How does the OXYDATOR work ?
The OXYDATOR, compared to all other units in ponds or aquaria, works without the requirement of any power supply/electricity. This is abig advantage, but the way this system works is not very easy to understand without explanations. One condition for the function without electricity is a water-like fluid, which contains large amounts of oxygen, which can be set free. This fluid is an hydrogen-peroxide containing fluid (OXYDATOR-solution), with the chemical symbol H2O2, for water it is H2O. Letter O stands for oxygen and letter H for hydrogen. Water consists of two atoms hydrogen and one atom oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide consists of two atoms hydrogen and as a difference to water out of two atoms oxygen. The additional oxygen is simply connected and can be set free by a special catalyst. This process can be formulated very short by its chemical symbol. O2 is the domestic oxygen molecule, it consists of two atoms.
special ceramic (catalyst)
2 H2O2 ----------------------------> 2 H2O + O2
a) How is the production of oxygen controlled?
Now it is known, where the oxygen comes from, the question is now, how the oxygen can be dosed continously in a accurate amount which is required for the animals in your tank or pond. This can be easily understood, if you have a look at this figure on the right hand. A small catalyst sets oxygen free, this oxygen then has an effect as a propellant and presses OXYDATOR-solution drop by drop through a little hole out of the container. The amount of OXYDATOR-solution pressed out of the container does not depend on the size of the hole, but only on the activity of the small catalyst. That means, the production of catalysts needs particular attention, because it is the central processor unit (CPU) of the OXYDATOR. If it works to active, excessive fluid will be expelled and if it's to weak, not enough OXYDATOR-solution will be expelled. You are right if you say: "We only know now that a dosed amount of OXYDATOR-solution will be expelled, but.....
b) Where and how is oxygen produced?
Oxygen is only produced in a second step. Therefore it has to be explained that the container, which contains OXYDATOR-solution and a small catalyst, has to be put into a beaker, which is made out of a special ceramic (same as catalysts, but much more active). In this ceramic beaker OXYDATOR-solution will be split into pure oxygen and water, whereby oxygen is produced in very tiny bubbles, which almost dissolves completely in water and only very few larger bubbles can be seen. This is all one has to know to understand the principles of the OXYDATOR, but in practice there will be some more questions coming up.
Questions about OXYDATOR-solution
a) Is OXYDATOR-solution in different concentrations available?
Yes, hydrogen-peroxide containing liquid (OXYDATOR-solution) can be mixed with demineralized water in every proportion required. In wholesale business you can buy 3%, 6% and 30% solutions. The higher the concentration of hydrogen-peroxide, the higher the content of usable oxygen to set free by the OXYDATOR.
b) Are there different qualities of hydrogen-peroxide solutions?
Yes, there is a non-stabilized pure solution, which decays and cannot even be kept in a refrigerator for a period of time. This solution is not suitable for the OXYDATOR, as well as an un-stabilized solution. For the use in our OXYDATOR only stabilized solution is suitable. This stabilized solution is defined in that way, that only 1% of the oxygen-content will escape at a temperature of 25oC per year, therefore it has be nearly an indefinite lifetime. However, it is still necessary to store the bottles (equipped with a special closing cap) upright, which allows gas to evaporate from the bottle, because 1 liter of 30% OXYDATOR-solution contains 110 liters of pure oxygen, and 1% of 110 liters is still more than 1 liter oxygen volume. Our company SÖCHTING BIOTECHNIK produces special stabilized hydrogen-peroxide solution (SÖCHTING OXYDATOR-SOLUTION), which is available at all shops selling OXYDATORS. We guarantee for best quality of this solution. Only with this fluid we can guarantee the perfect working of a SÖCHTING OXYDATOR.
c) Are there any components used for stabilization, effecting animals or plants?
No, for stabilization of OXYDATOR-solution only small amounts of phosphoric acids are added until pH-value is 4. Phosphoric acid is completely harmless, as in water it will be immeadetely neutralized to phosphate. The amount of phosphate used for stabilization is compared to the amount of phosphate in fish-food very, very small and therefore can be ignored.