May 23, 2025
一、 Overview of ORP sensors
Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) sensor is an electrochemical device used to measure the relative strength of oxidizing or reducing properties in a solution. ORP value reflects the ability of a solution to accept or provide electrons, and is an important parameter in water quality monitoring and industrial process control. This sensor determines the redox state of a solution in millivolts (mV) by measuring the potential difference between the electrode and the reference electrode.
二、 Application in the field of water treatment
1. Drinking water treatment
ORP sensors play a key role in drinking water treatment, used to monitor the effectiveness of disinfection processes. When using oxidants such as chlorine, ozone, or chlorine dioxide for disinfection, the ORP value directly reflects the activity intensity of the disinfectant. Usually, maintaining an ORP value of 650mV or higher in drinking water treatment can ensure effective microbial inactivation. Many advanced water plants have implemented an automatic control linkage system for ORP online monitoring and disinfectant dosing.
2. Sewage treatment
In the sewage treatment process, ORP sensors are used to optimize the biological treatment stage:
Aerobic treatment: monitoring the adequacy of oxygen
Hypoxia/Anaerobic Treatment: Controlling Denitrification Process
Sludge digestion: optimizing the activity of methane producing bacteria
Especially in denitrification and phosphorus removal processes, changes in ORP values can accurately indicate the timing of the reaction stage transition, achieving precise control of the treatment process.
3. Swimming Pool and Spa Facilities
ORP sensor is the core component of swimming pool automation disinfection system, which can be used in conjunction with pH sensor to maintain water quality safety. When the ORP value is below 650mV, the system automatically adds disinfectant; Exceeding 750mV may cause discomfort for swimmers. The modern intelligent swimming pool system has achieved multi parameter collaborative control of ORP, pH, and turbidity.
三、 Industrial Process Control
1. Food and beverage production
In the food industry, ORP monitoring is applied to:
Dairy processing: controlling the fermentation process
Brewing process: monitoring the redox status inside the fermentation tank
Juice production: Evaluating antioxidant effects
Canned food: ensuring the adequacy of sterilization process
2. Pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceutical production has strict requirements for the redox environment, and ORP sensors are used for:
Bioreactor control
Pure water system monitoring
Aseptic production environment monitoring
Drug stability testing
3. Chemical production
Many chemical reactions are sensitive to redox conditions, and ORP sensors are used for:
Electroplating process control
metal surface treatment
Chemical synthesis reaction monitoring
Corrosion Control
四、 Environmental monitoring applications
1. Monitoring of surface water and groundwater
The environmental protection department uses ORP sensors to evaluate the self purification capacity and pollution level of water bodies. Reductive conditions (low ORP) typically indicate organic pollution or hypoxia, while high ORP values may reflect heavy metal pollution or excessive disinfection.
2. Soil monitoring
Soil ORP measurement is important for agricultural and environmental research:
Assess soil aeration status
Predicting the migration and transformation of heavy metals
Study on the biogeochemical processes of wetland ecosystems
3. Aquaculture
In aquaculture, ORP sensors help maintain a suitable breeding environment:
Monitoring the oxidation status of water bodies
Warning of accumulation of harmful reducing substances
Optimize the operation of the oxygenation system
五、 Emerging application areas
1. Biomedical research
ORP sensors are being applied to:
Cell culture environment monitoring
Wound healing assessment
Research on Oxidative Stress
2. In the field of new energy
ORP sensors are used for electrolyte state monitoring and process control in the research and production of new energy technologies such as fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries.
3. Smart Agriculture
Combining IoT technology, ORP sensors are used for:
Precision irrigation system
Management of nutrient solution for soilless cultivation
Post harvest preservation of agricultural products
六、 Technological development trends
With the advancement of sensing technology, ORP sensors are developing in the following directions:
Miniaturization: microelectrode arrays and chip level sensors
Intelligence: Built in temperature compensation and self diagnostic function
Wireless: IoT integration and remote monitoring
Multi parameter fusion: integration with sensors such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, etc
ORP sensors, as indicators of redox environments, are still expanding their application fields. With the increasing demand for process control accuracy and automation in various industries, as well as the strengthening of environmental protection awareness, ORP sensing technology will continue to innovate and provide key data support and control methods for more fields.
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