Gleanings and Reflections of an ozone student.
High quality ozone is worth its weight in gold. Ozone is increasingly recognized as an effective green alternative to disinfection chemicals. More and more of this valuable substance is being generated and used in the world. So if ozone is so valuable, why is an ozone
destruct unit integrated into most ozone generating equipment?
Ozone is valuable when it is in the right place at the right time. Dissolved in contaminated water, ozone will break down pathogens and harmful chemicals. Floating in the air we breathe, excessive ozone irritates our sensitive airways and begins to oxidize materials. Generated by ultraviolet light in the stratosphere, ozone shields the earth from harmful solar radiation. As a biproduct of breaking down automotive pollutants with solar energy, ozone adds to the discomfort of breathing stagnant air trapped around metropolitan areas. Responsible use of ozone ensures that this valuable resource stays confined to its location of use. Often this means that unused, diluted, and contaminated ozone is destroyed.
Destroying ozone is as simple as causing it to react and breaking back into oxygen molecules.
How does it work? Keep in mind that ozone is simply three atoms of oxygen bonded together with a lot of energy.
Each molecule is like a mousetrap that has been set. It doesn’t take much to trip the trigger, break the bond, release the energy, and fall back into the more stable two atom configuration we call oxygen.
Whenever ozone is being used in an application, the energy is being released to do the work desired of breaking down the compounds we need broken down.
Typically as the ozone reacts, the oxygen atoms bond with the broken parts of the molecule to form H20, C02, etc.
There are some substances that will break the ozone apart without being broken itself. A substance that does this is called a catalyst. That catalytic converter on an automobile is another example. A catalytic converter breaks down toxic gasses from combustion into less toxic compounds. One such substance that breaks down ozone is a mixture of manganese dioxide and copper oxide. This compound is manufactured by Carus Corporation under the name Carulite. It looks like dark brown gravel. It very effectively breaks ozone down to oxygen without being destroyed itself. It is non-toxic and will not burn or generate harmful gasses as a byproduct.
We manufacture a range of sizes to match the ozone destruct demand.
A very efficient and effective design is a stainless steel can shape with a pipe thread fitting on the bottom, and a flange to bolt a lid on. This design is very safe, long lasting, and easy to service. A stainless steel sieve at the bottom inlet side holds the Carulite about an inch from the bottom. This allows the ozone to flow evenly through the Carulite material above it. If the ozone is off-gasing from water or from any other wet source, this space at the bottom can be heated so that this moisture does not condense in the Carulite and shorten its life.
The catalytic action of breaking ozone down releases heat energy which is safely dissipated with the heavy gauge stainless steel housing. Virtually all the ozone is turned back to oxygen which flows from the top of the device.
If you have any questions, comments, or additional information, feel free to comment. The Oxidation Technologies website has more details and contact information. We are always happy to answer questions and listen to your needs. We would love to help you harness the power of ozone for your application.