Apparatus using reactive oxygen species and method of treatment using reactive oxygen species

Abstract

To provide a treatment device by active oxygen and a treatment method by active oxygen, capable of more efficiently treating a surface of a treatment target by active oxygen.SOLUTION: A treatment device by active oxygen and a treatment method by active oxygen include: an active oxygen feed device including, in a housing having one or more openings, a plasma actuator and an ozone degradation device; and conveyance means for a treatment target. The plasma actuator includes first and second electrodes, interposing a dielectric body and is configured to, by applying a voltage between the electrodes, generate an induced flow containing active oxygen. The plasma actuator and the ozone degradation device are arranged so that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flows out from the opening, and also arranged so that the induced flow containing the active oxygen is supplied to a surface of the treatment target conveyed by the conveyance means. A flow-out direction vector of the induced flow including the active oxygen has a vector component parallel to and towards the same direction as a direction A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus for using reactive oxygen species and a method for treating an object using reactive oxygen species. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a surface treatment apparatus capable of increasing the treatment effect of ultraviolet light and ozone. The surface treatment apparatus is described as having an ultraviolet light generating lamp inside a box-shaped apparatus body, a plate with good ultraviolet light transmittance provided on the corresponding surface of the ultraviolet light lamp, the inside of the apparatus body configured to have an atmosphere with good ultraviolet light transmittance, and an ozone treatment space provided on the underside of the plate. Furthermore, it is described that when the ultraviolet light generating lamp is lit and nitrogen gas or an inert gas is supplied into the apparatus body, or when the apparatus body is evacuated to create an atmosphere with good ultraviolet light transmittance, and ozone is supplied from an ozone supply port, for example, when a sample being transported on a conveyor belt is treated, ultraviolet light of 185 nm and 254 nm generated by the ultraviolet light generating lamp efficiently penetrates the plate, and the sample is treated with ultraviolet light and also with ozone in the ozone treatment space. Furthermore, it is stated that the surface treatment device has an ozone treatment space on the underside of the plate, and that within this ozone treatment space, ozone is oxidized and decomposed by ultraviolet light that has passed through the plate, effectively sterilizing the surface of the sample and preventing unnecessary oxidative decomposition of ozone. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-025866 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Magnetic Field Effect on Photocatalytic Reactions by Semiconductor Titanium Oxide Thin Films" (Journal of the Photographic Society of Japan, 2006, 69, 4, 271-275) [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] When the present inventors investigated the surface treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1, they found that the treatment effect on a sample moving within an ozone-treated space was limited. One aspect of this disclosure is aimed at providing an apparatus and a method for processing using reactive oxygen species that can more effectively process a moving object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to at least one aspect of this disclosure, a treatment apparatus using reactive oxygen species, The system comprises an active oxygen supply device and a conveying means capable of conveying the object to be treated by the active oxygen in at least direction A, The active oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposition device inside a housing having at least one opening. The plasma actuator is constructed by stacking a first electrode, a dielectric, and a second electrode in that order. The first electrode is an exposed electrode provided on the first surface, which is one of the surfaces of the dielectric. The plasma actuator generates a dielectric barrier discharge from the first electrode to the second electrode by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, thereby blowing out an induced flow containing ozone from the first electrode in a first direction, which is one direction along the surface of the dielectric. can be, The ozone decomposition device generates reactive oxygen species in the induced flow by decomposing the ozone contained in the induced flow, and the induced flow becomes an induced flow containing reactive oxygen species. The plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition apparatus are arranged such that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flows out of the housing through the opening. The outflow direction vector of the induced flow containing the active oxygen flowing out of the opening to the outside of the housing has a vector component x that is parallel to and in the same direction as direction A. The present invention provides an active oxygen treatment apparatus, characterized in that the active oxygen supply device and the conveying means are arranged such that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flowing out of the housing from the opening is supplied to the surface of the object to be treated which is conveyed by the conveying means.

[0007] Furthermore, according to at least one aspect of this disclosure, there is a treatment method for treating an object with reactive oxygen species, The process includes a step of providing an active oxygen supply device and a conveying means capable of conveying the object to be treated by the active oxygen in at least direction A, The active oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposition device inside a housing having at least one opening. The plasma actuator is constructed by stacking a first electrode, a dielectric, and a second electrode in that order. The first electrode is an exposed electrode provided on the first surface, which is one of the surfaces of the dielectric. The plasma actuator generates a dielectric barrier discharge from the first electrode to the second electrode by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and blows out an induced flow containing ozone from the first electrode in a first direction, which is one direction along the surface of the dielectric. The ozone decomposition device generates reactive oxygen species in the induced flow by decomposing the ozone contained in the induced flow, and the induced flow becomes an induced flow containing reactive oxygen species. The plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition apparatus are arranged such that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flows out of the housing through the opening. The processing method further comprises the step of discharging the induced flow containing the active oxygen from the opening and supplying the induced flow containing the active oxygen to the object to be processed, which is moved in direction A. A treatment method is provided, characterized in that the outflow direction vector of the induced flow containing the active oxygen flowing out from the opening has a vector component x that is parallel to and in the same direction as the direction A.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an active oxygen treatment device capable of more effectively treating a moving object to be treated with active oxygen can be obtained. Further, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, an active oxygen treatment method capable of more effectively treating a moving object to be treated with active oxygen can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] [Figure 1] Schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an active oxygen treatment device according to one aspect of the present disclosure [Figure 2] Schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a plasma actuator according to one aspect of the present disclosure [Figure 3] Explanatory drawing of a plasma actuator according to one aspect of the present disclosure [Figure 4] Dimension explanatory drawing of an active oxygen supply device according to one aspect of the present disclosure [Figure 5] Explanatory drawing of the relative positions of the first electrode and the second electrode [Figure 6] Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the outflow direction vector of the induced flow and the direction A

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] In the present disclosure, the description of "XX or more and YY or less" or "XX to YY" representing a numerical range means a numerical range including the lower limit and the upper limit which are the endpoints, unless otherwise specified. When numerical ranges are described stepwise, the upper and lower limits of each numerical range can be arbitrarily combined. In the present disclosure, the "treatment" of an object to be treated with active oxygen includes all treatments that can be achieved by active oxygen, such as surface modification (hydrophilic treatment) of the surface of the object to be treated, sterilization, deodorization, and bleaching. Furthermore, the term "bacteria" as the target of "disinfection" in this disclosure refers to microorganisms, which include fungi, bacteria, single-celled algae, viruses, protozoa, etc., as well as animal or plant cells (including stem cells, dedifferentiated cells, and differentiated cells), tissue cultures, fusion cells obtained by genetic engineering (including hybridomas), dedifferentiated cells, and transformants (microorganisms). Examples of viruses include norovirus, rotavirus, influenza virus, adenovirus, coronavirus, measles virus, rubella virus, hepatitis virus, herpesvirus, and HIV virus. Examples of bacteria include staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella, Anthrax, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani, and Streptococcus. Examples of fungi include dermatophytes, Aspergillus, and Candida. Therefore, in this disclosure, "disinfection" also includes the inactivation of viruses. Furthermore, in this disclosure, reactive oxygen species refer to, for example, superoxide (·O2) produced by the decomposition of ozone (O3). - ), including free radicals such as hydroxyl radicals (·OH).

[0011] The following examples illustrate embodiments for implementing this disclosure with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in these embodiments should be appropriately modified depending on the configuration of the member to which the disclosure applies and various conditions. In other words, this disclosure is not intended to limit its scope to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, in the following description, components having the same function may be given the same number in the drawings, and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0012] The inventors speculate that the reason why the surface treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1 was only effective for samples moving through an ozone-treated space is as follows: In the ozone treatment space of the surface treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is believed that the ozone present in the ozone treatment space is decomposed by ultraviolet light, generating reactive oxygen species. Here, reactive oxygen species are superoxide anion radicals (·O2). -) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are a general term for highly reactive oxygen species, and due to their high reactivity, they can immediately oxidize and decompose bacteria and viruses. The sample is then transported on a conveyor belt through an ozone-treated space where reactive oxygen species are generated. In this process, the sample is treated in a manner similar to sterilization. However, reactive oxygen species are very unstable, and ·OH - The half-life is 10 -6 The half-life of OH is 10 seconds. -9 The reaction time is extremely short, in seconds, and the ozone is rapidly converted into stable oxygen and water. Therefore, when a sample is transported through an ozone-treated space, the transport of the sample causes turbulence in the airflow within the space, and it is thought that a considerable amount of the reactive oxygen in the ozone-treated space collides with the walls and other surfaces within the space and is converted into oxygen and water. In other words, the proportion of the reactive oxygen generated in the ozone-treated space that is used to treat the sample is low. For this reason, it is thought that the effect of the surface treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1 on a sample moving through an ozone-treated space is limited. Based on the above considerations, it was recognized that in order to more effectively treat moving objects using short-lived reactive oxygen species, it is necessary to more actively place the objects or surfaces under an reactive oxygen species atmosphere. Based on this understanding, the inventors conducted investigations and found that, according to the various embodiments of the processing apparatus described below, it is possible to reliably deliver reactive oxygen species to moving objects while maintaining their processing capacity. As a result, the objects can be more actively placed under an reactive oxygen species atmosphere, and the processing efficiency of the objects can be significantly improved. We found that this could be improved.

[0013] Hereinafter, an apparatus 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1(a). The apparatus 100 comprises an active oxygen supply device 101 and a transport means 109 capable of transporting the object to be processed 104 in the direction of arrow 108 (direction A).

[0014] An active oxygen supply device 101 according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an ozone decomposition device 102, an ultraviolet light source 102, and a plasma actuator 103 inside a housing 107 having at least one opening 106. The ultraviolet light source 102, which is an ozone decomposition device, irradiates the induced flow 105 with ultraviolet light, generating reactive oxygen species in the induced flow 105.

[0015] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of one embodiment of the plasma actuator 103. This plasma actuator is a so-called dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "DBD-PA") in which an exposed electrode (hereinafter also referred to as "first electrode") 203 with its end face exposed is provided on one surface of the dielectric 201 (hereinafter also referred to as "first surface"), and a second electrode 205 is provided on the surface opposite to the first surface (hereinafter also referred to as "second surface"). In Figure 2(a), reference numeral 206 denotes a dielectric substrate for embedding the second electrode 205 within the thickness direction of the plasma actuator so as not to generate induced flow from the end face of the second electrode. Also, voltage can be applied to the first electrode and the second electrode by a power supply 207.

[0016] In the plasma actuator 103, the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205, which are positioned with the dielectric 201 in between, are, for example, positioned diagonally opposite each other. By applying a voltage from the power supply 207 between these electrodes (between both electrodes), a dielectric barrier discharge is generated from the first electrode 203 toward the second electrode 205. Then, plasma 202 is generated from the edge 204 of the first electrode 203 toward the direction in which the second electrode extends (arrow 208 in Figure 2), along the exposed portion (the part not covered by the first electrode) 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric 201. At the same time, an air intake flow is generated from the space inside the container toward the electrodes. Electrons in the surface plasma 202 collide with oxygen molecules in the air, dissociating them and producing oxygen atoms. The resulting oxygen atoms collide with undissociated oxygen molecules, generating ozone. Therefore, due to the interaction of the jet-like flow from the surface plasma 202 and the air intake flow, an induced flow 105 containing ozone is generated, flowing from the edge 204 of the first electrode 203 along the surface of the dielectric 201 toward the edge 205-1 of the second electrode 205, that is, toward the first direction indicated by arrow 208. The plasma actuator 103 and the ozone decomposition device 102 are arranged so that the induced flow 105 flows out of the housing 107 through the opening 106 and is supplied to the processing surface 104-1 of the workpiece 104.

[0017] In other words, the plasma actuator is constructed by stacking a first electrode 203, a dielectric 201, and a second electrode 205 in that order, with the first electrode 203 being an exposed electrode provided on the first surface of the dielectric 201. The plasma actuator generates a dielectric barrier discharge from the first electrode 203 to the second electrode 205 by applying a voltage between the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205, thereby blowing out an induced flow from the first electrode 203 in a first direction (the direction of arrow 208 in Figure 2), which is one direction along the first surface of the dielectric 201. More specifically, a dielectric barrier discharge is generated from one edge 204 of the first electrode 203 toward the second electrode 205, and an induced flow 105, which is a unidirectional jet, is generated from one edge 204 of the first electrode 203 toward the first surface of the dielectric 201 in a first direction (direction of arrow 208 in Figure 2). It spits it out. Furthermore, in one cross-section in the thickness direction of the plasma actuator, the second electrode 205 extends in the direction of the induced flow's outflow (first direction). This further enhances the directivity of the induced flow 105 in the first direction.

[0018] More specifically, for example, the plasma actuator has a dielectric 201, and when viewing a cross-section of the plasma actuator in the thickness direction, a first electrode 203 and a second electrode 205 are arranged diagonally opposite each other in the thickness direction of the plasma actuator via the dielectric 201. The first electrode 203 is provided so as to cover a portion of the first surface of the dielectric 201, and the first surface of the dielectric has an exposed portion 201-1 that is not covered by the first electrode 203. Figure 2b shows the plasma actuator viewed through one surface of the dielectric. At least a portion of the exposed portion 201-1 overlaps with the second electrode 205, which is shown by the dashed line. Therefore, the overlap is the region formed by the upper, lower, and right edges of the dashed line showing electrode 205 and the edge portion 204 in Figure 2b. Then, by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, an induced flow containing ozone is generated from the edge 204 on the first direction side of the first electrode 203 in the cross-section in the thickness direction (Figure 2a) along the exposed portion of the dielectric that overlaps with the second electrode 205. The first direction 208 is the direction from the edge 204 of the first electrode 203 toward the edge of the dielectric, and refers to the direction along the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric 201. Furthermore, the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric 201 is usually a flat surface. In addition, it is preferable that the dielectric 201 is a rectangular sheet.

[0019] The induced flow becomes, for example, a wall jet along the exposed portion 201-1, making it easy to supply high-concentration ozone to a specific location. The length of the exposed portion 201-1 in the direction of the induced flow (i.e., the length from the edge 204 on the first direction side of the first electrode to the edge 205-1 of the second electrode on the first surface of the dielectric) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 50 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 20 mm, and even more preferably 1 to 10 mm. The longer the length of the exposed portion 201-1 in the direction of the induced flow, the longer the plasma 202 extends, and the further the induced flow reaches. On the other hand, if the length of the exposed portion 201-1 in the direction of the induced flow is too long, the distance to the opening 106 becomes longer. Therefore, the above range is preferred.

[0020] As an ozone decomposition device 102, the ultraviolet light source 102 irradiates the induced flow 105 with ultraviolet light, decomposing the ozone in the induced flow 105 and generating reactive oxygen species in the induced flow. The plasma actuator 103 and the ultraviolet light source 102 are arranged, as shown in Figures 1a and 1b, so that the induced flow 105 containing reactive oxygen species flows out of the housing 107 through the opening 106 and is supplied to the treated surface 104-1 of the workpiece 104.

[0021] In Figure 1a, ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 102 also irradiates the surface of the workpiece 104. In this case, even if the ozone in the induced flow 105 is not completely decomposed into reactive oxygen species within the reactive oxygen species supply device, the ozone that reaches the surface of the workpiece 104 is decomposed in situ by the ultraviolet light to become reactive oxygen species, thus improving the processing efficiency.

[0022] However, in the active oxygen supply device according to this disclosure, it is not essential that ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source irradiates the workpiece. For example, as shown in Figure 1b, a plasma actuator configured such that the ultraviolet light source 102 cannot be directly seen from the opening 106 is also within the scope of this disclosure. In the plasma actuator according to Figure 1b, as a result of ozone decomposition by ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 102, an induced flow 105 containing active oxygen flows out from the opening 106 and is supplied to the treatment surface 104-1 of the workpiece 104.

[0023] In other words, in an apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, ozone in the induced flow 105 containing ozone from the plasma actuator (plasma generator) 103 of the active oxygen supply device 101 is decomposed by the ozone decomposition device 102. Specifically, for example, by irradiating the induced flow 105 with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 102, the induced flow 105 becomes contaminated with active oxygen. The induced flow 105 containing active oxygen then flows out of the housing 107 through the opening 106 and is supplied to the processing surface 104-1 of the workpiece 104. As a result, active oxygen can be actively supplied to the area near the processing surface 104-1 of the workpiece 104, specifically, for example, the spatial area up to a height of about 1 mm from the processing surface 104-1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "surface area"). Therefore, the generated reactive oxygen species can be supplied to the surface of the object to be treated before they are converted into oxygen and water. As a result, the treated surface 104-1 of the object to be treated 104 is treated more reliably by the reactive oxygen species.

[0024] Figure 5a shows a plan view observed from the side of the first electrode 203, assuming that the dielectric 201 of the plasma actuator 103 is transparent. In Figure 5a, the X-axis is parallel to the direction of the induced flow 105 from the plasma actuator 103 (first direction), and the first direction is the +X direction. The Y-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis, with the direction toward the right in Figure 5a being the +Y direction and the direction toward the left being the -Y direction. The first electrode 203 is provided on the first surface of the dielectric 201, covering a portion of the surface of the dielectric 201.

[0025] Furthermore, the plasma actuator may be a so-called three-electrode plasma actuator, wherein a third electrode is provided downstream of the induced flow from the first electrode and on the first surface of the dielectric 201. In this case, for example, an AC voltage can be applied to the first electrode as an AC electrode, and a DC voltage can be applied to the third electrode as a DC electrode. A sliding discharge can also be generated by applying a negative DC voltage to the DC electrode.

[0026] Figure 5b is a perspective view of the plasma actuator 103 from the side of the first electrode 203. As shown in Figure 5b, the -X-direction edge 205-1 of the second electrode 205, which is embedded in the thickness direction of the plasma actuator 103, is located on the -X direction side than the most +X-direction side of the +X-direction edge 204 of the first electrode 203. In other words, the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205 overlap by a length of 301 in the X-axis direction. This can also be rephrased as shown in Figure 2a, a cross-sectional view of the plasma actuator 103 in the thickness direction, where the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205 are positioned diagonally opposite each other with a dielectric material in between.

[0027] The edge 204 on the first direction side of the first electrode is designated as edge A, and the edge 205-1 on the second direction side (-X direction side), which is opposite to the first direction, of the second electrode is designated as edge B. The overlap length 301 between the outermost part of edge A on the first direction side (+X direction side) and edge B may hereafter be referred to as the "overlap amount".

[0028] Plasma is more easily generated when the shortest distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is short. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness of the dielectric portion of the dielectric 201 that exists between the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205 is thin enough so as not to cause dielectric breakdown when a voltage is applied to both electrodes. Specifically, for example, when the applied voltage is AC from 100V to 10000V, the thickness of the dielectric portion can be 10μm to 1000μm, preferably 10μm to 200μm. Furthermore, it is preferable that the shortest distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is 200μm or less.

[0029] Preferably, the edge 205-2 of the second electrode 205 on the +X side is located further in the +X direction than the edge 204 of the first electrode 203 on the +X side. By having the second electrode extend further in the +X direction than the edge 204 of the first electrode 203, the directivity of the induced flow 105 in the +X direction can be further enhanced. As shown in Figures 5a and 5b, the second electrode 205 is provided overlapping the first electrode with a dielectric material in between, and extends in the +X direction. By applying a voltage between the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205, a stronger induced flow 105 in the +X direction can be generated from the edge 204 of the first electrode of the plasma actuator 103.

[0030] Furthermore, by irradiating such an induced flow with ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source, the ozone in the induced flow is decomposed into reactive oxygen species, and the induced flow contains reactive oxygen species.According to the inventors' studies, the reactive oxygen species contained in such an induced flow have a lifespan that is generally considered to be that of reactive oxygen species (·O2 - Half-life: 10 -6 Half-life of OH: 10 seconds -9 It is thought that the reactive oxygen species can maintain their active state for a longer period than a few seconds. This is because the reactive oxygen species in the induced flow are protected within the well-controlled flow of the induced flow, and collisions with other reactive species and molecules in the atmosphere are suppressed, making deactivation by reaction less likely. As a result, the reactive oxygen species supply device according to this disclosure can more reliably deliver reactive oxygen species to the object being treated. In other words, it can supply reactive oxygen species to the object being treated more actively.

[0031] In addition, the conveying means 109 is capable of conveying the workpiece in at least direction A, and conveys the workpiece 104 in the direction of arrow 108 so that an induced flow 105 containing active oxygen, which flows out of the housing 107 from the opening 106, is supplied to the processing surface 104-1 of the workpiece. In other words, the active oxygen supply device 101 and the conveying means 109 are arranged so that the induced flow 105 containing active oxygen, which flows out of the housing 107 from the opening 106, is supplied to the processing surface 104-1 of the workpiece that is conveyed by the conveying means 109 in the direction of arrow 108. Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 100, as shown in Figure 6, the outflow direction vector 105a of the induced flow 105 containing active oxygen that flows out of the housing 107 from the opening 106 has a vector component 105x (hereinafter also referred to as vector component x) that is parallel to and in the same direction as the arrow 108, which is the transport direction A of the object to be processed 104. In other words, vector component x is a vector component in the forward direction of direction A. By setting the outflow direction from the opening of the induced flow 105 and the transport direction of the material to be treated 104 to the above-described relationship, and arranging the active oxygen supply device 101 and the transport means 109 as described above, the treatment effect of the moving material to be treated by active oxygen can be significantly improved. The inventors speculate that this is the reason as follows: As described above, in the well-ordered flow of the induced flow supplied from the reactive oxygen supply device according to this disclosure, reactive oxygen species can maintain their active state for a longer period of time. On the other hand, the airflow 111 surrounding the object to be treated, which is being transported in the direction of arrow 108, also flows in the direction of arrow 108. Therefore, because the outflow direction vector 105a of the induced flow includes a component 105x parallel to the direction of arrow 108, which is the transport direction A of the object to be treated 104, the well-ordered airflow of the induced flow 105 supplied to the object to be treated 104 is less likely to be disturbed by the surrounding airflow generated by the transport of the object to be treated 104, and thus the object to be treated can be kept in an environment with reactive oxygen species for a longer period of time. As a result, it is believed that the treatment effect of the object to be treated by reactive oxygen species is improved.

[0032] The outflow direction vector is the vector of the induced flow containing active oxygen flowing out of the housing from the opening, directed from the first electrode 204 toward the dielectric surface 201-1. Typically, the outflow direction vector is the same direction as the first direction. The induced flow containing the generated reactive oxygen species mainly flows out in the first direction and is supplied to the workpiece being transported in direction A by the transport means. The outflow direction vector is determined by the installation angle of the plasma actuator 103.

[0033] The outflow direction vector 105a may be a vector consisting only of the vector component x. Furthermore, the outflow direction vector 105a may further include a vector component 105y (hereinafter also referred to as vector component y) that is perpendicular to direction A and directed toward the treated surface 104-1 of the workpiece from the opening 106. The ratio of the magnitude of vector component y to vector component x (vector component y / vector component x) is preferably 0.00 to 2.75, and more preferably 0.58 to 2.75. Furthermore, the outflow direction vector 105a may also include a vector component z, which is a vector component perpendicular to the vector components x and y. The ratio of the magnitudes of the corresponding vector components z (vector component z / vector component x) is 0.00 It is preferably ~2.75, more preferably 0.00~0.58, and even more preferably 0.00. The vector component z, which is a vector component perpendicular to the vector components x and y, is either a vector component directed in the depth direction of Figure 6, or a vector component directed in the vertical direction of the paper in Figure 6. When the ratio of the magnitudes of vector components y and z to vector component x is within the above range, the induced flow 105 containing reactive oxygen species can be supplied more efficiently to the treated surface 104-1 of the workpiece.

[0034] The angle α between the outflow direction vector and direction A is preferably 0° to 70°, and more preferably 30° to 70°. When the angle α is within the above range, the induced flow containing active oxygen is more easily supplied to the material being treated. In Figure 6, the angle α when the outflow direction vector consists of vector components x and y is shown as the angle between the outflow direction vector and the vector component 105x, which is parallel to the direction of arrow 108, which is the transport direction A of the material being treated 104. The angle α of the outflow direction vector 105a can be measured as follows. As shown in Figure 2, the induced flow 105 containing ozone is generated from the edge of the first electrode 203 toward the electrode 205 positioned diagonally opposite across the dielectric 201. Since the induced flow 105 propagates along the dielectric 201, the outflow direction vector 105a is in the same direction as the vector from the first electrode 204 toward the surface 201-1 of the dielectric. Therefore, the angle α of the outflow direction vector 105a can be measured by taking a photograph of the installation angle of the plasma actuator 103 from the z direction (not shown) using a dimensional measuring device such as a 3D measuring machine or an image capturing device such as a digital camera, CCD camera, or high-speed camera, and measuring the angle that the dielectric surface 201-1 of the plasma actuator 103 makes with respect to the x-axis, or by directly measuring it with a protractor or digital angle meter.

[0035] The outflow velocity of the induced flow 105 containing active oxygen, which flows out of the housing 107 from the opening 106 in the outflow direction vector 105a, is preferably 1 m / s to 100 m / s, and more preferably 10 m / s to 100 m / s. In addition, the movement velocity of the workpiece to be transported by the transport means 109 in direction A is preferably 0.001 m / s to 5.000 m / s, and more preferably 0.001 m / s to 1.000 m / s. Furthermore, the ratio of the moving speed to the outflow speed is preferably 0.001 to 1.000, and more preferably 0.001 to 0.100. When the outflow rate and the movement rate are within the above range, or when the ratio of the movement rate to the outflow rate is within the above range, the well-organized induced flow supplied from the active oxygen supply device is less likely to be disturbed, and active oxygen can be supplied to the object to be treated more efficiently. The aforementioned outflow velocity is, for example, in the direction of the induced flow 105 containing ozone (first direction) This can be adjusted by the discharge speed of the induced flow 105 from the plasma actuator 103 (hereinafter also referred to as the flow velocity of the induced flow).

[0036] The materials constituting the first and second electrodes are not particularly limited, as long as they are highly conductive. For example, metals such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel, gold, silver, and platinum, as well as those plated or vapor-deposited, conductive carbon materials such as carbon black, graphite, and carbon nanotubes, and composite materials obtained by mixing these with resins can be used. The materials constituting the first electrode and the materials constituting the second electrode may be the same or different.

[0037] Among these, from the viewpoint of avoiding electrode corrosion and ensuring uniform discharge, the material constituting the first electrode is preferably aluminum, stainless steel, or silver. For the same reason, the material constituting the second electrode is also preferably aluminum, stainless steel, or silver. Furthermore, the shapes of the first electrode and the second electrode can be flat, wire-shaped, needle-shaped, etc., without any particular limitations. Preferably, the shape of the first electrode is flat. Also preferably, the shape of the second electrode is flat. When at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is flat, it is preferable that the aspect ratio (length of the long side / length of the short side) of the flat plate is 2 or more.

[0038] In Figures 2a and 3, it is also preferable, but not limited to, that at least one of the first and second electrodes has a vertex angle of 45° or less including the edge 204 on the first direction side of the first electrode (i.e., the electrode is pointed). Although Figures 2a and 3 show the case where the vertex angle including the edge 204 of both the first and second electrodes is 90°, embodiments in which vertex angles other than the vertex angle including the edge 204 exceed 45° are also included in this disclosure.

[0039] The dielectric material is not particularly limited as long as it has high electrical insulation properties. For example, resins such as polyimide, polyester, fluororesin, silicone resin, acrylic resin, and phenolic resin, glass, ceramics, and composite materials made by mixing these with resins can be used. Among these, ceramics or glass are preferred as the dielectric material because they are less likely to cause fire spread even if current leaks.

[0040] The overlap between the edge A of the first electrode and the edge B of the second electrode is preferably -100 μm to +1000 μm in the X-axis direction when viewed from the top of the cross-sectional view, with the overlap length being considered positive, and more preferably 0 μm to +200 μm, and even more preferably 0 μm (Figure 3). That is, if the case where edge B is located on the opposite side of the induced flow blowout direction from edge A is considered positive, the distance between edge A and edge B in the direction along the dielectric surface (X-axis direction) is preferably -100 μm to +1000 μm, more preferably 0 μm to +200 μm, and even more preferably 0 μm.

[0041] There are no particular limitations on the thickness of the electrodes for both the first and second electrodes, but they can be between 10 μm and 1000 μm. If the thickness is 10 μm or more, the resistance decreases and plasma generation becomes easier. If the thickness is 1000 μm or less, electric field concentration becomes more likely, which also makes plasma generation easier. The width of the electrodes is not particularly limited for both the first and second electrodes, but it can be 1000 μm or more.

[0042] Furthermore, if the edge of the second electrode is exposed, plasma may be generated from the edge of the second electrode, and an induced flow in the opposite direction to the induced flow 105 originating from the first electrode may be generated. In the active oxygen supply device according to this embodiment, it is preferable to keep the ozone concentration in the internal space of the active oxygen supply device other than the surface region of the workpiece as low as possible. Also, disturbing the flow of the induced flow 105 It is preferable not to generate such gas flow inside the container. Therefore, it is preferable not to generate induced flow originating from the second electrode. Accordingly, it is preferable to cover the second electrode 205 with a dielectric such as the dielectric substrate 206, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 5, or to embed it in the dielectric 201, in order to prevent the generation of plasma from the edge of the second electrode.

[0043] The second electrode only needs to be embedded to the extent that it prevents the generation of plasma from its edges. For example, a portion of the surface of the second electrode may be exposed, and the exposed surface of the second electrode and the dielectric substrate 206 or dielectric 201 may form the same plane. Preferably, the edges of the second electrode are covered with the dielectric substrate 206 or dielectric 201. Therefore, for example, the plasma actuator is preferably an SDBD (single dielectric barrier discharge) plasma actuator.

[0044] The induced flow 105 containing high-concentration ozone flows in a jet-like direction due to surface plasma from the edge 204 of the first electrode 203 along the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric 201, that is, in the direction from the edge 204 of the first electrode 203 along the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric. This induced flow is a gas flow containing high-concentration ozone with a velocity of several m / s to several tens of m / s. The voltage applied between the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205 of the plasma actuator is not particularly limited as long as it can generate plasma in the plasma actuator. It may be a DC voltage or an AC voltage, but an AC voltage is preferred. Furthermore, it is also preferred that the voltage be a pulse voltage.

[0045] Furthermore, the amplitude and frequency of the voltage can be appropriately set to adjust the flow velocity of the induced flow and the ozone concentration in the induced flow. In this case, it is preferable to appropriately select the settings from the viewpoint of generating an ozone concentration in the induced flow that is necessary to produce an effective reactive oxygen concentration or amount of effective reactive oxygen according to the purpose of treatment, and supplying the generated reactive oxygen to the surface area of ​​the object to be treated while maintaining an effective reactive oxygen concentration or amount of effective reactive oxygen according to the purpose of treatment. For example, the amplitude of the voltage can be 1kV to 100kV. Furthermore, the frequency of the voltage can preferably be 1kHz or higher, and more preferably 10kHz to 100kHz.

[0046] When the voltage is an AC voltage, the waveform of the AC voltage is not particularly limited, and a sine wave, square wave, triangular wave, etc., can be used, but a square wave is preferable from the viewpoint of the speed of voltage rise. The duty cycle of the voltage can also be appropriately selected, but a fast voltage rise is preferred. Preferably, the voltage is applied such that the voltage rise from the bottom to the peak of the wavelength amplitude is 10,000,000 V / sec or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the value obtained by dividing the amplitude of the voltage applied between the first electrode 203 and the second electrode 205 by the thickness of the dielectric 201 (voltage / thickness) be 10kV / mm or more.

[0047] <Ozone decomposition device> The reactive oxygen species supply device includes an ozone decomposition device 102. The ozone decomposition device decomposes the ozone contained in the induced flow, generating reactive oxygen species in the induced flow. An example of an ozone decomposition device is one that acts on the ozone contained in the induced flow and decomposes it. Preferably, the ozone decomposition device is one that can decompose ozone without disturbing the flow of the induced flow. The ozone decomposition apparatus is preferably at least one device selected from the group consisting of an ultraviolet light source that irradiates the induced flow with ultraviolet light to generate reactive oxygen species in the induced flow, a heating device that heats the induced flow to generate reactive oxygen species in the induced flow, and a humidifying device that humidifies the induced flow to generate reactive oxygen species in the induced flow. The ozone decomposition apparatus may also be a combination of these. For example, it may be a device that heats the induced flow while irradiating the induced flow with ultraviolet light, or a device that irradiates the induced flow with ultraviolet light The device may also humidify the inside of the enclosure while heating the induced flow. The ozone decomposition device is a more preferred ultraviolet light source. Each device is described below.

[0048] <Ultraviolet light source and ultraviolet light> The ultraviolet light source is not particularly limited as long as it can irradiate ultraviolet light capable of exciting ozone and generating reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the ultraviolet light source is not particularly limited as long as it has the wavelength and intensity of ultraviolet light necessary to excite ozone and obtain the effective reactive oxygen species concentration or amount of effective reactive oxygen species according to the purpose of the treatment. For example, since the peak value of the light absorption spectrum of ozone is 260 nm, the peak wavelength of the ultraviolet light is preferably 220 nm to 310 nm, more preferably 253 nm to 285 nm, and even more preferably 253 nm to 266 nm. Specific ultraviolet light sources that can be used include low-pressure mercury lamps, which consist of mercury sealed in quartz glass along with an inert gas such as argon or neon, cold cathode ultraviolet lamps (UV-CCL), and ultraviolet LEDs. For low-pressure mercury lamps and cold cathode ultraviolet lamps, the wavelength should be selected from around 254 nm. On the other hand, for ultraviolet LEDs, the wavelength should be selected from around 265 nm, 275 nm, or 280 nm from the standpoint of output performance.

[0049] <Heating device> The heating device 102 is not particularly limited as long as it can provide thermal energy capable of exciting the ozone in the induced flow and generating reactive oxygen species. Since the thermal decomposition of ozone begins at around 100°C, a device capable of heating the induced flow to 120°C is preferred. On the other hand, temperatures above 120°C may cause thermal degradation such as melting or decomposition of the material being treated, so temperatures below 200°C are preferred.

[0050] The heating device is not particularly limited, and examples include devices equipped with a heat source (heat supply means) that supplies heat. Specifically, examples include ceramic heaters, cartridge heaters, sheathed heaters, electric heaters, and oil heaters. In the case of a device that includes a metal heating element, the heating element is preferably made of a material with excellent oxidation resistance, such as a nichrome alloy or tungsten. A cartridge heater is preferred.

[0051] <humidifier> The humidifier 102 is not particularly limited as long as it humidifies the inside of the enclosure, contains water in the induced flow, and generates reactive oxygen species in the induced flow by decomposing ozone in the induced flow with water. Here, humidification means supplying moisture to the object, and the form of the moisture is not particularly limited and may be at least one selected from the group consisting of gas, liquid and solid. Furthermore, any known water can be used as the water supplied, and it may also contain substances other than water.

[0052] There are no particular limitations on the type of humidifier; for example, evaporative humidifiers and mist humidifiers can be used. To avoid increasing humidity near the plasma actuator, it is preferable that the humidifier has directionality (hereinafter also simply referred to as directionality) in terms of the direction in which moisture is supplied. By having directionality, the humidifier can efficiently humidify the area near the induced flow and the surface of the workpiece without increasing humidity near the plasma actuator. To give a humidifier directionality, known methods can be suitably used. For example, methods include generating an airflow by installing a fan and transferring moisture in the direction of the airflow, or applying appropriate pressure to the moisture with an air pump and ejecting the moisture in the desired direction. It is preferable to direct the humidifier in the same direction as the induced flow (first direction) so as not to disturb the induced flow.

[0053] <Plasma actuator, ozone decomposition device, transport means, and arrangement of the object to be processed> In the active oxygen supply device 101, the position of the plasma actuator 103 that generates an induced flow containing ozone is not particularly limited, as long as it is positioned so that the induced flow 105, irradiated by ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 102, which is an ozone decomposition device, flows out of the housing through an opening and is supplied to the surface of the object to be treated, while maintaining an effective active oxygen concentration or amount according to the purpose of treatment. The same applies when the ozone decomposition device is a heating device or a humidifying device. For example, the plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition device should be arranged so that the induced flow 105 containing the generated reactive oxygen species is supplied to the surface of the object to be treated via the shortest possible route.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, the plasma actuator may be positioned such that the treated surface 104-1 of the workpiece is included on an extension line extending from the edge of the first electrode 203 on the first direction side of the plasma actuator along the first surface (exposed portion 201-1) of the dielectric. For example, it is preferable that this extension line is in contact with the treated surface 104-1. Furthermore, it is preferable that the extension line from the edge of the first electrode 203 of the plasma actuator on the first direction side, along the first surface of the dielectric (same as the +X direction), is directed toward the opening. This makes it easier for the induced flow to flow out of the housing through the opening.

[0055] Furthermore, when the opening of the active oxygen supply device is oriented vertically downward, the narrow angle between the extension line 201-1-1, which extends from the edge of the first electrode of the plasma actuator along the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric, and the horizontal plane (a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction) is defined as α (hereinafter also referred to as the plasma actuator incidence angle or PA incidence angle; see Figure 4). The narrow angle α is not particularly limited as long as it is an angle at which an induced flow can be actively supplied to the surface region of the object to be treated while maintaining the amount of active oxygen or effective active oxygen according to the purpose of the treatment, or an angle at which treatment can be performed by active oxygen. However, it is preferably greater than 0° and 70° or less, and more preferably 30° or more and 70° or less. By arranging the plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition device as described above, an induced flow containing active oxygen with a certain flow velocity can be locally supplied to a region near the surface of the object to be treated, or the object can be treated with active oxygen. Furthermore, the induced flow that flows out from the opening flows along the surface of the object to be treated, and the portion of the surface of the object to be treated other than the portion opposite the opening is also exposed to the induced flow containing active oxygen. As a result, a wider area of ​​the surface 104-1 to be treated can be treated with active oxygen.

[0056] Furthermore, the plasma actuator should be positioned such that the treated surface 104-1 of the workpiece is included on the extension of the first direction (the direction in which the induced flow is blown out).

[0057] The ozone decomposition apparatus is not particularly limited as long as it generates active oxygen in the induced flow and is arranged in such a way that it can perform treatment on the surface of the object to be treated while maintaining an effective active oxygen concentration or amount appropriate to the purpose of treatment. As described above, an induced flow containing ozone is actively supplied to the region near the surface of the object being treated. Furthermore, if the ozone decomposition device is an ultraviolet light source, reactive oxygen species can be generated in the induced flow by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. Therefore, by irradiating the induced flow with ultraviolet light, ozone is excited, and an induced flow containing reactive oxygen species can be actively supplied to the surface of the object being treated, and the concentration or amount of reactive oxygen species on the surface of the object being treated can be significantly increased. The relative positions of the ozone decomposition device and the plasma actuator are not particularly limited, as long as they are positioned such that reactive oxygen species are generated in the induced flow and that the surface of the object to be treated can be processed while maintaining an effective reactive oxygen species concentration or amount appropriate to the purpose of the treatment.

[0058] Furthermore, the distance between the ozone decomposition device and the plasma actuator varies depending on the purpose of the treatment, so it cannot be specified in general terms. For example, it is preferable that the distance between the dielectric of the plasma actuator and the surface facing the ozone decomposition device be 10 mm or less, and more preferably 4 mm or less. However, it is not necessary to place the plasma actuator within approximately 10 mm of the ozone decomposition device, and as long as the reactive oxygen species in the induced flow can be brought to an effective concentration according to the purpose of the treatment in relation to the elements that can decompose ozone, such as the irradiance and wavelength of ultraviolet light described later, the distance between the ozone decomposition device and the plasma actuator is not particularly limited. Furthermore, it is also preferable to provide a means of movement to at least one of the ozone decomposition device and the plasma actuator, so that at least one of the ozone decomposition device and the plasma actuator can be moved to ensure a uniform degree of ozone decomposition.

[0059] The relative positions of the reactive oxygen supply device and the conveying means should be such that at least one of them is positioned so that reactive oxygen is generated in the induced flow, and the surface of the object to be treated, conveyed by the conveying means, is exposed to the induced flow, which maintains an effective reactive oxygen concentration or amount of effective reactive oxygen according to the purpose of treatment.

[0060] Furthermore, if the ozone decomposition device is an ultraviolet light source, the ultraviolet light source may be positioned so that ultraviolet rays can irradiate the surface of the object to be treated, or it may be positioned so that ultraviolet rays cannot irradiate the surface of the object to be treated. Even if ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source cannot irradiate the surface of the object to be treated, with the treatment device using active oxygen according to this embodiment, treatment is possible by exposing the surface to be treated to active oxygen in the induced flow. Similarly, in the case where the ozone decomposition device is a heating device, the heating device may be disposed at a position where it can heat the surface of the object to be treated, or at a position where it cannot heat the surface of the object to be treated. Furthermore, in the sterilization treatment by ultraviolet rays, only the surface irradiated with ultraviolet rays is sterilized. However, in the sterilization treatment by the active oxygen supply device according to the present disclosure, bacteria present at positions where active oxygen can reach can be sterilized. Therefore, for example, bacteria present between fibers, which are difficult to sterilize by external ultraviolet irradiation, can also be sterilized.

[0061] On the other hand, when the ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source are arranged so as to irradiate the surface of the object to be treated placed outside the housing through the opening, the undissolved ozone present in the induced flow can be decomposed in situ on the treated surface, and active oxygen can be generated on the treated surface. As a result, the degree and efficiency of the treatment can be further enhanced. In this case, the illuminance of ultraviolet rays on the surface of the object to be treated or the illuminance of ultraviolet rays at the opening is not particularly limited. However, for example, also on the surface of the object to be treated or at the opening, it is preferable to set the illuminance of ultraviolet rays to such an extent that the ozone contained in the induced flow is decomposed, active oxygen is generated in the induced flow, and an effective active oxygen concentration or an effective amount of active oxygen corresponding to the purpose of the treatment can be produced. Specifically, for example, as a specific example of the illuminance of ultraviolet rays on the surface of the object to be treated or the illuminance of ultraviolet rays at the opening, it is preferably 40 μW / cm 2 or more, more preferably 100 μW / cm 2 or more, still more preferably 400 μW / cm 2 or more, particularly preferably 1000 μW / cm 2 or more. The upper limit of the illuminance is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 10000 μW / cm 2 or less.

[0062] Furthermore, the distance between the ozone decomposition device and the surface of the object to be treated varies depending on the purpose of the treatment, so it cannot be specified in general terms. However, it is preferable to set the distance to 10 mm or less, and it is even more preferable to arrange the ozone decomposition device and the transport means so that the distance is 4 mm or less. However, it is not necessary to place the object to be treated so that the surface of the object to be treated is within about 10 mm of the ozone decomposition device. As long as the amount of active oxygen in the induced stream can be set to an effective concentration according to the purpose of the treatment in relation to elements that can decompose ozone, such as the intensity of ultraviolet light, the distance between the ozone decomposition device and the object to be treated is not particularly limited. Furthermore, in a plasma actuator, the amount of ozone generated per unit time when the ozone in the induced flow is not decomposed by an ozone decomposition device is preferably, for example, 8 μg / min or more. More preferably, it is 15 μg / min or more. There is no particular upper limit to the amount of ozone generated, but for example, it is 1000 μg / min or less. The induced flow velocity should be such that it can actively supply the generated reactive oxygen species to the surface region of the object being treated while maintaining an effective reactive oxygen species concentration or amount appropriate to the purpose of the treatment. For example, as mentioned above, it should be around 0.01 m / s to 100 m / s. As described above, the ozone concentration in the induced flow generated by the plasma actuator, as well as the flow velocity of the induced flow, can be controlled by the thickness and material of the electrodes and dielectric, the type of voltage applied, its amplitude, and frequency.

[0063] <Enclosure and opening> The reactive oxygen species supply device comprises a housing 107 having at least one opening 106, an ozone decomposition device 102 located inside the housing, and a plasma actuator 103. The opening is not particularly limited as long as it is configured such that the induced flow 105 generated from the plasma actuator 103 flows out of the housing 107. The size of the opening, the position of the opening, and the relative position of the opening to the conveying means can be appropriately selected, for example, so that the generated active oxygen can be actively supplied to the surface area of ​​the workpiece being conveyed by the conveying means while maintaining an effective active oxygen concentration or amount of active active oxygen according to the purpose of the treatment.

[0064] Furthermore, the distance between the plasma actuator and the opening is important because, in order to more effectively utilize the reactive oxygen in the induced flow for the intended processing, it is preferable that the plasma actuator is close to the workpiece. Therefore, it is preferable to position the plasma actuator as close to the opening as possible. On the other hand, it is also preferable to position the plasma actuator set back from the opening to protect it. For example, it is preferable to position the plasma actuator on the inner wall of the housing such that the edge of the plasma actuator closest to the opening is located 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from the edge of the opening on the inner wall of the housing.

[0065] <Conveying means> The processing apparatus 100 of this disclosure includes a transport means 109 capable of transporting a workpiece 104 in at least the direction of arrow 108 (direction A). The transport means 109 is not particularly limited as long as it can transport the workpiece 104 and an induced flow 105 containing active oxygen that flows out of the housing 107 is supplied to the processing surface 104-1 of the workpiece. The shape of the transport means, the transport distance over which the transport means transports the workpiece, and the speed at which the workpiece is moved in direction A can be appropriately selected, for example, so that the generated active oxygen can be actively supplied to the surface area of ​​the workpiece while maintaining an effective active oxygen concentration or amount of active active oxygen according to the purpose of processing. Specific transport means include, for example, a conveyor, air transport, magnetic transport, and an articulated robot.

[0066] The conveying means may be capable of conveying the material to be processed in a direction other than direction A before and / or after the material is processed by an induced flow containing active oxygen. The distance over which the material to be processed is transported in direction A by the transport means can be appropriately selected depending on the application, and is not particularly limited as long as an induced flow containing active oxygen is supplied to the material to be processed being transported in direction A.

[0067] <Object to be processed> The shape, material, size, etc., of the object to be processed can be appropriately selected according to the application. Preferably, at least a portion of the surface of the object to be processed is made of paper (filter paper, etc.), glass, ceramic, plastic, rubber, cloth, metal, etc. The objects to be processed that are transported by the transport means may be one or more, and if there are multiple objects to be processed In such cases, multiple objects to be processed may be transported continuously by a transport means.

[0068] The active oxygen supply device disclosed herein can be used not only for disinfecting objects to be treated, but also for a wide range of applications that involve supplying active oxygen to objects to be treated. For example, the active oxygen supply device disclosed herein can be used for deodorizing objects, bleaching objects, and hydrophilizing surfaces of objects to be treated. Furthermore, the treatment apparatus using active oxygen described herein can be used not only for disinfecting objects to be treated, but also for other purposes such as deodorizing objects, bleaching objects, and surface treatments to make objects hydrophilic.

[0069] Furthermore, this disclosure relates to a treatment method for treating an object with reactive oxygen species, The process includes a step of providing an active oxygen supply device and a conveying means capable of conveying the object to be treated by the active oxygen in at least direction A, The active oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposition device inside a housing having at least one opening. The plasma actuator is constructed by stacking a first electrode, a dielectric, and a second electrode in that order. The first electrode is an exposed electrode provided on the first surface, which is one of the surfaces of the dielectric. The plasma actuator generates a dielectric barrier discharge from the first electrode to the second electrode by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and blows out an induced flow containing ozone from the first electrode in a first direction, which is one direction along the surface of the dielectric. The ozone decomposition device generates reactive oxygen species in the induced flow by decomposing the ozone contained in the induced flow, and the induced flow becomes an induced flow containing reactive oxygen species. The plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition apparatus are arranged such that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flows out of the housing through the opening. The processing method further comprises the step of discharging the induced flow containing the active oxygen from the opening and supplying the induced flow containing the active oxygen to the object to be processed, which is moved in direction A. The present invention provides a processing method characterized in that the outflow direction vector of the induced flow containing the reactive oxygen species discharged from the opening has a vector component x that is parallel to and in the same direction as direction A.

[0070] In this disclosure, "effective reactive oxygen concentration or amount of effective reactive oxygen" refers to the amount of reactive oxygen necessary to achieve a specific purpose for the object to be treated, such as sterilization, deodorization, bleaching, or hydrophilization. This can be appropriately adjusted according to the purpose, using the electrodes constituting the plasma actuator, the thickness and material of the dielectric, the type, amplitude and frequency of the applied voltage, the degree of ozone decomposition by the ozone decomposition device (ultraviolet intensity and irradiation time, heating temperature and heating time, and humidification moisture content and humidification time), PA incidence angle, etc. [Examples]

[0071] The present disclosure will be described in more detail below using examples, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0072] <Example 1> 1. Fabrication of a reactive oxygen species supply device A first electrode was formed by attaching an aluminum foil measuring 2.5 mm in length, 15 mm in width, and 100 μm in thickness to the first surface of a glass plate (5 mm in length, 18 mm in width (in the depth direction of the paper in Figure 2a), and 150 μm in thickness) using adhesive tape. Additionally, an aluminum foil measuring 3 mm in length, 15 mm in width, and 100 μm in thickness was attached to the second surface of the same glass plate, just as it had been attached to the first surface. A second electrode was formed by attaching a titanium foil to the first electrode with adhesive tape so that it was diagonally opposite the first electrode. Furthermore, the second surface including the second electrode was covered with polyimide tape. In this way, a plasma actuator was fabricated in which the first electrode and the second electrode overlapped by 0.5 mm with a dielectric (glass plate) in between. Two of these plasma actuators were prepared.

[0073] Next, as the housing 107 for the active oxygen supply device 101, a case made of ABS resin was prepared, with a height of 25 mm, a width of 20 mm, a length of 170 mm, and a thickness of 2 mm, and a roughly trapezoidal cross-sectional shape as shown in Figure 1. The case had an opening 106 on one side with a width of 7 mm and a length of 166 mm. Then, the plasma actuator that had been previously fabricated was fixed to the inner wall of the slanted side portion of the housing 107. Specifically, the plasma actuator 103 was positioned such that the angle α (the same as the PA incidence angle described above) between the extension line 201-1-1 in the direction along the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric 201 and the intersection point with the treated surface 104-1 of the workpiece was 45°. Furthermore, an ultraviolet lamp 102 (cold cathode ultraviolet lamp, product name: UW / 9F89 / 9, manufactured by Stanley Electric Co., Ltd., cylindrical with a diameter of 9 mm, peak wavelength = 254 nm) was placed inside the housing. The shortest distance (reference numeral 403 in Figure 4) between the ultraviolet lamp 102 and the exposed portion 201-1 of the first surface of the dielectric 201 of the plasma actuator was 2 mm, and the distance (reference numeral 401 in Figure 4) between the ultraviolet light source and the side of the flat plate facing the ultraviolet light source when the flat plate was brought into contact with the opening 106 of the housing 107 was 3 mm. In this way, the activated hydrogen supply device (treatment device using activated oxygen) according to this embodiment was fabricated.

[0074] An illuminance meter (product name: USR-45D spectroradiometer, manufactured by Ushio Inc.) was placed at the opening 106, which serves as the supply port for reactive oxygen species in the reactive oxygen species supply device 101, and the ultraviolet irradiance was measured. From the integral value of the spectrum, the value was 1370 μW / cm². 2In this case, the plasma actuator was not powered on to avoid being affected by the shielding of ultraviolet rays by ozone generated from the plasma actuator. Since the object to be processed is placed, for example, at the position of the opening 106, the ultraviolet irradiance measured under these conditions was considered to be the ultraviolet irradiance on the surface of the object to be processed.

[0075] Next, in order to calculate the amount of ozone generated from the plasma actuator 103, the active oxygen supply device 101 was placed in a sealed container (not shown) with a volume of 1 liter. The sealed container was provided with a hole that could be sealed with a rubber stopper, allowing the gas inside to be drawn out with a syringe through this hole. A voltage with a sine wave waveform of 2.4 kVpp and a frequency of 80 kHz was applied to the plasma actuator 103, and after 1 minute, 100 ml of gas was collected from the sealed container. The collected gas was drawn into an ozone detection tube (product name: 182SB, manufactured by Komei Rikagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.), and the measured ozone concentration (PPM) contained in the induced flow from the plasma actuator 103 was measured. Using the measured ozone concentration value, the amount of ozone generated per unit time was calculated using the following formula.

[0076]

number

[0077] As a result, the ozone generation rate per unit time was 19 μg / min. At this time, the UV light source was not powered on to avoid the decomposition of ozone by ultraviolet light emitted from the UV light source. Finally, the amount of ozone generated was measured when both the plasma actuator 103 and the ultraviolet lamp 102 were operating. The operating conditions for the plasma actuator 103 were such that it generates 39 μg / min of ozone when only the plasma actuator 103 is operating. The operating conditions for the ultraviolet lamp 102 were such that it generates 1370 μW / cm² when only the ultraviolet lamp 102 is operating. 2These are the conditions for achieving the required illuminance. As a result, the amount of ozone generated when both the plasma actuator 103 and the ultraviolet lamp 102 were operating was 4 μg / min. The decrease of 15 μg / min from 19 μg / min is thought to be the amount of ozone converted into reactive oxygen species.

[0078] 2-1. Detection test for reactive oxygen species (absorbance of methylene blue) The reactive oxygen supply device prepared in step 1 above was activated, and the presence or absence of reactive oxygen in the induced flow flowing out from the opening of the housing was confirmed using the decolorization reaction of an aqueous methylene blue solution. Specifically, methylene blue (manufactured by Kanto Chemical, special grade) and distilled water were mixed to prepare a 0.01% aqueous methylene blue solution. 15 ml of this aqueous methylene blue solution was placed in a petri dish (Eiken Kagaku AB4000, cylindrical, 88 mm in diameter). The surface of the aqueous methylene blue solution in the petri dish was considered to be the surface 104-1 of the object to be treated, and the reactive oxygen supply device was placed on the petri dish such that the distance 405 in Figure 4 was 1.4 mm (distance 404 was 1 mm). Next, an AC voltage with a sine wave of 2.4 kVpp and a frequency of 80 kHz was applied between both electrodes of the reactive oxygen species supply device plasma actuator, and the ultraviolet lamp was turned on. The induced flow flowing out from the opening was then supplied to the liquid surface for 30 minutes. The ultraviolet lamp was set to an illuminance of 1370 μW / cm² measured on the exposed surface of the dielectric of the plasma actuator facing the ultraviolet lamp, without power being supplied to the plasma actuator. 2 I adjusted it so that it would be as follows. After induced flow irradiation, the methylene blue aqueous solution is transferred to a cell and measured using a spectrophotometer (Jasco). The change in light absorption of methylene blue was measured using V-570. Since methylene blue has strong absorption at a wavelength of 664 nm, the degree of decolorization of methylene blue can be calculated from the change in absorbance at this wavelength. In this test, first, distilled water alone was placed in the reference cell, and a 0.01% methylene blue aqueous solution before induced flow irradiation was placed in the sample cell and measured. The absorbance was 2.32 Abs. On the other hand, the absorbance of the methylene blue aqueous solution after induced flow irradiation was 0.05 Abs. Therefore, the rate of decrease in absorbance was 88% ((2.32 - 0.27)). It was (2.32) × 100).

[0079] 2-2. Treatment (disinfection) test A sterilization test for E. coli was conducted using the reactive oxygen species supply device 101 according to the following procedure. All instruments used in this sterilization test were sterilized using autoclave-assisted high-pressure steam sterilization. The sterilization test was also conducted in a clean bench. First, E. coli (product name "KWIK-STIK (Escherichia coli ATCC8739)", Microbiologics) was placed in an Erlenmeyer flask containing LB medium (a mixture of 2g tryptone (product name "Bacto Tryptone", Life Technologies Japan), 1g yeast extract (product name "Yeast Extract", Life Technologies Japan), and 1g sodium chloride (product name "Special Grade Sodium Chloride", Kishida Chemical Co., Ltd.) with 200mL of distilled water). Next, the Erlenmeyer flask was cultured at 37°C for 48 hours at 80rpm using a shaking incubator (Takasaki Scientific Instruments Co., Ltd. TA-25R-3F) to obtain an E. coli solution. The number of viable cells in the obtained E. coli solution was 9.2 × 10⁶. 9 The concentration was (CFU / mL). 0.010 ml of this cultured bacterial suspension was dropped onto only one side of a 3 cm x 1 cm qualitative filter paper (product code: No. 5C, manufactured by Advantech Co., Ltd.) using a micropipette to obtain sample No. 1. Sample No. 1 was prepared. Sample No. 2 was prepared in the same manner.

[0080] Next, sample No. 1 was immersed for 1 hour in a test tube containing 10 ml of buffer solution (product name: Gibco PBS; Thermo Fisher Scientific). To prevent the bacterial solution on the filter paper from drying out, the time between dropping the bacterial solution onto the filter paper and immersion in the buffer solution was set to 60 seconds.

[0081] Next, 1 ml of the buffer solution (hereinafter also referred to as "1 / 1 solution") after immersing sample No. 1 was placed in a test tube containing 9 ml of buffer solution to prepare a diluent (hereinafter referred to as "1 / 10 diluent"). Diluents of 1 / 100, 1 / 1000, and 1 / 10000 were prepared in the same manner, except that the dilution ratio with buffer solution was changed.

[0082] Next, 0.050 ml was taken from the 1 / 1 solution and spread onto a stamp medium (Petan Check 25PT1025, manufactured by Eiken Kasei Co., Ltd.). This procedure was repeated to create two stamp mediums spread with the 1 / 1 solution. The two stamp mediums were placed in a constant temperature bath (product name: IS600; manufactured by Yamato Kagaku Co., Ltd.) and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The number of colonies that grew on the two stamp mediums was counted, and the average value was calculated. For the 1 / 10, 1 / 100, 1 / 1000, and 1 / 10000 dilutions, two smeared stamp media were prepared for each dilution and cultured in the same manner as described above. The number of colonies that developed in each stamp media for each dilution was then counted, and the average value was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0083] [Table 1]

[0084] From the results in Table 1 above, the number of colonies when the 1 / 100 dilution was cultured was 54. Therefore, the number of bacteria present in 0.050 ml of the 1 / 1 solution for sample No. 1 is 54 × 10 2 It was found that the value is 5400 (CFU).

[0085] Next, the following procedure was performed on sample No. 2. Sample No. 2 was designated as the object to be treated 104, and it was positioned so that the distance 404 in Figure 4 between the surface of the filter paper coated with bacterial solution (the surface to be treated) and the active oxygen supply device 101 was 1 mm.

[0086] Next, an AC voltage with a sine wave of 2.4 kVpp and a frequency of 80 kHz was applied between both electrodes of the active oxygen supply device, and an ultraviolet lamp was turned on to supply an induced flow toward the filter paper. The illuminance measured on the exposed surface of the plasma actuator facing the ultraviolet lamp was 1370 μW / cm² without power being turned on to the plasma actuator. 2 I adjusted it so that it would be as follows. Subsequently, the reactive oxygen supply device was activated, and the material to be processed 104 was transported at a speed of 0.050 m / s while being processed. The processing was performed in a total of 10 passes, with one pass defined as the state in which the material to be processed had finished passing through the opening 106 in Figure 1. Furthermore, in the processing process using the reactive oxygen species supply device, the time from dropping the bacterial solution onto the filter paper to immersion in the buffer solution was set to 60 seconds to prevent the filter paper from drying out.

[0087] Sample No. 2, after processing, was immersed for 1 hour in a test tube containing 10 ml of buffer solution (product name: Gibco PBS; Thermo Fisher Scientific) along with the filter paper placed at the bottom of the recess. Next, 1 ml of the buffer solution after immersion (hereinafter referred to as "1 / 1 solution") was added to a test tube containing 9 ml of buffer solution to prepare a dilution (1 / 10 dilution). Dilutions of 1 / 100, 1 / 1000, and 1 / 10000 were prepared in the same manner, except that the dilution ratio with buffer solution was changed.

[0088] Next, 0.050 ml was taken from the 1 / 1 solution and spread onto a stamp medium (product name: Petan Check 25 PT1025, manufactured by Eiken Kasei Co., Ltd.). This procedure was repeated to create two stamp media spread with the 1 / 1 solution. The two stamp media were placed in a constant temperature bath (product name: IS600, manufactured by Yamato Kagaku Co., Ltd.) and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The number of colonies that developed on each stamp medium containing the 1 / 1 solution was counted, and the average value was calculated. The same procedure was followed for the 1 / 10 dilution, 1 / 100 dilution, 1 / 1000 dilution, and 1 / 10000 dilution, creating two stamp media for each dilution and culturing them. The number of colonies that developed on each stamp medium containing the 1 / 1 solution was then counted, and the average value was calculated. The results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0089] [Table 2] As shown in Table 2, the bacterial count in 0.050 ml of 1 / 1 solution for sample No. 1, which was not treated with the reactive oxygen species supply device, was 5400 (CFU), whereas the bacterial count in the treated sample... The bacterial count in 0.050 ml of 1 / 1 solution No. 2 was 23 (CFU). From this, it was found that a 2-second treatment using the reactive oxygen supply device according to this embodiment achieved a sterilization rate of 99.57% ((5400 - 23 / 5400) × 100). [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 101: Active oxygen supply device (treatment device using active oxygen), 102: Ultraviolet light source (ultraviolet lamp), 103: Plasma generator (plasma actuator), 104: Workpiece, 104-1: Treatment surface of workpiece, 105: Induced flow, 106: Opening, 107: Housing, 108: Direction of transport of workpiece, 109: Transport means

Claims

1. A treatment device using reactive oxygen species, The system comprises an active oxygen supply device and a conveying means capable of conveying the object to be treated by the active oxygen in at least direction A, The active oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposition device inside a housing having at least one opening. The plasma actuator is constructed by stacking a first electrode, a dielectric, and a second electrode in this order. The first electrode is an exposed electrode provided on the first surface, which is one of the surfaces of the dielectric. The plasma actuator generates a dielectric barrier discharge from the first electrode to the second electrode by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and blows out an induced flow containing ozone from the first electrode in a first direction, which is one direction along the surface of the dielectric. The ozone decomposition device generates reactive oxygen species in the induced flow by decomposing the ozone contained in the induced flow, and the induced flow becomes an induced flow containing reactive oxygen species. The plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition apparatus are arranged such that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flows out of the housing through the opening. The outflow direction vector of the induced flow containing the active oxygen flowing out of the opening to the outside of the housing has a vector component x that is parallel to and in the same direction as direction A. An apparatus for processing using reactive oxygen species, characterized in that the reactive oxygen supply device and the conveying means are arranged such that the induced flow containing the reactive oxygen species flowing out of the housing from the opening is supplied to the surface of the object to be processed which is conveyed by the conveying means.

2. When viewing a cross-section in the thickness direction of the plasma actuator, The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged obliquely opposite each other in the thickness direction of the plasma actuator, with the dielectric material in between. The first electrode is provided so as to cover a part of the first surface of the dielectric, The first surface has an exposed portion that is not covered by the first electrode, When the plasma actuator is viewed through from the first electrode side, at least a portion of the exposed part and the second electrode overlap. The treatment apparatus using active oxygen according to claim 1, wherein the induced flow is blown out from the edge of the first electrode on the first direction side in the cross-section in the thickness direction, along the exposed portion of the dielectric that overlaps with the second electrode.

3. The apparatus for using reactive oxygen species according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outflow direction vector is a vector in the same direction as the first direction.

4. The treatment apparatus using reactive oxygen species according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the angle α between the outflow direction vector and direction A is between 0° and 70°.

5. The outflow velocity of the induced flow containing the reactive oxygen species in the outflow direction vector is 1 m / s to 100 m / s. The apparatus for using active oxygen according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the speed at which the object to be processed, transported by the transport means, moves in direction A is 0.001 m / s to 5.000 m / s.

6. Claim 5, wherein the ratio of the moving speed to the outflow speed is 0.001 to 1.

000. A treatment device using reactive oxygen species as described above.

7. A treatment method for treating an object with reactive oxygen species, The process includes a step of providing an active oxygen supply device and a conveying means capable of conveying the object to be treated by the active oxygen in at least direction A, The active oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposition device inside a housing having at least one opening. The plasma actuator is constructed by stacking a first electrode, a dielectric, and a second electrode in this order. The first electrode is an exposed electrode provided on the first surface, which is one of the surfaces of the dielectric. The plasma actuator generates a dielectric barrier discharge from the first electrode to the second electrode by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and blows out an induced flow containing ozone from the first electrode in a first direction, which is one direction along the surface of the dielectric. The ozone decomposition device generates reactive oxygen species in the induced flow by decomposing the ozone contained in the induced flow, and the induced flow becomes an induced flow containing reactive oxygen species. The plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition apparatus are arranged such that the induced flow containing the active oxygen flows out of the housing through the opening. The processing method further includes the step of discharging the induced flow containing the active oxygen from the opening and supplying the induced flow containing the active oxygen to the object to be processed, which is moved in direction A. A processing method characterized in that the outflow direction vector of the induced flow containing the reactive oxygen released from the opening has a vector component x that is parallel to and in the same direction as direction A.

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