Germicidal UV-C LED: what it is and how it works

Welcome to?SLIM Spark, an inspirational newsletter dedicated to the?latest news and trends of the sector. Every month you will receive a new in-depth article on the different application areas of SLIM: HoReCa, HVAC, Home appliances and the lighting industry. Let's go through the characteristics of the UV-C technology.

UV-C LED lighting: what it is

Over the last years,?the interest in sanitisation devices?has increased significantly as a direct consequence of the?Covid-19?emergency. The sanitisation of rooms and surfaces, as well as the purification of air and water have, now more than ever, become synonyms of health and safety. This has led to an increase in?UV and UV-C technology?which, through the use of UV light succeeds in?inactivating viruses and bacteria.

Lighting devices with UV ultraviolet ray emission technology are among the most commonly requested solutions both in the form of?mercury vapour germicidal lamps?and as?UV-C LED lighting and UV-C LED light strips?for their ability to destroy organic and inorganic molecules, viruses and bacteria, without the use of toxic chemicals.

The?UV-C lamp?is a specific type of lamp that produces ultraviolet light which can sanitise rooms. Mercury vapour lamps used to be used to generate UV-C rays, an effective technology for removing microorganisms, but with a limited life span of the source and highly polluting due to the presence of mercury. UV technology combined with LED technology, with a wavelength of around 265nm and 280nm, has led to the development of?UV-C LED lamps, an innovative and above all?safe, sustainable and economical device.

Compared to traditional UV lamps,?germicidal UV-C LED technology?has smaller and more compact dimensions and is thus more versatile and adaptable to different types of applications. In addition to offering a better performance in terms of pollution and size, UV-C LED lamps also have other?benefits?in terms of:

• emission: the emission of the LED light is concentrated in a single direction with a light angle ranging from 30° to 120°, this results in a perfectly collimated emission beam, so that it is directed at a precise target without dispersion;
• energy saving: LED technology is renowned for low consumption and here again, energy saving is an advantage compared to the choice of a mercury lamp;
• duration: LED lights have a longer average lifetime compared to the hours of life of a mercury UV lamp;
• on/off cycles: unlike mercury vapour lamps, LED lamps light up immediately without the need for “heating”, providing the maximum amount of germicidal efficacy and with the possibility of carrying out an almost unlimited number of on and off sequences, without negatively impacting the emission features;
• portability: LED lights can be easily integrated into compact technology without a power cable, but only simple batteries, so that the device can be easily moved;
• control: LED lights can be easily controlled, adjusted and guided remotely on demand.

UV-C LED steriliser: how it works

Germicidal radiation through ultraviolet rays?is an effective method for sanitising, disinfecting the air and sterilising material surfaces.

How does a UV-LED lamp work? Germicidal UV radiation is a sterilisation method that?uses UV light at a UV-C wavelength, but first a distinction needs to be made about the wavelength of the rays. UV sources can be divided according to the wavelength of the ultraviolet ray in the solar spectrum. On the basis of this parameter, the UV modules are used in different sectors and applications:

• UV-A:?long wavelength from 315nm to 400 nm, the UV-A modules are used for medical and industrial use;
• UV-B:?medium wavelength from 280nm to 315 nm, the modules are used mostly for medical treatments;
• UV-C:?short wavelength from 200nm to 280 nm.
• Given that the?UV-C modules?have a short wavelength, they are more aggressive than the UV-A modules and, therefore, more effective for disinfecting areas quickly. The?most effect germicidal wavelength?occurs between 250 and 275 nanometres, so the 265 nm UV-C LED lamp is one of the best solutions for rapid surface sanitisation. In this case, the short wavelength of the UV-C LED sterilisers can destroy the DNA or RNA of bacteria and viruses, preventing them from performing several vital cellular functions. This allows for?water, air and surfaces to be fully sterilised.

UV-C LED lighting in Italy

UV-C LED modules are devices with a?wide variety of applications. In Italy, UV-C LED lighting is used for many purposes in various applications sectors to:

• purify air and water;
• preserve fruit and vegetables in the fridge;
• sanitise food production lines;
• reduce the microbial load;
• eliminate unpleasant odours;
• improving living conditions in closed spaces.

Whatever reason you decide to use UV-C LED technology for your application, remember that?direct exposure to UV-C LED light is quite dangerous; the rays can cause health risks if used incorrectly. Therefore, the presence of special systems in the facility is recommended to avoid causing harm to humans. These include the possibility of?using timers or operating time controls, “absence” detectors or smart sensors to manage the facility, to ensure that the 254nm UV-C LED lamps are not used in the presence of a person.

SLIM and UV-C LED lighting: products and applications

SLIM has combined its knowledge in the field of LED light signalling with the demand for sanitisation by creating specific?UV-C LED?devices which can be?adapted to the customer's end applications. Among the UV-C LED suppliers, the UV-C LED products supplied by SLIM are used in?water and air purification?devices (UV-C LED air disinfection) and in the?sanitising devices that are part of food production lines. We have opted to use the?SMD format for our applications because it offers a much wider range of products from which to choose.

From the sanitisation of coffee machine tanks to cleaning and ventilation systems, SLIM is at your disposal thanks to the creation of custom germicidal UV-C LED lights, ready for installation on the final application.

Blog's updates:

• ?? Ultraviolet sanitisation devices: learn more about how they work and their effectiveness in sanitising air, water and surfaces.??Read the article
• ?? Water tank sanitisation: discover SLIM's solution for Quick Mill.??Read the article

?? Do you have feedback, advice, or suggestions? Share them in the comments of the post. And, if you liked the newsletter, recommend it to your contacts!