Method and device for sterilizing packaging material using high voltage pulse power

Abstract

Provided is a method for sterilizing a packaging material and a sterilizer used therefor, which do not cause unevenness in the sterilization effect, and uses high voltage pulses permitting to improve the sterilization effect. The purpose can be achieved by using such a discharge side electrode as is provided with unevenness having continuous projections on the discharge side surface, in the method in which the sterilizer is provided with a power source for generating high voltage, a discharge side electrode to which the high voltage generated by the power source is applied, and a ground side electrode arranged so as to be opposed to the discharge side of the discharge side electrode, and sterilizes a packaging material to be sterilized by placing it between both electrodes under normal temperature and normal pressure, and applying the high voltage pulses thereto in a gas atmosphere.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for disinfecting packaging materials by using a high-voltage pulse power supply. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for sterilizing packaging materials, which are used for packaging such as liquids, solids or combinations thereof, such as food, medical supplies, traditional Chinese medicine, cosmetics, feed and fertilizers, etc., especially to a A method and device for sterilizing packaging materials for packaging food by using a high-voltage pulse power supply. Background technique [0002] Generally, as methods for sterilizing packaging materials, chemical disinfection using an aqueous peroxide solution, gas disinfection using ethylene oxide, ultraviolet disinfection, heat disinfection, and the like have been practiced. Also, a disinfection method using plasma (under vacuum or normal pressure) classified as the same technology as the present invention has been disclosed in patent pu...

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Problems solved by technology

[0003] However, the problem with chemical disinfection is that the disinfectant remains in the packaging material after disinfection, and the residue affects the quality of the item; gas disinfection also has the problems of residual gas, low efficiency caused by batch processing, and adverse effects on the quality of the item There are also problems in ultraviolet disinfection, that is, the disinfection effect is not enough, especially ineffective against mold; there is a risk of thermal deformation and thermal shrinkage of plastic packaging materials in thermal disinfection, and the use of heat-resistant packaging materials that inhibit thermal deformation and thermal shrinkage increases the cost ; Sterilization by plasma under vacuum has the problem of expensive system and low efficiency due to batch processing; when sterilizing by plasma under normal pressure using an Rf power supply, the electrode gap must be several millimeters or less, so the object to be sterilized Limited to those in flat form, such as films, and are not sufficiently sanitized

[0007] According to the above-mentioned common high-pressure pulse disinfection method, for example, in the case where the packaging material is a pet bottle, etc., the disinfection effect is only about 1 to 2D (disinfection effect value D=-log (number of surviving bacteria / initial number of bacteria), and there is no uniform Disinfection, can not achieve practical disinfection effect

[0008] The applicants of the present invention have repeatedly conducted zealous research in an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problems and found that the following factors lead to uneven disinfection: the electrode on the discharge side is constructed in the form of a round rod; the strong high-voltage pulse discharge is generated from the tip; the strong high-voltage pulse discharge cannot be discharged from the circle effectively produced on the outer wall of the rod-shaped discharge side electrode, and the applicant has made the present invention

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