How is ozone produced?
Ozone in the stratosphere is created through chemical reactions between the sun's ultraviolet radiation and oxygen molecules. The common methods of artificial ozone generation are as follows:
- Corona discharge: It is the most common and cost-effective method of ozone generation. It works by means of a corona discharge tube or ozone plate. Using air for ozone generation produces nitrogen oxides in the process. This problem can be avoided by using oxygen for ozone generation, resulting in a higher concentration of ozone.
- Ultraviolet: Ultraviolet ozone generator produces ozone by using ultraviolet light to illuminate the air. This method can only produce ozone at a concentration of about 0.5% or less. So, it has a low production rate. It can only be used for air treatment, not for water flow treatment. Its advantage is that no nitrogen oxides will be produced.
- Cold plasma: In the cold plasma method, oxygen molecules will be split into individual atoms upon exposure. Ozone is formed by the recombination of the atoms. The advantage of this method lies in its high ozone production rate per unit time.
- Electrolysis: The electrolysis method uses low voltage direct current through positive and negative electrodes to electrolyze deionized water to generate ozone. Electrolysis can achieve a high solubility of ozone in water. But the problems lie in its high energy consumption and short life of electrodes.
How long can ozone last in the air?
When ozone is produced, its amount in the air will continuously to fall as it will return to oxygen.
Ozone’s half-life: The half-life of ozone is about 30 minutes, meaning that half of the ozone generated will return to oxygen within 30 minutes. The process will constantly continue until all ozone gas returns to oxygen.
Reduction in chemical reaction: When ozone reacts with odors or fumes containing organic matter in the air, a certain amount of ozone in the air will be depleted in the reaction process.
Thermal decomposition: Ozone is more stable at low temperature than at higher temperature. A higher temperatures will make ozone break down faster.
As a result, ozone, although highly oxidizing, does not last very long after it is generated. It will soon return into oxygen when its oxidizing function is applied.
How does ozone function?
The addition of the third oxygen atom to ozone makes it more reactive and unstable than oxygen. This allows ozone molecules to bond easily with odor molecules. Harmful microorganisms such as odor molecules, bacteria and viruses will change their chemical structure when they come into contact with ozone. Odor molecules will then be changed into compounds with less or even no odor. Harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses can also be inactivated by oxidation. It will be reduced to oxygen after oxidation, making it an environment-friendly oxidant.
What's the difference between an ozone generator and an air purifier?
Ozone generator:
An ozone generator generates and releases ozone into the environment. Ozone inactivates all harmful microorganisms in the air or on the surface through its oxidation to achieve the sterilization and odor removal purposes.
Air purifier:
An air purifier traps pollutants and pathogens in the air by using the filter within so as to achieve air purification.
How to safely use an ozone generator?
The basic requirements for the safe use of an ozone generator are as follows:
- Use in the environment with no people, pets, sensitive plants or items (such as rubber products, plastic products, fabrics, paintings, etc.).
- To avoid inhaling a high concentration of ozone, it is recommended to choose ozone generators with automatic shutdown function.
- To ensure an adequate diffusion of ozone, it is recommended to keep the treated space ventilated for at least 30 minutes after an ozone treatment.
Is ozone safe for food sterilization?
Yes, it is safe to use ozone for the sterilization of food. Ozone received a GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) approval from the U.S. FDA in 2001 and later a GRAS approval from USDA in 2002.
Can I use an ozone generator in my car?
Yes. But compared to use it in other spaces, its working time in the car should be controlled. A good tip is to limit the application time to 20 minutes or less. In addition, in order to avoid the impact of ozone on the rubber and leather materials in the car, instead of using ozone gas, it is suggested to use ozone water to wipe the interior of the car for a sterilization or odor removal purpose.
What materials can be affected by ozone?
Whether ozone gas will affect a material is determined by the nature of the material itself, but also by ozone concentration, air humidity and whether the material has been treated against ozone and other factors. The following are indicators of the effects of ozone on different materials:
Rating Key
A = Excellent – Ozone has no effect on the material.
B = Good – Ozone has little effect on the material. Can be used at low ozone concentrations or for short periods. However, long time or high concentration of ozone may still cause erosion of the materials.
C = Fair – Ozone has a moderate effect on the material. These materials should only be used in low-level ozone environments or for short-term applications. Prolonged use will cause erosion of the material.
D = Poor – Ozone can have a serious effect on materials. The material will decompose in a short time (a few hours to a few days).
A – Excellent:
Butyl
Kel-F® (PCTFE)
Chemraz
Norprene
CPVC
PEEK
Durachlor-51
Polycarbonate
Durlon 9000
Polyurethane, Millable
EPR
PTFE (Teflon®)
Ethylene-Propylene
PVDF (Kynar®)
Fluorosilicone
Santoprene
Glass
Silicone
Galvanized Steel in Air
Stainless steel – 316
Hastelloy-C®
Titanium
Hypalon®
Vamac
Inconel
Viton
Kalrez
B – Good:
ABS plastic
Aluminum in Dry Air
Brass
Bronze
Copper
LDPE
C – Fair:
Acetal (Delrin®)
Monel
Cast iron
Neoprene
Galvanized Steel in Water
Polypropylene
Hytrel®
D – Poor:
Aluminium in Water
Nylon
Buna-N (Nitrile)
Steel (Mild, HSLA)
Magnesiuma
Zinc
Natural rubber
How effective is ozone on pathogens?
Ozone can effectively kill almost all pathogens. The following is the killing rate of some pathogens by ozone:
Pathogens
Reduction Rate
Acinetobacter baumannii
99.97%
Candida albicans
99.99%
Clostridium difficile
99.90%
Escherichia. Coli
99.99%
Klebsiella pheumoniae
99.82%
Malassezia furfur
99.47%
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
99.99%
Salmonella thyphimurium
99.99%
Staphylococcus aureus
99.99%
Vibrio volnificus
99.99%
How to choose the right size of ozone generators?
There are many variables to consider when choosing an ozone generator:
For residential use:
Several variables should be considered such as the type of the odor, square footage, humidity and temperature, etc.
For industrial use:
You should consider the production of the feed gas, your target, your budget, square footage, etc.
Let our team of professional sales representatives to help make the right choice easier.
What to consider when buying an ozone generator?
The following should be considered when buying an ozone generator:
- Whether the ozone concentration that the product can achieve is suitable for the size of the space to be treated.
- Life-span of the ozone plates or tubes in the machine.
- Whether it is convenient to operate (whether there is ozone concentration setting, timing function, etc.)
- Whether it is convenient to maintain the machine.
- Its noise level.
- Whether the parts and components of the machine are resistant to ozone or not.
How long can your ozone generators usually last?
Generally, all our ozone generators are designed to be using for at least 3 years. The service life of any product is affected by its frequency of use and maintenance it receives.
Does fan size affect the performance?
Fan size has no effect on the generation of ozone.
The generation of ozone is determined by the size of the plate and the high voltage, while the fan only serves to diffuse the ozone into the room to mix with the air. Different fan sizes have little effect on the performance of an ozone generator. Rather than considering the size of the fan, it will make more sense to care about the quality and noise level of the fan.
Why it is not recommend to use an ozone generator in high humidity environment?
It is easy for an ozone generator to produce electric arc in the machine in high humidity environment, which will definitely lead to the damage of the machine.
What are the ozone plates used in your machine made of?
What we have been using are high quality ceramic plates coated with films. Some of our ozone plates have also been covered with stainless steel meshes. Such treatment can overcome the problems like the uneven distribution of ozone, being prone to cracking, poor insulation, short service life, etc. They can also be easily cleaned with water or preferably, alcohol.
How often should I clean the ozone plate?
Basically 3-4 times per year is recommended. Over time, any ceramic ozone plate will eventually break down and need to be replaced. The ceramic ozone plates in our ozone generators are produced in our own factory. The surface of our ozone plates are coated with film, which can significantly increase their service life.
Does ozone have any medical uses?
There is. However, most medical applications are not approved by the FDA. So, we do not recommend them until there is more research to prove it. On the other hand, ozone can be personally used for health care. For instance, you can use ozone water to wash face or have an ozone bath. There is also ozone olive oil.
EPA warns that ozone generators are unsafe for people. Is it right?
Yes, this is a question that end customers often ask while purchasers rarely care about. It is certainly not safe to breathe a high concentration of ozone. Therefore, except for very low ozone yield models that meet EPA guidelines, we recommend using ozone in environments where there are no person, animals or plants. In addition, it is recommended to allow at least 30 minutes for ozone diffusion before re-entering the room. Therefore, it is a good time for an ozone treatment while you are out. An ozone generator will not pose any health risks as long as it is used following the user manual.
I have once bought an ozone generator from you and found it good. May I wholesale and resell your machine?
You can. All our products are made in our own factory with a high level of quality control measures. You can contact us and hopefully we can be your supplier.
Where have your ozone generators been made?
All our machines are made in China, with all parts and components carefully selected from our cooperative partners.
Why are there other products with the same amount of ozone available on the market at a lower price than yours?
We believe that with our own manufacturing plants, our products are highly competitive in pricing. But if you find similar products with much lower pricing on the market, there is a good chance they will have problems in the quality of their components and their manufacture. Or maybe it is because they used oxygen as the feed gas rather than air that we used. To make it clear, you can contact us. We will provide you with the details of our products.
Can you provide an ozone treatment service?
No, because we conclude the business with you through foreign trade. It is not complicated to use an ozone generator. If you have any problem in using an ozone generator, you can contact our customer service at any time. They will provide you with timely answers.
Ozonators.cn® - Since 2007
- 2702 Shangze International, Hefei City, Anhui, China 230031
- +86(551)6538-5190
- [email protected]