Ozone is present in the upper atmosphere where it serves to shield the earth
from radiation. It may also be present in city atmospheres where it is formed
by ultraviolet radiation reacting with oxygen and smog. Since ozone is hazardous
to breath, ozone is a common reason for air quality (or smog) alerts in cities.

What is Ozone Used for?

The major use of ozone is to disinfect drinking water. In addition to bacteria which are killed by ozone, chlorine or hydrogen peroxide, ozone also kills cysts, such as cryptosporidium, which have been associated with health problems caused by drinking water in some cities.

Aside from drinking water, what is ozone used for?

Ozone is also used to treat certain industrial wastewaters which contain either difficult to oxidize hazardous substances or are highly colored. The treatment
of dye-laden waste streams from textile plants is a notable example.

Ozone is also used to bleach pulp as an alternative to chlorine and chlorine dioxide.



Ozone is also now being used in the food industry to treat wash water.

Is Ozone Safe to use?

While ozone is hazardous, it is detectable by smell at much lower concentrations than are harmful. Therefore, no death has ever been attributed to ozone itself.

All industrial ozone systems include an ozone destruct system to treat the off-gas to ensure that ozone is not released to the atmosphere.

How is Ozone Produced?

Ozone is produced by exciting oxygen molecules in a silent corona discharge
by passing an electrical current across a dielectric gap. Ozone may be produced from either air or oxygen. Air-based generators can only produce up to 2-3% ozone. Oxygen based generators can produce much higher concentrations, typically 6-14% but for some small specialized applications up to 22%.

How can ozone be harmful and beneficial, it seems to be a Paradox?

Ozone is hazardous. It is harmful to man when formed in smog. Yet, the Ozone Layer in the upper atmosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays which would cause skin cancer epidemics. Moreover, it can be used to disinfect drinking water and for a host of industrial uses.

Who owns Praxair Trailigaz Ozone Company?

Praxair Trailigaz Ozone Co. is a 50-50 joint venture between of two industry leaders: Praxair and Trailigaz.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide.

Trailigaz is the world's premier supplier of ozone systems, with installations in chemical synthesis, drinking water, pulp bleaching and waste treatment in more than 60 countries, and more installed capacity in North America than any other supplier.

Do Praxair and Trailigaz have any other relationship?

Yes, they also have a worldwide alliance. Praxair supplies oxygen plants to Trailigaz for ozone systems for municipalities and Trailigaz supplies ozone
systems to Praxair for industrial customers.

What is TrailigazConcept®^TM technology?

An evolution of the traditional Welsbach generators resulting from 3 years of R&D and introduced at the International Ozone Association World Congress in Kyoto Oct. 28, 1997. TrailigazConcept® technology features dielectrics designed for:

  reduced power consumption
  high concentration ozone
  increased production

How is the improvement in performance achieved?

The optimization of the operating parameters: Nitrogen, Pressure, and Frequency permits to increase significantly Ozone generating performance - even at elevated power densities.