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As we all know, UVC LED ultraviolet sterilization and disinfection are mainly used in three major fields: air, water, and surface. Related products have been introduced in many scenarios such as portable consumption, household appliances, drinking water, vehicle space, cold chain logistics, and public transportation. How have the applications in various fields performed since 2022?
1. Surface disinfection field: portable disinfection products cool down, and high-power surface disinfection may have great potential
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the use of deep ultraviolet rays to sterilize objects has become a hot spot in the market. Portable surface disinfection products such as sterilization sticks and disinfection bags loaded with UVC LED sterilization functions have once been popular in the ultraviolet disinfection market. Today, the popularity of such products is not as good as before. Although there are many factors such as the market, the fundamental reason is that the product itself has not made users feel convenient, practical, and rigid enough. In addition, the UVC sterilization effect is difficult to visualize, which also makes the customer experience in consumer-grade products not real.
Faced with such a dilemma, rigid portable consumer products + UVC LED may be a product promotion method that is easier for users to accept. For example, this year LG Electronics launched the LG Tone Free Fit earphone case with UV sterilization.
LG Electronics believes that earphones, especially in-ear earphones, will accumulate a lot of dirt, including invisible bacteria, and their bacteria tolerance is even far greater than that of kitchen cutting boards, which will cause damage to the user's health. LG Tone Free Fi is equipped with a powerful hygiene management function. Put the earphones in the protective case for 10 minutes, and the UV LED can sterilize 99.9% of harmful bacteria such as E. coli.
In addition, the in-vehicle space + UVC LED also seems to be easier to combine. Seoul Semiconductor, Toyota Synthetics and other international manufacturers have launched related products to enter this field, and Hongli Bingyi in China has also followed up. For example, Seoul Semiconductor installed the UVC disinfection technology solution Violeds in the Genesis G90 inter-seat storage box of Hyundai Motor's premium brand "Genesis" to disinfect passenger items.
It is reported that violeds technology has obtained the automotive LED reliability standard AEC-Q102 certification, which can meet the needs of car company customers and become an optimized solution for automotive health cabin projects. Seoul Semiconductor said it will further develop UV LED disinfection technology and take the lead in expanding the global automotive health cabin market through violeds technology.
The spread of viruses caused by cold chain logistics and express delivery industries has occurred from time to time this year. Targeted epidemic prevention and disinfection tools are indispensable, and UVC LED high-power disinfection may have great potential. Many companies such as Nationstar Optoelectronics, Zhongke Lu'an, Hongli Bingyi, 59 Seconds, Youweixin, and Zhixin Semiconductor have launched high-power disinfection products such as package disinfection machines (modules) and disinfection robots (modules), and have started applications in public scenes such as high-speed rail airports, universities, hospitals, cold chain logistics, and express parcels, attracting more market attention! For example, the package disinfection machine equipped with deep ultraviolet LED independently designed and developed by Zhongke Lu'an has been used in Changzhi Xinkaiyue Logistics Park, Zhengzhou Cold Chain Supervision Warehouse, Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changzhi Medical College, etc., and played a disinfection role in the sanitation and epidemic prevention of the Winter Olympics Hall.
It is reported that the package disinfection machine has passed the national disinfection product registration. The machine is densely covered with deep ultraviolet LED lamp beads, which can irradiate the upper and lower, front and back, left and right sides of the package with high-dose ultraviolet light, and can effectively kill various bacteria and viruses carried on the surface of the package, including the new coronavirus, in just a few seconds.
2. Water disinfection/purification field: The market is more certain, and international manufacturers and water purification terminals are performing positively
Toyota Gosei, Nichia Chemical, etc. are actively deploying, and water disinfection/purification applications may be the most certain field of UVC LED at present. Toyota Gosei said it will focus on the deep ultraviolet LED business and plans to install it in large facilities such as water purification plants and public facilities after 2023. At the same time, it will also expand small appliances with home disinfection functions. According to information disclosed by Taiya Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Nichia Chemical, it will continue to develop a variety of products with different optical power efficiency, mainly focusing on water sterilization and air sterilization treatment, suitable for the home appliance market, and the product target is the mainland market. Domestic companies such as Qingdao Dongyi UV, Yuanrong Jason, Huiyi Technology, and Shengpu Optoelectronics have all launched UVC LED water disinfection module products to accelerate the introduction of terminal markets. Taking Qingdao Dongyi UVC LED 18L/min large-flow flow water sterilization unit as an example, the China Household Electrical Appliance Research Institute conducted a test on the disinfection effect of drinking water. The test results meet the requirements of the "Disinfection Technical Specifications" (2002 edition). When the product water flow rate is 18L/min, the sterilization rate is as high as 99.99%, which can effectively replace the 1T/H flow rate of traditional mercury lamp ultraviolet sterilization products.
In the field of water sterilization and purification, ultraviolet disinfection technology can be divided into three categories according to different application markets: industrial water, water supply and drainage treatment, and water purification treatment. UVC LED disinfection was first applied in the household terminal water purification market. Represented by water purifiers, by installing UVC LED flow water sterilization unit modules at the end of the water purifier, the goal of "instant kill, high efficiency and environmental protection" is achieved, solving the "pain point" problem of excessive colony count that has plagued the water purification industry for many years. The combination of UVC LED sterilization and disinfection functions with other water purification functions has become a product highlight. Home appliance or water purifier companies such as Midea, Chigo, Kaineng Health, OriginWater, Angel, and Smith have actively laid out and launched related products.
There are also attempts in the industrial water and water supply and drainage treatment markets. AquiSense, a US UVC LED disinfection system supplier, announced that it has developed North America's first UVC LED disinfection system PearlAqua Tera designed specifically for the municipal and industrial markets. It mainly provides municipal and industrial-grade disinfection with a flow rate of up to 6 MGD (22712 m3/D). The PearlAqua Tera system combined with the company's UVC LED water disinfection platform PearlAqua Deca will become a competitive alternative to traditional water treatment technology. In addition, AquiSense has reached a cooperation with Mitsubishi Electric to introduce UVC LED into residential hot water systems!
3. Air disinfection/purification field: multi-scenario development and exploration, application prospects are highly anticipated
Ultraviolet air sterilization systems are mainly divided into household and medical fields according to the usage scenarios. The current main application products include various air purifiers, air conditioners, etc. Adding UVC LED air disinfection/purification functions to air purifiers and air conditioners can reduce viruses, bacteria and mold and improve air quality. At present, there are many terminal companies in China that have entered the air purification market, such as Midea, Gree, Haier, Hisense, Huawei and Xiaomi have also created UVC LED-related air purification products across the industry. The application of UVC LED in air purification is highly favored by the industry.
Actively expanding the market, UVC LED manufacturers and terminal application manufacturers are competing to launch multi-scenario air purification solutions. For example:
BioLED smart air purifier, using ams OSRAM UVC LED. Huaxing Group's new BioLED air purifier uses ams OSRAM's OSLON UV 3636 LED to effectively inhibit viruses, bacteria and fungi in the air. UVC LED combined with the activated carbon filter in BioLED provides reliable and effective air purification solutions for homes, offices and public places.
Indoor space embedded air conditioning disinfection module, launched by Clearwin Korea, Nikkiso, Sanan, Jason, etc. For example, the "Embedded UV Intelligent Air Disinfection Module" jointly developed by Anhui Sanan Optoelectronics and Xiamen Yichuang Technology is a modular air conditioning return air vent sterilization device. It is a product that can achieve the purpose of disinfection by using the existing central air conditioning ventilation system for indoor environments, crowded places, and relatively closed spaces. This module device can be easily installed in the central air conditioning and heating systems in use to achieve antibacterial and antiviral effects, further improving the air quality.
Nikkiso has entered the application of rail transit air purification systems. For example, Nikkiso has installed AEROPURE TECHNOLOGY ? products on railway vehicles to assist in disinfection and deodorization of the interior space. Among them, Aeropure is equipped with a unique sterilization and deodorization system "AEROPURE TECHNOLOGY?", which uses a combination of UV LED SumiRay and photocatalysts. Bacteria and viruses in the air are captured by filters with built-in photocatalysts and irradiated with deep ultraviolet rays to inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses.
Medical-grade air disinfection applications. The new generation of medical-grade air disinfection machine of Youweixin is based on deep ultraviolet LED + HEPA + negative ion technology. It has been authoritatively certified by the national P3 laboratory and can completely inactivate the new coronavirus and destroy the virus. This product is suitable for scenes with urgent needs for disinfection and sterilization.
It is worth noting that Mulinsen has entered the UVC LED field with a strong force, and has extended its development to the "air purification" sector through UVCLED disinfection technology, and launched two sets of air quality safety solutions for home environment and public space, and established two healthy air purification brands, "Sentai Therapy Health Technology" and "Air Purification Vision". The latest news is that the Air Purification Vision Company established by Mulinsen and Zhong Nanshan Foundation has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Tianjiu Sharing Holding Group on "Kang Boss Oxygen Bar Hotel". In the future, the two parties will focus on the national layout of the oxygen bar hotel project and work together to create 1 million oxygen bar rooms in the next three years.
Whether it is surface disinfection or air purification and water treatment, UVC LED is favored in the field of home appliances due to its own excellent characteristics. Since last year, domestic and foreign home appliance brands such as Midea, Gree, Haier, Toshiba, Samsung, and LG have continued to launch new products with UVC LED disinfection and purification functions. The product series covers air conditioners, air purifiers, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, knife racks, etc., which have become a hot spot in the market. Of course, constrained by multiple factors such as technology, cost, standards, and industrial cooperation, the integration of UVC LED and home appliances is not yet in-depth at this stage. In addition, UVC LED disinfection continues to expand in scenarios such as maternal and child products and pet items.
It is encouraging that the recent breakthroughs in UVC LED technology have accelerated significantly, and good news has been reported frequently! Zhongke Lu'an, Shenzi Technology, Zhixin Semiconductor, PW and other domestic and foreign companies have successively announced that the industrialized UVC LED (271/277/279nm) single-chip luminous power exceeds 100mW@500mA, even reaching 209mW@500mA, and the electro-optical conversion efficiency reaches 6%. Jason Semiconductor recently announced that the luminous power of the 278nm single chip reached 22.9mW@40mA and 53.7mW@100mA, and the electro-optical conversion efficiency reached 10.1% and 8.8% respectively, setting a record!
The market is moving forward in exploration, and UVC LED disinfection should not stop there. It is believed that with the continuous breakthroughs in UVC LED technology, the optical power and WPE will be accelerated, and new products that meet the market pain points will continue to be launched. UVC LED disinfection will usher in large-scale growth in the three major areas of air, water and surface.