clean water through microplasma technology

WHAT We Do

EP Purification manufactures novel and environmentally-sound systems for the purification of water and air. Based on microcavity plasma technology developed at the University of Illinois, EP Purification ozone products are efficient, robust, and more than a factor of ten smaller in weight and volume than conventional technology. EP Purification systems are the result of more than a decade of research and engineering, and are protected by more than 50 U.S. and international patents.

Because ozone is the strongest disinfectant and oxidizer available commercially, EP Purification ozone systems are being used worldwide for the disinfection of drinking and pool water, the treatment of chemical wastewater and cooling tower water, disinfection of water for agriculture (hydroponics, spraying of vegetables and fruit), extension of food lifetimes, and commercial and institutional laundries.

Ozone is increasingly replacing chlorine-based products for disinfection applications, not only because of the extraordinary efficacy of ozone in destroying micropathogens, but also due to the adverse impact of chlorine on the environment and water resources, in particular.

Founded in 2010, EP Purification is located in Champaign, Illinois (USA) and provides a wide range of ozone system products as well as technical and consulting services. An international office of EP Purification in South Korea provides sales and technical services to customers throughout Asia.

MICROPLASMA PROPERTIES, MICROCHANNEL PLASMAS

As their name implies, microplasmas are plasmas (partially-ionized gases) produced within channels or cavities having microscopic dimensions. Powered electrically by integrated electrodes, these plasmas have extraordinary properties quite unlike those for macroscopic (large volume) plasmas. The principles governing conventional plasma ozone systems date back to the 1860s and rely on the formation of ozone in sparks, streamers, or arcs created in oxygen gas. Such generators are typically large, heavy, and require very high voltages.

In contrast, EP Purification microplasmas are spatially uniform “glow” plasma produced in microchannels that are generally several hundred micrometers in width and several cm in length. As shown in the drawing (right) of a single microplasma “chip,” oxygen or air is introduced at one end of an array of parallel microchannels. Plasma produced in the channels efficiently converts oxygen into ozone which then leaves the channels. The microscopic, intense plasma environment produced within the channels is ideal for the generation of ozone from oxygen or room air. Also, ozone is produced along the entire length of the microchannels, as opposed to only in the immediate vicinity of a high voltage streamer.

The photograph (right) shows an end-on view of several microchannels during the production of ozone. The blue glow from each channel underscores the uniformity of microplasmas which is a key factor leading to the efficiency and small size of EP Purification systems.

Microchannel plasma arrays are fabricated from thin aluminum sheets by a proprietary, patented process and are lightweight and compact. Because the microplasmas in the channels are protected by aluminum oxide, however, these arrays are robust and not sensitive to water vapor in the oxygen or air flow stream that can be lethal to conventional ozone systems.