primary oxidizer and alternative sanitizer when referring to its use in swimming pools in the United States.

Here are some useful details that have to be mentioned when speaking of ozone:

• Ozone destroys viruses and bacteria such as e-coli and legionaries, and others.
• Ozone is over one thousand times faster acting than chlorine at oxidizing and destroying bather load in a swimming pool. This drastically reduces chlorine requirements.
• Decreased chemical usage – significant savings considering the cost of chlorine
• Better water clarity
• Reduction or total elimination of chloramines
• Reduction or total elimination of odors-particularly valuable in indoor pool environments
• Smoother water feel
• No red itching eyes normally caused by chloramines
• Very effective at destroying viruses and organisms
• pH neutral

Ozone gas is introduced into water by means of either a venturi injector creating a vacuum to suck ozone gas into the water or with direct injection or diffusers by pushing the air into the water with an air pump. The Ozone gas mixes with the water. The best saturation of Ozone in water is obtained when many fine bubbles of Ozone is introduced which provide more total surface area of Ozone contact.

There are basically two ways that Ozone is produced by man or by nature. One is known as Corona Discharge (CD) and the other is passing air across special Vacuum Ultra Violet lamps. (VUV) often times referred to as UV Ozone or Very Ultra Violet Ozone.

Manufacturers of each of these technologies say the other technology uses more electricity. In reality they are pretty equal. In some applications VUV lamps use less and others Corona uses less, but in any event, not by much and not an issue. Neither uses much electricity.

Another statement by manufacturers is ease of maintenance between the two technologies. This is also subjective and used by who is selling what. Corona manufacturers require replacing check valves and hoses annually, and to wear protective gloves when doing so. Corona cell components also need periodic maintenance. VUV Lamp Ozone manufacturers state their lamps run between 9,000 and 20,000 hours, so they may need replacing depending upon pool filtration run time every several to seven or so years.

Both Vacuum Ultra Violet lamp Ozone systems and Corona Discharge systems are available for use in commercial swimming pools ranging to the millions of gallons.

Extremely large Corona Discharge systems are used for large metropolitan municipal water treatment systems.

Although this discussion is dealing with swimming pools, there are many applications for both Ozone technologies such as, but not limited to, water cooling towers, laundry systems, drinking water, wells and cisterns, wastewater treatment, aquariums, fruits and vegetables, meats, odors, medical, ice machines, many more.

Corona Discharge (CD) Ozone Generators

Corona discharge is a high electrical energy field such as lightning in natural occurrences, and by man using two highly energized metal or ceramic plates or chambers with a narrow gap in which air flows through. The arcing of this high electrical energy called the corona field alters the electron structure of all elements in the air passing through the chamber.

When man made corona discharge ozone generator systems are fed pure oxygen input and also very dry air passed through an air drier, they produce high quantities of Ozone. When manufacturers of Corona Discharge Ozone systems provide Ozone output production graphs, they sometimes use pure oxygen and very low humidity or dry air in testing. At a minimum, they often use drier air than normally found in many areas of the United States.

In reality, Oxygen concentrators and air dryers are price prohibitive for the backyard pool so ambient air only is passed through the cell. Pure Oxygen does not exist in ambient air, and in some areas of the country, humidity is very high. Commercial CD systems that can afford the cost, and do provide Oxygen concentrators require additional maintenance such as cleaning concentrator filters, and life cycle issues. They also require Ozone monitoring safety devices.

(Ambient air: A colorless, odorless, tasteless, gaseous mixture, mainly nitrogen (approximately 78 percent) and oxygen (approximately 21 percent) with lesser amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, neon, helium, and other gases.

b. This mixture with varying amounts of moisture and particulate matter, enveloping the earth; the atmosphere.)

Corona Discharge systems provided with ambient air input to the chamber such as backyard pools have certain issues that arise. Below are two primary issues.

One issue is the high Nitrogen content of ambient air. As mentioned previously, all elements passing through a Corona chamber are altered. Nitrogen is the primary substance in air, and altering its state creates harmful byproducts such as nitric acid (nitric acid: A clear, colorless to yellow liquid that is very corrosive and can dissolve most metals. It is used to make fertilizers, explosives, dyes, and rocket fuels) and Nitric oxide (nitric oxide n. A colorless, poisonous gas), along with other Nitrous byproducts. To top it off, Nitrates. Nitrates are Algae food.

Another issue is Humidity. Ever wonder why it is that when you reach for something or someone in the winter time where the air is dry and you are zapped by a bolt of static electricity? Ever wonder why in the summer time, or when outdoors this does not occur? These answers are simple—Ambient Air Humidity. If humidity affects electrical conductivity in ambient air, could it not directly relate to the electrical field in a Corona Discharge cell hindering output?

In review: Corona Discharge systems that are supplied pure Oxygen and dry air produce high levels of pure Ozone. Corona Discharge units that are provided only ambient air, such as backyard pool applications, create Nitrogen byproducts and may experience diminished outputs with increased humidity.

Vacuum Ultra Violet (VUV) Ozone Generators

VUV lamp Ozone generators simulate nature’s way of creating the Earth’s outer Ozone layer. This is accomplished by creating the equivalent of the Sun’s solar light energy spectrum in the 185 nanometer range.

The outer Ozone layer is a continual process of the spectrum interacting with Oxygen and is considered very beneficial to our existence.

There are differences in Ozone generation using VUV lamps versus Corona Discharge (CD) equipment.

Ozone lamps are not affected by humidity. In fact, humidity is said to increase the effective oxidizing potential of Ozone generating lamps by drawing properties of the germicidal spectrum through the filtering quartz. Some refer to this as Advanced Oxidation Technology (AOT) and others Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP). Ozone lamp systems perform very well in humid places, where there are issues with ambient air CD systems.

As with CD technology, the greater and purer the Oxygen amount introduced to the input chamber of the lamps, the higher output of Ozone.

Unlike CD systems that create potentially harmful Nitrogen byproducts with ambient air, Ozone lamps only alter Oxygen converting it to Ozone. Ozone lamps are not known to create harmful byproducts.

Ozone lamp systems normally do not require the maintenance of CD systems. The nitrogen byproducts created by CD hinder the effectiveness of check valves, injectors, and hoses which is not as evident with lamp Ozone generators. No special clothing or gloves are required for maintenance of lamp Ozone systems. Note: Do not look directly at an Ozone lamp. Ozone lamps also contain mercury, so proper disposal must be considered.

In review: VUV Lamp Ozone generating systems perform very well in all environments. They normally require less maintenance than CD systems. Warranties are often longer in duration. Ozone lamp systems are normally less expensive to purchase.

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