Energy efficiency is not usually associated with laundering the many different types of linen that pass through health care facilities. Hygienically clean linens are a necessity, and the traditional means of getting them clean involves many chemicals, hot water, and high sewage costs. However, ozone laundering, a relatively new method used in all major upcoming countries, is changing the perception of laundry as a non-energy-efficient necessary evil.
The concept of washing clothes with the aid of ozone (O3) gas dissolved in ambient temperature water was first introduced to the American laundry industry in 1991. The system touted the capability of reducing energy use and traditional wash chemicals while recycling most of the wash water for reuse.Since that time, the number of laundries embracing this technology has grown dramatically. Ozone occurs in nature as a result of electrical discharge (for example, lightning), ultraviolet radiation, or the photochemical action of sunlight on atmospheric oxygen.
To remove the stains from the clothes and disinfect them, ozone is the right choice as it is ecofriendly and doesn't damage the cloth fibre.
The operational benefits of using an ozone laundry system are many. But the primary benefits are :
Laundry water is rich in detergents and surfactants, most of which are very slow to degrade. This increases the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD).This water can no longer be let out in to the sewage system and needs downstream water treatment plants to reduce the presence of these detergents and surfactants along with some of the other chemicals used. The use of ozone for treating laundry water has been found to have many advantages as more and more large laundry units are opting to use ozone for their laundry. Ozone not only breaks down the detergents, but also reduces the use of these chemicals in water. Apart from this, the other advantage is that ozonised water, when used for laundry, there is no need to increase the water temperatures, like for linens. These are washed in ozonised water with lesser amount of detergents and other bleaching chemicals and at ambient temperatures. The resultant wash is better in terms of colour and brightness and they are disinfected as well (which helps in its use in laundry in hospitals). The other advantage is that there is a good deal of saving in water as part of the water is recycled in some of the cases as reported. The waste water is far more environment friendly as compared with regular laundry chemicals without ozone. Ozone reduces COD in the water and the water breaks down the detergents to more biodegradable molecules.
The normal procedure is to dissolve ozone in water in a pre-tank before the laundry machines (individual ozonator for each laundry machine). The ozonised water with some residual ozone in water is the wash water for the laundry. The water is not heated, but used at ambient temperature, thereby saving on the cost of energy zone. Limited amount of detergents and other chemicals are added to the water along with the wash clothes. The amount of detergents and other chemicals required to be added with ozone varies from wash to wash depending upon the type and quantity of wash load and type of detergents and surfactants used. Ozonised water is recirculated with the continuous injection of ozone while the wash cycle is in progress.
A properly engineered ozone system specifically designed for the laundry water treatment reduces the use of water as well as energy cost for heating. Hence the overall benefits include the reduction of water, detergent and energy consumption. This brings in a large savings for the laundry. Besides this, the added advantage is that the waste water from the laundry has much lower COD and requires very little or no waste water treatment prior to letting it out in to the sewage system. This is the major reason why ozone has been increasingly in demand for the laundry water for large laundryunits.
In an aqueous solution, it is an effective biocide, capable of destroying bacterial and viral colonies. It is also effective against molds and fungi and as a deodorizer of air and water. Ozone works well as a disinfectant because upon disintegration it reverts to its original form, oxygen (O2). It dissipates quickly in water temperatures more than 38ºC (104ºF), which mandates the use of lukewarm water. Ozone has been utilized for more than 100 years in Europe in positive applications as diverse as primary disinfection of municipal drinking water supplies, aquaculture, and pulp bleaching. Its widespread use in the United States has been hampered by the preference for inexpensive chemicals (especially chlorine) compared with the expensive, generally unreliable ozone-generating equipment. But with mounting federal government pressure to reduce chemical pollution of the environment, coupled with the development of cost-efficient, reliable, and low-maintenance ozone-generating systems, these systems are gaining popularity. The main benefits of Laundering with ozone are as follows :-
In laundry, Ozone gives several advantages over conventional laundry practices. Ozone washing increase fabric life, reduces natural gas, energy costs, faster fill rates, shorter wash cycles and even shorter drying times. Ozone allows users to achieve high quality standards without the use of hot water and chemicals. We have several models with different capacities to match your specific application.