Updated: July 2002

1. Equipment overview

A substitute system for a chemical filter to process ultra low concentration chemical gases that cause problems in semiconductor processes etc. by combining a Shinki generator and pure water recycling system. The Shinki generator consists of a fan, pump, vapor-liquid contact unit, and vapor-liquid separator. The return air containing chemical gases is fed into the vapor-liquid contact unit in a spiral flow and comes into close contact with the water sprayed in the contact unit by the pump, thus transferring chemical gases to the water for removal. A proportion of the water is constantly cleaned by the pure water recycling system. The water is then separated by the vapor-liquid separator to obtain clean air for re-supply.

2. Features

1. Positive ions, negative ions, metallic components, and organic components can be removed at a better rate than with a chemical filter. (A chemical filter system requires a specific filter for each type of substance to be removed, increasing the cost of filters as well as the fan power required if many kinds of substances are to be removed, and is ineffective against unpredicted or accidentally generated substances.)
2. Normal maintenance only requires the replacement of the ion-exchange resin container used for the pure water recycling system (once every 2 months), and can be carried out when convenient. Unlike chemical filter maintenance, it is not necessary to stop the equipment. Maintenance can be carried out by a small number of people in a short time.
3. Equipment performance can be reliably maintained by monitoring the single item of water quality, such as by measuring the resistivity of pure water. Falloff of performance is difficult to monitor with chemical filters, for which maintenance is dependent on a rigidly timed replacement schedule, thus creating a risk that waste will be generated.
4. Accidental contamination can be detected and rapidly remedied by simply flushing the system with pure water.
5. Low operating costs: less than half the operating costs of a chemical filter system, based on an experimental calculation using a 50 m³ mini-environment.

3. Performance

(An example of field data taken using an actual system)

4. Applicable fields and treatable objects

Facilities experiencing difficulties with extracting ultra low concentration chemicals (positive ions, negative ions, metallic components, organic components) such as semiconductor and liquid crystal manufacturing plants and air environment analysis facilities

5. Others

In addition to the functions of deodorizing, removing dust and bacteria, or humidifying, the Shinki system has the function of generating negative ions, which eliminate static electricity and suppress oxidation of the substance being treated. Consult us for other applications.