LG Innotek succeeded in mass-producing ultraviolet (UV) LED module that sterilizes the inside of water purifier faucet aerator.

The company started to mass-produce UV LED module for sterilizing water purifier faucets aerator" at the end of the last month. This product is built in LG Electronics' new direct water purifier "PuriCare Silm Updown" launched on the March in Republic of Korea.

A water purifier’s faucet aerator always holds a small amount of water. This part is prone to contamination due to the growth of germs that come in with the influx of air. However, it was difficult to install a sterilizer inside a faucet aerator because its space is too narrow.

(Image: LG Innotek)

LG Innotek developed a UV LED module customized for the faucet aerator that has strong sterilizing power and is harmless.

This module directly sterilizes the water inside faucet aerator with ultraviolet rays. The product is 1.5cm in width and 3.7cm in length and can be mounted in the small space inside the water purifier.

The product kills 99.98% of germs when a faucet aerator is exposed to ultraviolet rays for 5 minutes. This result was obtained by sterilizing a faucet aerator with 278nm wavelength.

UV LED module is also harmless since it uses only ultraviolet rays for sterilization without any chemicals or heavy metals. Also, unlike a mercury UV lamp, you don’t need to worry about breaking it.

This product is convenient to use as it allows you to control ultraviolet rays quickly and accurately. As soon as its sterilization function is activated, ultraviolet rays are released at peak performance. On the contrary, a mercury UV lamp requires about 2 minutes of warming period.

LG Electronics' direct water purifier installed with this module allows you to sterilize faucets in an instant by pressing the "Self Care" button anytime. It also performs automatic sterilization every 1 hour.

LG Innotek plans to actively expand the application of UV LEDs to various products. The company already developed a 280nm UV-C LED that has the power of 70mW for the first time in the world.

The company has already secured a product line-up with products that are optimized for different applications, including 365nm, 385nm, 395nm and 405nm UV-A LEDs for general industry and 305nm UV-B LED for biomedical field as well as 280nm UV-C LED for sterilization.

Ho-rim Jung, the vice president of LED marketing division, said, "Our UV LEDs will increase the value of the end products that are installed with them and allow us to care for the health of users in a smart way.”

(Image: LG Innotek)

According to Yole Development, a market research firm, the global market for UV LEDs is expected to grow more than seven folds from USD 130 million in 2015 to USD 1 billion in 2021. Especially, the UV LEDs for water purification is expected to occupy 60% of the said UV LED market.