UV Photocatalytic Oxidation Purifier: An Efficient Solution for Waste Gas Purification

 Overview

The UV photocatalytic oxidation purifier has drawn significant attention in the field of air pollution control. It operates based on the principle of utilizing high-energy ultraviolet light beams to irradiate waste gas and, combined with the action of catalysts, prompting pollutants in the waste gas to undergo photolysis and oxidation reactions, thus transforming them into harmless substances for the purification of industrial waste gas and so on.

 

It is widely applied in various industries such as printing, chemical engineering, coating, and electronics. It can effectively handle different types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some odor gases, playing a crucial role in improving the air quality in the production environment and meeting environmental emission requirements. It is an important means to achieve green production and reduce air pollutant emissions.

 

 Working Principle

1. Ultraviolet Photolysis: Once the waste gas enters the UV photocatalytic oxidation purifier, it will first be irradiated by the ultraviolet light beams emitted from the specially designed high-energy ultraviolet lamps. These ultraviolet light beams have specific wavelengths and energies that can break the chemical bonds of some organic pollutant molecules in the waste gas, decomposing them into small active groups or atoms. For example, for common volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, the energy of ultraviolet light can break their stable carbon-hydrogen bonds, creating conditions for further oxidation reactions.

2. Photocatalytic Oxidation Reaction: Meanwhile, the photocatalysts (usually titanium dioxide, etc.) inside the purifier will be activated under the irradiation of ultraviolet light. The photocatalysts generate electron-hole pairs under the action of ultraviolet light, and these electron-hole pairs react with oxygen, water molecules, etc. in the waste gas to produce highly oxidizing active substances such as hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide ion radicals (·O₂⁻). These active substances can conduct in-depth oxidation reactions with the small organic pollutant molecules after photolysis, gradually converting them into carbon dioxide, water, and other harmless inorganic substances, and finally realizing the purification of waste gas. The whole process is a synergistic chain reaction that continuously cycles until the pollutant concentration in the waste gas is reduced to meet the emission standards.

 

 Structural Design and Components

1. Cabinet Shell: Generally made of stainless steel or carbon steel materials, it has good corrosion resistance and sealing performance, which can effectively prevent waste gas leakage and provide stable support and protection for the internal purification components. Its shape and size are designed according to different requirements for treatment air volume to ensure that the waste gas can evenly pass through each purification area inside.

2. Ultraviolet Lamps and Ballasts: The ultraviolet lamps are the key components for generating high-energy ultraviolet light beams. Usually, special quartz glass lamps that can emit ultraviolet light with specific wavelengths (such as 185nm, 254nm, etc.) are selected, and they have high light intensity and stability. The ballasts are used to provide a stable current for the lamps to ensure their normal operation and extend their service life. The lamps are arranged in a certain layout inside the cabinet to ensure that the waste gas can be fully irradiated by ultraviolet light.

3. Photocatalyst Modules: Comprising carriers and photocatalysts loaded on them. The carriers often choose materials with large specific surface areas such as honeycomb ceramics and metal wire meshes, which are convenient for the uniform attachment of photocatalysts and enable the waste gas to have sufficient contact with the catalysts. The photocatalysts are mostly titanium dioxide nanomaterials, which are loaded on the carriers through special preparation processes to form an efficient photocatalytic reaction area and enhance the ability to oxidize and decompose pollutants in the waste gas.

4. Inlet and Outlet Ducts and Fans: The inlet duct is responsible for introducing waste gas into the purifier, and its design should consider minimizing wind resistance to ensure that the waste gas can enter smoothly. The outlet duct is used to discharge the purified gas into the atmosphere. The fan, as the power source, is responsible for driving the waste gas to flow in the entire purification system. Its selection should be reasonably determined according to parameters such as treatment air volume and wind pressure to ensure the efficient operation of the entire purification process.

 

 Application Scenarios

1. Printing Industry: During the printing process, a large amount of organic waste gas containing benzene series, esters, ketones, etc. will be volatilized from inks and solvents, with obvious odors and great harm to the environment and human health. The UV photocatalytic oxidation purifier can efficiently decompose these organic waste gases and convert them into harmless substances, significantly improving the air quality in the printing workshop and meeting the strict requirements of the environmental protection department for waste gas emissions in the printing industry.

2. Chemical Industry: Chemical production involves numerous chemical reactions and will generate complex volatile organic compound waste gases, such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, etc. Through the treatment of the UV photocatalytic oxidation purifier, these pollutants can be effectively removed, reducing the emission concentration of waste gas from chemical enterprises, minimizing the pollution to the surrounding environment, and also contributing to the safe production in the chemical production workshop, avoiding potential safety hazards caused by waste gas accumulation.

3. Coating Industry: In the coating processes of automobiles, furniture, etc., the organic solvents in coatings will volatilize in large quantities during spraying and drying processes, forming organic waste gas containing toluene, xylene, alcohols, etc. This purifier can specifically purify these waste gases, not only reducing the pollution to the atmospheric environment but also improving the working environment in the coating workshop and safeguarding the health of workers, meeting the increasingly strict environmental and occupational health requirements in the coating industry.

 

 Technical Advantages

1. High Purification Efficiency: For many common volatile organic compounds and odor gases, the UV photocatalytic oxidation purifier has a relatively high removal efficiency. Generally, the removal efficiency for some simple-structured organic compounds can reach about 80% - 95%, which can significantly reduce the pollutant concentration in waste gas and make it meet relevant environmental protection emission standards.

2. Strong Adaptability: It can handle waste gas with different concentrations and types. It has a particularly remarkable effect on treating low-concentration and large-air-volume waste gas. Moreover, it is less affected by factors such as humidity and temperature in waste gas and can operate stably under relatively wide working conditions, having good adaptability and being widely applicable in various industrial fields.

3. Low Operating Cost: During the operation of the equipment, the main consumption is electricity, which is used to drive ultraviolet lamps, fans, and other components. Compared with some traditional waste gas treatment methods (such as combustion methods, etc.), it does not need to add a large amount of chemical agents, and there are no complex high-temperature and high-pressure operating conditions. Therefore, the operating cost is relatively low, and it has good economic performance and is suitable for long-term stable operation.

 

 Maintenance and Operation Considerations

1. Regular Cleaning: Since the waste gas may contain impurities such as dust and oil stains, they will adhere to the surfaces of ultraviolet lamps, photocatalysts, and the inside of the cabinet after long-term operation, affecting the purification effect of the equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly clean the inside of the equipment by wiping, blowing, etc. to remove the dirt on the surfaces of lamps and catalysts and ensure their normal light emission and catalytic activity.

2. Lamp and Catalyst Replacement: Ultraviolet lamps have a certain service life. With the increase of usage time, their light intensity will gradually decrease, and they need to be replaced in time when it reaches a certain level. Similarly, after long-term use, the photocatalysts may also experience reduced activity and poisoning. The photocatalysts should be replaced according to the actual operation situation and purification effect monitoring to maintain the efficient operation of the equipment.

3. Operation Parameter Monitoring: It is necessary to monitor the operation parameters of the equipment in real time, such as the air volume and wind pressure of the fan, the current and voltage of the ultraviolet lamps, etc., to ensure that each component operates within the normal working parameter range. At the same time, regularly detect the inlet and outlet concentrations of waste gas, compare and analyze the purification effect, so as to discover potential problems of the equipment in time and make adjustments and maintenance.

 

 Conclusion

The UV photocatalytic oxidation purifier plays an irreplaceable and important role in the field of industrial waste gas treatment. With its efficient purification principle, reasonable structural design, wide application scenarios, and numerous technical advantages, it provides reliable technical support for many industries to solve waste gas pollution problems. With the increasingly strict environmental protection requirements and the continuous development of relevant technologies, it is expected to continue to play a greater role in future air pollution prevention and control work and help enterprises achieve green and sustainable development.