At the end of last month, LG Innotek of Seoul, South Korea, began mass-producing an ultraviolet (UV) LED module that can sterilize the inside of water purifier faucet aerator. This UV LED module product is built into LG Electronics’ new direct water purifier “PuriCare Silm Updown” launched in March in South Korea.
A water purifier’s faucet aerator always holds a small amount of water. This part is prone to contamination due to the growth of germs that come in with the influx of air. However, the faucet aerator’s narrow space makes installing a sterilizer difficult. LG Innotek developed the customized UV LED module specifically for the faucet aerator. The UV LED module boasts strong sterilizing power, yet it is harmless to humans.
The module’s ultraviolet rays directly sterilize the water inside faucet aerator. The product measures just 1.5cm in width and 3.7cm in length and can be mounted within the small space of the water purifier’s faucet aerator.
Faucet Aerator Sterilization
According to LG Innotek, the product kills 99.98% of germs when a faucet aerator is exposed to the device’s ultraviolet rays for 5 minutes. The company obtained this sterilizing of the faucet aerator with a 278nm wavelength module.
With mercury UV lamps, you have to worry about breaking it and bringing the extremely toxic heavy metal mercury into the environment. However, the new UV LED module achieves sterilization without chemicals or heavy metals.
Module Instantly Reaches Peak Output
The company contends that the convenient module allows quick and accurate control of ultraviolet rays. Once activated, the sterilization function releases the ultraviolet rays at peak performance. Contrarily, a mercury UV lamp requires about 2 minutes of warming before reaching peak output.
LG Electronics says its direct water purifier employing this module enables anytime faucet sterilization at the touch of the “Self Care” button. The purifier also performs automatic sterilization every 1 hour.
Other UV LED Products
LG Innotek intends to continue expanding the use of UV LEDs in various products. The company previously developed a 280nm UV-C LED that boasts the power of 70mW.
LG Innotek has already secured a product line-up with products that it optimized for a variety of applications, including UV-A LEDs of 365nm, 385nm, 395nm and 405nm wavelengths for general industry and 305nm UV-B LED for biomedical applications as well as the 280nm UV-C LED for sterilization.
Ho-rim Jung, the vice president of LED marketing division, said, “Our UV LEDs will increase the value of the end products that are installed with them and allow us to care for the health of users in a smart way.”
