What is UV-C?

UV (ultraviolet) light is a type of radiation that can be found in the electromagnetic spectrum and is measured in Nanometers (nm). Invisible to the human eye, UV is an effective disinfectant due to the density of its wavelength.

There are four ranges to UV light – UV-A, UV-B, UV-C and Vacuum-UV:

• UV-A – otherwise known as black light, it has the longest wavelength, ranging between 315nm to 400nm.
• UV-B – known as the medium wavelength, it ranges between 280nm and 315nm.
• UV-C – the shortest wavelength, it ranges between 200nm and 280nm.

UV-C is germicidal, meaning it can be used effectively as a disinfectant to kill microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses.
When the DNA of microorganisms absorbs UV light, it stops them from being able to reproduce and duplicate, thereby preventing their growth.

When the DNA of microorganisms absorbs UV light, it stops them from being able to reproduce and duplicate, thereby preventing their growth.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that are made up of multiple layers of substrate materials. They can be designed so that a wavelength can be inputted and emit photons in the UV-C range that can be used to stop the replication of bacteria.

UV-C LEDs perform the same functions of conventional mercury-vapor lamps but have many benefits in comparison.

• Environmentally friendly – conventional UV lamps use heavy metals that are difficult to handle and cost a great deal to dispose of safely.
• Small design footprint – LEDs are much more compact compared to their mercury-vapor counterpart, meaning they can be integrated easily into new innovative designs.
• Instant-on/off – UV-C LEDs work instantly, so there is no need for a warm-up time that is a common constraint of mercury-vapor lamps.
• Unlimited cycling – on/off cycles do not impact the life of the LEDs, meaning there is an unlimited scope for lamp cycling.
• Temperature independent – LEDs can emit photons from a different surface as their heat emissions. They can be designed so that if UV-C LEDs are being used in water purification, they will not transfer heat into the water.
• Wavelength selection – One of the greatest benefits of UV-C LEDs is that users can configure them to choose a specific wavelength that is best suited for maximum absorption of light for the chosen microorganism.