Oxygen atoms recombine to form Ozone, a triatomic allotrope of oxygen. A characteristic pungent odor characterizes this gas. In normal air we breathe in oxygen atoms with two protons each. Ozone contains significantly less oxygen than normal air. Ozone is only a trace gas within atmosphere with only about three molecules for every 10 million molecules of air.
A chemical or detergent cannot compare to the effectiveness of ozone as an anti-microbial and cleaning agent. A treatment with ozone can be as much as 50 times more effective than one with man-made chemicals, and it doesn’t leave harmful residues like the carcinogenic residues that are left behind by chlorine bleach treatment.
Ozone is highly reactive molecule, which is a naturally occurring cleanser that is up to more powerful than chlorine bleach at killing bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. By generating the ozone on-site using an ozone generator, the additional costs of storing and distributing it are eliminated. The following sections cover the physical and chemical properties of ozone.
Physical Properties of Ozone
In fact, ozone has one of the strongest oxidation potentials of any water treatment reagent available; it has an oxidation potential of 2,07 Volt. More than 20% ozone in concentrated mixtures of oxygen and ozone can ignite both gasses and fluids. The half-life of ozone in water is approximately 20 minutes. Because ozone possesses a 12-hour half-life in the air, it has a higher degree of stability. Some of the top physical properties of ozone are illustrated in the table given below:
| Boiling Point | -111.9ºC / -169.4ºF / 161.3ºK |
| Density at 0ºC | 2.144 g/l |
| Solubility in Water at 0ºC | 0.64 g/100ml |
| Critical Temperature | -12.15ºC / 10.1ºF / 261ºK |
| Critical Pressure | 55.7 bar |
| Critical Density | 539.31 kg/m3 |
| Electrochemical Potential | 2.7 V |
| Flammability | None |
| Stability | Highly Instable |
Chemical Properties of Ozone
Hydrogen peroxide is formed when ozone dissolves in water. See the following chemical equation for more information.
O3 + 3H2O → 3H2O2
As a result of the reaction between lead sulfide and ozone, lead sulfate is formed. Here is the chemical equation of this reaction:
3PbS + 4O3 → 3PbSO4
Structure of Ozone
The structure of ozone is illustrated as:
Ozone molecules lack electrons at the locations where these symbols “δ+ en δ-”appear. Accordingly, they are dipolar molecules. This contributes to ozone’s distinctive characteristics. Moreover, it is also important to note that ozone is electrophilic and it reacts very selectively.
Odor and Appearance of Ozone
The ozone gas is a colorless or pale blue gas (when liquefied) with the strong and distinctive smell (such as what we smell after a thunderstorm).
Within temperatures below -192,2 ℃, it creates a violet-black solid. It condenses to dark blue liquid at -111,9 ℃ temperature.
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