UV lamp device for air cleaning

• US 6,336,998 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology Armaments Bureau MND (Government of The Republic of China), Taiwan Fluorescent Lamp Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Wei-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Edna
• Application Number:
  US09/477,482
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 204/157.15, 204/157.3, 204/158.2
• US Class Current: 204/157.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/205 using a photocatalyst or photosensitiser

Abstract

A method for fabricating a UV lamp for treating waste gas and for treating waste gases therewith is provided which is designed and fabricated based on solgel coating techniques. A sol of photo-catalytic materials comprising anatase TiO₂ as the main component, and/or other semiconductive components such as WO₃, AnO, SnO₂, or Fe₂O₃, coated on a glass-fiber-cloth. Then, the cloth is impregnated with an oxidation catalyst of precious metal such as Pd, Au, Pr or Ag, or a transition metal oxide of Mo, Nb, V, Ce or Cr. The impregnated cloth is then wrapped on a UV lamp tube. The UV lamp treats waste gas by irradiating the UV light therefrom onto the surface of the photocatalytic materials to generate free electron and electron hole pairs which can decompose waste gases such as organic or inorganic pollutants in the air into unharmful gases.

Claims

1. A process for treating waste gases, comprising the steps of:

(1) preparing a UV lamp for treating waste gases, comprising the steps of;

(i) formulating a photocatalyst sol coating;

(ii) dip coating a glass fiber cloth with said photocatalyst sol,

(iii) drying and sintering said photocatalyst sol coated glass fiber cloth into a photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth;

(iv) impregnating said photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth with a solution of an oxidation catalyst selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pr, Au, Ag, MoO₃, Nb₂O₅, V₂O₅, CeO₂, and Cr₂O₃;

(v) drying again said impregnated photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth; and

(vi) providing a UV lamp tube and encompassing at least a portion of said UV lamp tube with said impregnated photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth; and

,

(2) employing said UV lamp devoid of a closed container for treating waste gases, whereby heat energy radiated from said UV lamp heats air adjacent thereto and causes a natural convection of waste gases that diffuse through interstitial spaces within said impregnated photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth into a gap between said UV lamp tube and said impregnated photocatalyst-coated lass fiber cloth, where, said waste gases undergo photocatalytical degradation and oxidation and then back diffuse by natural convection through said interstitial spaces within said impregnated photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth away from said UV lamp tube.

2. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said UV lamp for treating waste gases is installed vertically, and said process further comprising the step of providing a longitudinally extended outer sleeve covering said UV lamp, said outer sleeve having an inner diameter twice larger than an outer diameter of said UV lamp tube, said outer sleeve having a length substantially equal to a length of said UV lamp tube, said outer sleeve having opposing open ends to increase natural air convection past said UV lamp and to improve waste gas treating efficiency of said UV lamp.

3. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said UV lamp tube has a length greater than a length of said impregnated photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth to provide a portion of said UV lamp tube devoid of said impregnated photocatalyst-coated glass fiber cloth from which UV light is emitted.