Ozone: A Natural and Eco-Friendly Disinfectant
Ozone is one of nature’s most effective sterilization mechanisms. For example, in the United States, ozone has been used for sterilization for over 100 years. It is highly effective in killing bacteria such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and drug-resistant superbugs like MRSA, as well as various viruses and molds.
Additionally, ozone can degrade pesticide residues and other toxic compounds by breaking chemical double bonds, reducing their toxicity. Unlike chemical disinfectants, ozone does not cause adverse effects and is non-corrosive, making it an ideal eco-friendly disinfectant. Ozone is particularly suitable for industries that require high hygiene standards, such as food safety, commercial laundry, healthcare, and water treatment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved ozone as a disinfectant, and many advanced countries use ozone in their municipal water treatment and beverage bottling facilities for sterilization purposes.
Methods of Ozone Generation
Electrolytic Ozone Generation (EOG)
This method produces ozone water using low-voltage electrolysis. Only H2O is involved in the electrolysis process, so the resulting O2 and O3 are free from impurities. This ensures the purity of the ozone water disinfectant, overcoming the technical drawbacks of traditional high-voltage corona discharge (CD) methods that use air as a raw material and pure water electrolysis methods.
Corona Discharge Method (CD)
The corona discharge method mimics the natural phenomenon of lightning to generate ozone. A dielectric material is placed parallel between two high-voltage electrodes, and a discharge occurs across a gap using a voltage above 3000V. The resulting thermal energy excites the oxygen in the air, causing collisions that generate ozone. However, this method also produces nitrogen oxides (NOx) since air contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases. Nitrogen oxides are recognized as toxic substances and are linked to cancer. The low oxygen content in air limits the production of high-concentration ozone through this method. Due to the presence of harmful substances like NOx, this method is unsuitable for food processing and household use, offices and other public spaces usage.
Ultraviolet (UV) Method
The UV method generates ozone by exposing air to UV light at a wavelength of 185 nm. The UV light splits oxygen molecules (O2) into oxygen atoms (O), which then combine with other oxygen molecules to form ozone (O3). The amount of ozone produced depends on the size of the UV lamp, and the output is typically low. While suitable for air disinfection, this method is ineffective for producing ozone water due to its low ozone production capacity.
Pure Water Electrolysis Method
This technique uses highly purified water (e.g., deionized or distilled water) containing minimal impurities and ions. The high purity of the water prevents the formation of harmful byproducts during electrolysis, resulting in purer and safer ozone water, ideal for applications requiring high purity and safety. However, due to the water’s purity, the electrolysis process faces higher resistance, typically requiring higher voltages, making it more suitable for industrial applications.
Advantages of Electrolytic Ozone Generation (EOG)
Compared to over 90% of ozone sterilization technologies in the market that use high-pressure air methods or UV lamps, the water electrolysis ozone sterilization technology offers the following advantages:
Efficient Ozone Production
Only water (1000>TDS>30 ppm) is needed to produce ozone, with low energy consumption due to low-pressure electrolysis.
Directional Ozone Generation
Using water as the medium enables precise targeting of ozone gas, improving efficiency in sterilizing surfaces. This makes it particularly suitable for personal and food hygiene applications.
Independent of Air Quality
Electrolysis efficiency is not affected by air quality and does not require desiccants.
Natural and Eco-Friendly
The most natural, environmentally friendly, and safe disinfection method, with no production of toxic substances such as nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Stable and Long-Term Operation
Provides stable efficiency in generating concentrated ozone water over long periods.
High Penetration and Versatility
Offers high penetration rates and capabilities for sterilization, cleaning, disinfection, and deodorization.
Cost-Effective
Features economic advantages with low maintenance frequency and long product lifespan.
Wide Application Range
Suitable for the development of various sizes of sterilization and cleaning equipment, with a broad range of product applications.
Electrolytic Ozone Water: Powerful Sterilization, Deodorization, and Cleaning Mechanisms
Sterilization Mechanism of Electrolytic Ozone Water
- Oxidative Destruction of Cell Walls and Membranes: The strong oxidative properties of ozone can damage the cell walls and membranes of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Ozone oxidizes and destroys intracellular proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids, leading to microbial death and inhibiting the growth and reproduction of microorganisms.
- Rapid Reaction and High Efficiency: Ozone’s oxidative reaction is extremely fast, completing the sterilization process in seconds to minutes, resulting in very high sterilization efficiency.
Deodorization Mechanism of Electrolytic Ozone Water
- Strong Oxidative Properties: Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can react with many organic and inorganic substances. When ozone comes into contact with odor molecules, it oxidizes these molecules, breaking them down into odorless or low-odor substances. The reaction primarily produces oxygen (O₂) and water (H₂O), without generating harmful byproducts, making it a relatively eco-friendly deodorization method.
- Sterilization Effect: Ozone has strong sterilizing properties that can destroy the cell walls and membranes of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, killing these microorganisms. Many odors are caused by microbial metabolic products, so killing these microorganisms can reduce or eliminate the sources of unpleasant odors.
Cleaning Mechanism of Electrolytic Ozone Water
- Degradation of Food Residual Pesticides: Ozone can break the chemical bonds in pesticide molecules, causing them to decompose into smaller, non-toxic or less toxic substances. For example, chlorine-based organic pesticides can break down into carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic salts under the action of ozone.
- Cleaning Food: Ozone has broad-spectrum sterilizing effects, destroying the cell walls and membranes of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, thus killing these microorganisms. It also oxidizes and decomposes other organic contaminants, making food cleaner and safer, and reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Competitive Advantages of DERYI Technology’s Electrolytic Ozone Generation (EOG) Technology
After years of research and development investment, DERYI Technology’s R&D team has successfully made breakthroughs in the key technology of Electrolytic Ozone Generation (EOG). We use specially made titanium metal electrodes (conductivity range 60~2000 µS/cm²) to electrolyze water with TDS values between 30 and 1000, generating electrolytic ozone. By employing a wide-voltage constant-current algorithm, our ozone module can instantly generate and dissolve ozone in water, and precisely control ozone concentrations between 0.1ppm and 2ppm. This makes our technology suitable for a range of applications, from small personal health and hygiene products and medium-sized household appliances to large-scale commercial disinfection and cleaning solutions.
The key technological innovations and competitive advantages of DERYI Technology’s Electrolytic Ozone Generation (EOG) include:
No Harmful Byproducts
Our electrolysis technology does not release toxic byproducts, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), during the oxidation process. The only byproducts are water and hydrogen, making electrolytic ozone water the most natural, environmentally friendly, and safe sterilizing agent.
Immediate Production of High-Purity Ozone Water
Compared to a few similar technologies on the market that require longer working times to produce electrolytic ozone water, our technology can instantly generate and dissolve ozone in water, with concentrations significantly higher than industry standards.
Long Service Life and Economic Cost Advantage
Our water electrolysis technology offers rapid, effective, and cost-efficient benefits compared to traditional high-voltage discharge or ultraviolet methods. The service life of the electrolytic titanium electrode modules can exceed 1,500 to 2,000 hours, demonstrating excellent economic benefits across various products.
