WO2007069502A1

WO2007069502A1 - Special reaction method and special reaction apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2007069502A1
Application number: PCT/JP2006/324299
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ryuji Minagawa; Yasunari Shingaki; Shinsuke Maeda; Satoru Kurita
Original assignee: Ryuji Minagawa; Yasunari Shingaki; Shinsuke Maeda; Satoru Kurita
Priority date: 2005-12-16
Filing date: 2006-11-29
Publication date: 2007-06-21
Also published as: GB2433267B; GB0624710D0; GB2433267A; JP2007160267A

Abstract

A special reaction apparatus includes a reactor which receives a target reactant to be treated and which is placed on an insulator with a grounded earth terminal, and an electromagnetic coil including a high-voltage insulated electric wire and solenoidally wound on the reactor, one of the ends of the electromagnetic coil being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected through an insulated electric wire to an output terminal of an AC high potential generator together with an electrode disposed in the reactor. Under a condition in which an AC high potential is applied to apply a very small electric current, the special reaction apparatus utilizes a composite function of an AC magnetic field induced by the electromagnetic coil, an AC electric field induced by the electrode, and an electrochemical electrode reaction produced between the electrode and the reactant to be treated.

Description

DESCRIPTION

SPECIAL REACTION METHOD AND SPECIAL REACTION

APPARATUS

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reaction method consuming very little energy for removing harmful substances in air, water, and ground environments, keeping food freshness, improving food tastes, and improving quality and performance in the fields of healthcare and energy saving, and also relates to a reaction apparatus therefor. Background Art

[0002] In regard to conventional techniques in this field, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-290777 discloses a technique on an electrostatic induction apparatus effective in improvement in food quality and various treatment reactions, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 11-276134, 10-304859, and 10-304860 disclose techniques for keeping food freshness using electrostatic induction.

[0003] In these techniques, a food to be treated is placed under an AC high voltage of 1000 V to 30000 V, and electrostatic induction treatment of the food is performed to impart negative electrons to the food to be treated and create a reduced state for keeping freshness. [0004] Also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 08-70765 and 08-70773 disclose a technique for improving the quality of lightly salted pickles using electrostatic induction and a technique for aging coffee, respectively. Disclosure of the Invention [0005] However, in any one of the techniques, a reactant to be treated is specified, and an effect cannot be expected when a reactant to be treated is treated by one method regardless of whether the reactant is liquid or solid.

[0006] In the conventional techniques, an electromagnetic AC (AC) magnetic field cannot be applied at the same time as an electrochemical electrode reaction and electrostatic induction caused by an AC electric field under a condition in which an AC high potential is applied to apply a very small electric current.

[0007] If an electrochemical electrode reaction, electrostatic induction caused by an AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field can be simultaneously exerted in an apparatus, the problems of conventional techniques for improving water quality, removing harmful substances, keeping food freshness, improving easting quality, improving food tastes, improving healthcare, and contributing to energy saving can be resolved at once.

[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a special reaction apparatus capable of resolving the problems of conventional techniques for improving food tastes, keeping food freshness, decomposing and removing harmful substances, and contributing to healthcare and energy saving by a high-safety method using very little treatment energy through reactions on electronic, atomic, and molecular levels, the reactions being produced by simultaneously applying an electrochemical electrode reaction, electrostatic induction due to an AC electric field, and an electromagnetic AC magnetic field to a reactant to be treated. [0009] In order to achieve the object, there is provided a special reaction method including compositely applying an electrochemical electrode reaction, an electrostatic AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field to improve a reactant to be treated with very little electric energy under a condition in which an AC high potential is applied to the reactant to be treated to supply a small electric current thereto. [0010] Therefore, a composite function of the electrochemical electrode reaction, the AC electric field, and the AC magnetic field due to an electromagnetic coil can be used with a small electric current, and thus various reactants to be treated in a wide variety of fields can be effectively treated by one method.

[0011] The special reaction method preferably uses a reaction apparatus including a reactor which receives the reactant to be treated and which is placed on a reactor table placed on an insulator having a grounded earth terminal, an electromagnetic coil electrically isolated at one of the ends and formed by solenoidally winding an insulated electric wire on the reactor, an electrode disposed in the reactor, and a transformer having a secondary winding insulated from a primary winding, one of the ends of the secondary winding being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected to the electrode and the other end of the electromagnetic coil, so that an AC high potential is applied. In the reaction apparatus, the reaction method utilizes the electrochemical electrode reaction caused between the electrode and the reactant, the AC electric field produced between the electrode and the earth, and the AC magnetic field due to the electromagnetic coil wound on the reactor with the small electric current due to a high impedance between the electrode and the earth and between the electromagnetic coil and the earth.

[0012] Therefore, a specified generation circuit for a small electric current is provided, and a specified method can be realized for simultaneously applying, to the reactant to be treated, the AC magnetic field due to the electromagnetic coil, the electrochemical electrode reaction, and the electrostatic AC electric field with a small electric current. The reactant to be treated may be either solid or liquid as long as it contains water.

[0013] In the special reaction method, the electrode disposed in the reactor preferably includes a conductor such as a metal, carbon, or the like, or a composite electrode including a conductor coated with a piezoelectric high-dielectric-constant material.

[0014] When the reactant to be treated is a conductor containing an electrolyte, an excessive electric current flows and is dangerous, and thus the composite electrode having high resistance is used instead of a conductor electrode so that the reaction is allowed to proceed with a small electric current.

[0015] The composite electrode is also advantageous in that a stress displacement occurs in the piezoelectric dielectric material of the composite electrode to produce vibration according to the applied AC potential, thereby accelerating reactant diffusion and material movement and further accelerating the electrode reaction.

[0016] In the special reaction method, the electrode disposed in the reactor may be an electrode supporting a catalyst suited to the function to accelerate a reaction with a conductor such as a metal, carbon, or the like.

[0017] Therefore, the reaction is accelerated, and the selectivity of the reaction is also improved. For example, with a Pd/C catalyst- supporting electrode, a reduction reaction of an aqueous nitrous acid solution is significantly accelerated, while with a Pd/Cu/C catalyst- supporting electrode, a reduction reaction of nitric acid is significantly accelerated.

[0018] There is further provided a special reaction apparatus including a reactor which receives a reactant to be treated and which is placed on a reactor table placed on an insulator having a grounded earth terminal, an electromagnetic coil electrically isolated at one of the ends and formed by solenoidally winding an insulated electric wire on the reactor, an electrode disposed in the reactor, and a transformer having a secondary winding insulated from a primary winding, one of the ends of the secondary winding being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected to the electrode and the other end of the electromagnetic coil, so that an AC voltage of 50 to 10000 V can be applied. The reaction apparatus compositely utilizes an electrochemical electrode reaction caused between the electrode and the reactant to be treated, an AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field due to the electromagnetic coil wound on the reactor with a small electric current due to a high impedance between the electrode and the earth and between the electromagnetic coil and the earth.

There is further provided a special reaction apparatus including a reactor which receives a reactant to be treated and which is placed on a reactor table placed on an insulator having a grounded earth terminal, an electromagnetic coil electrically isolated at one of the ends and provided by solenoidally winding an insulated electric wire on the reactor, an electrode disposed in the reactor, and a transformer having a secondary winding insulated from a primary winding, one of the ends of the secondary winding being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected to the electrode and the other end of the electromagnetic coil, so that an AC potential of 50 to 10000 V can be applied.

[0019] Therefore, a special reaction apparatus capable of applying a secondary potential of a high-voltage transformer of 50 to 10000 V can be realized as a reaction apparatus for carrying out the special reaction method.

[0020] The material for the reactor which receives the reactant to be treated may be either an insulator or a conductor, and may be selected according to the reactant to be treated, pH during reaction treatment, and the generated corrosive gases.

[0021] In the present invention, a special reaction is produced by combining the electrochemical electrode reaction between the reactant to be treated and the electrode to which the AC potential is applied, the function of the AC electric field, and the function of the AC magnetic field.

[0022] In the electrochemical electrode reaction, on the electrode to which the alternative-current high potential is applied, a cathodic reduction reaction is produced by an electrochemical reaction of water to produce hydrogen atoms H and H₂ from H⁺, and superoxide anion O₂ ^' from hydrated electrons eH₂O and dissolved oxygen due to an electron addition reaction. On the other hand, an anodic oxidation reaction occurs to produce OH radicals OH-, oxygen atoms O, and oxygen O₂ from OH^" due to electron removal. The cathodic and anodic reactions are repeatedly reversed according to the frequency to advance the electrode reaction.

[0023] In a reaction of water under an AC electric field in air, hydrated electrons eH₂O and superoxide anions O₂ ^' are produced. This is expressed by the following reaction formulae: e + H₂O → eH₂O e + O₂ → O₂ ^"

[0024] The hydrated electrons and superoxide anions are involved as electron carriers in, particularly, reduction OfFe³⁺ and reduction reaction of a halogen, to successively produce radical OH- and hydrogen peroxide H₂O₂, thereby contributing to an oxidative decomposition reaction.

[0025] In particular, at the cathode, H+ diffuses to the electrode to produce hydrogen atoms H due to an electron addition reaction. When a target reactant R present in the reaction system is a polar molecule or an electrolyte, the reactant diffuses to the cathode and reacts with hydrogen atoms on the electrode to cause a reduction reaction by hydrogen addition and a reduction reaction by electron addition.

H + e → H*

R + e → R*

H* + R* -> RH

H* + H* → H₂ wherein * represents an active species. [0026] At the anode, OH^' diffuses to the electrode to remove electrons and form OH- radicals and O atoms on the electrode. When the target reactant R present in this reaction system is a polar molecule or an electrolyte, the reactant diffuses to the anode and reacts with OH- radicals and O atoms on the electrode, thereby producing oxidation due to an oxygen addition reaction and oxidation due to electron removal.

OH^' → OH- + e

2OH- -> O* + H₂O

O* + O* → O₂

R- → R* + e

R* + O* → RO

R* + OH* → ROH wherein * represents an active species.

[0027] On the electrode to which an AC high potential is applied, the electrode is reversed between positive and negative electrodes according to the frequency to repeat reduction reaction/oxidation reaction. In this reaction system, the diffusion rate of H⁺ to the electrode is about 2 times as high as that of OH^" to the electrode, and thus a reduction reaction proceeds in preference to an oxidation reaction as a whole. [0028] Even in a reaction field on a bulk apart from the above- described reaction field on and near the electrode, reactions occur between polar molecules R⁺ and R^" of the reactant and active molecular species H⁺, OH^", eH₂0, and O₂ ^" in the reaction system. However, the electrochemical electrode reaction mainly occurs on the electrode. [0029] When an AC electric field is applied to the reactant to be treated through the electrode, active polar molecular species having a plus (+) or minus (-) higher charge displacement are produced from the polar molecules possessed by the reactant. Furthermore, plus (+) or minus (- ) charge varies according to the AC frequency, and electrostatically induced vibration occurs. In addition, the nonuniform electric field energy concentrated in the vicinity of the electrodes is also more uniformly supplementarily applied to the vicinity of the wall of the reactor, which is apart from the electrode, by the function of an AC magnetic field induced by the solenoid-shaped electromagnetic coil wound on the reactor, thereby causing microscopic vibration in the reactant to be treated.

[0030] These vibrations act synergistically to increase the collision frequency and diffusion rate of the active molecular species of the reactant involved in the reaction, thereby, as a whole, promoting the reaction of the reactant to be treated.

[0031] The microscopic vibration produced in the reactant to be treated causes a pressure change in a liquid and thus locally produces microcavitation due to the repetition of adiabatic expansion and compression corresponding to the frequency, thereby creating a high- temperature-high-pressure state around the formed microcavities. Thereafter, when the micro-cavities are collapsed, water molecules are radically decomposed to produce active molecular species involved in the reaction, such as hydrogen atom H, OH- radical, and the like. [0032] These active molecular species react with active polar molecular species which are produced in the reactant by the piezoelectrically induced vibration, and also synergistically react with active molecular species involved in reduction reaction and oxidation reaction in the electrochemical electrode reaction. As a result, the target reaction is accelerated.

[0033] Since the pressure of collapse of the micro-cavities on the liquid side is significantly higher than that on the solid side such as the electrode, diffusive movement of the substances to the electrode interface is spontaneously accelerated.

[0034] As described above, when the water-containing reactant R to be treated is present in the reaction field in which the AC electric field and the AC magnetic field are superimposed on the electrode reaction with the AC high potential applied, a reduction reaction occurs due to a reaction with hydrogen ions H⁺, hydrogen atoms H, and hydrogen H₂ and an electron e addition reaction, and an oxidation reaction occurs due to a reaction with OH^" ions, OH- radicals, oxygen atoms O, and oxygen O₂ and an electron removal reaction. The reactant R possibly produces product P by a competitive reaction between the reduction reaction and the oxidation reaction.

[0035] Whether the reduction reaction or the oxidation reaction preferentially occurs as a whole is determined by the oxidation- reduction potential in the reaction system. The reaction is qualitatively expressed by the following formula:

R + H- + H⁺ ± e + OH- + OK + O → P + H₂O

R: reactant to be treated, H-: hydrogen radical, H⁺: hydrogen ion, e: electron, OH-: OH radical, OH^": OH ion, P: product [0036] Ultimately, the reduced product RH of the reactant R and the oxidized products RO and ROH of the reactant R coexist. When the oxidation-reduction potential is negative low, the reduced product RH preferentially occurs as the product P, while when the oxidation- reduction potential is positive high, the oxidized products preferentially occur as the product P.

[0037] The energy consumed by the reaction is several watts because the measured electric current is several mA, preferably not more than 2 mA per liter of water, more preferably not more than 1 mA per liter of water. However, the energy is enough to improve the water-containing reactant and create a reaction according to the improvement. [0038] When a composite electrode including a conductor such as a metal or carbon and a piezoelectric high-dielectric-constant material is used as the electrode to be disposed in the reactor, the molecular species involved in the reaction are activated by the AC electric field to more efficiently accelerate the reaction.

[0039] Examples of an electrode material with electric conductivity include stainless steel, nickel, gold, platinum, zinc, tin, titanium, carbon, and the like. Examples of the piezoelectric high-dielectric-constant material include lead zircotitanate ceramics, and mixtures of powders of these ceramics and vinylidene difluoride or vinylidene cyanide polymers. The composite electrode may be formed by bonding or coating a metal electrode with the piezoelectric high-dielectric-constant material.

[0040] When an electrode supporting a catalyst suited to promote the target reaction is used as the electrode to be disposed in the reactor, the molecular species involved in the reaction are more activated to further efficiently accelerate the reaction. Brief Description of the Drawings [0041] Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing showing the configuration of a special reaction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0042] Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a special reaction apparatus of the present invention. An AC high potential generator 10 includes a transformer 8 in which primary and secondary sides are insulated from each other, and one 6 of the ends of a secondary wiring of the transformer 8 is electrically isolated, the other end serving as an output terminal 5. On the primary side, a regulator 17 for regulating a voltage is provided.

[0043] Furthermore, an electromagnetic coil 2 including a conductive wire with an insulating coating is solenoidally wound on the periphery of a reactor 1 which receives a reactant 4 to be treated, for generating an AC electric field. One 12 of the ends of the electromagnetic coil 2 is electrically isolated, and the other end 13 is connected through an insulated conductive wire 11 to the output terminal 5 of the AC high potential generator 10 together with an AC potential-applied electrode 3 disposed in the reactor 1. An earth terminal 16 of the AC high potential generator 10 is grounded.

[0044] When the reactant 4 to be treated is a liquid, the AC potential- applied electrode 3 is immersed in the liquid so as to avoid contact with the bottom of the reactor 1. When the reactant 4 to be treated is a solid containing water, the electrode 3 is buried in the solid or disposed in contact with the reactant 4 to be treated. [0045] An earth terminal 15 of a ceramic insulator 7 is grounded with three or more earth resistances, and the reactor 1 is fixed to a reactor table 14 installed on the insulator 7. The reactor table 14 is preferably made of an insulator.

[0046] The terminal 12 of the electromagnetic coil 2 is electrically isolated, and the end 6 of the secondary terminal of the transformer 8 of the AC high potential generator 10 is electrically isolated. Furthermore, the reactor 1 is insulated by the insulator 7. [0047] In addition, a high impedance of several tens MΩ or more including capacitance, inductance, and insulation resistance is present between the electrode 3 and the earth 18 and between the electromagnetic coil 2 and the earth 18. When an AC potential of 50 to 10000 V, preferably 1000 to 4000 V, is applied, therefore, an allowable very small current flows into the reactant 4 in the reactor 1 through the coil 2 and the electrode 3.

[0048] As a result, with the very small current, an AC magnetic field is produced from the coil 2, and an AC electric field is also produced from the electrode 3, thereby inducing microscopic vibration in the reactant 4. In addition, the magnetic field and electric field compositely act on the reactant 4 to be treated in combination with the electrochemical electrode reaction produced near the electrode 3 to efficiently promote the reaction. The present invention will be descried with reference to examples. [0049] Example 1

The results of treatment of 4000 1 of tap water using the special reaction apparatus (Fig. 1) of the present invention are given below. [0050]

Table 1

Treatment conditions 1 : applied AC high potential, 2500 V (50 Hz); treatment time, 60 minutes; electric current, 0.8 mA; tap water treated: 4000 1

[0051] Table 2

Treatment conditions 2: applied AC high potential, 1130 V (50 Hz); treatment time, 24 hours; electric current, 0.8 mA; tap water treated: 4000 1

[0052] These results indicate improvements such as the disappearance of a chlorinous odor, a decrease in water viscosity, improvement in permeability to skin, a decrease in the oxidation-reduction potential (shift to the reduction side), etc. In view of improvements in permeability to skin and reducing power, the reaction apparatus can be expected to be applied to water for component extraction, drinkable water, and skin lotions. [0053] Example 2

An example of removal of nitric acid and nitrous acid from an aqueous solution is described. A stainless steel reactor (1.18 1) was used in the special reaction apparatus (Fig. 1). Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite were dissolved in hydrogen-saturated purified water so that the NO₃ ^" and NO₂ ^" concentrations were 30 ppm, and each of the resultant aqueous solutions was adjusted to pH 6.0 by adding dropwise a 0.04M HCL solution to prepare a reactant solution. Next, 300 cc of each of the reactant solutions was poured into the reactor, and a stainless steel electrode was immersed at the center thereof. An electromagnetic coil with an electrically closed terminal was wound in a length of 15 cm around the reactor, followed by treatment. The results are shown in Table 3 together with the results obtained without using the electromagnetic coil. [0054] Table 3

Treatment conditions: applied AC high potential, 3500 V (50 Hz); treatment time, 60 minutes; electric current, 3 mA; treatment object, 30 ppm NO₃ ^" and NO₂ ^" solutions at pH 6.0

[0055] When a 5% Pd-supporting C catalyst was caused to coexist with the electrode in the reaction, the reaction rate could be further increased. It is thus thought that the collision frequency of active molecular species involved in the reaction is increased by the vibration induced by the AC magnetic field to accelerate the reaction, and it can be assumed that the following reactions ultimately take place: NO₃ ^" + 2H- + 2e → NO₂ ^" + N₂O

NO₂- + 2H^" + 2e → NO(g) + H₂O [0056] Example 3

Propolis is commercially available as an antioxidative health food but is disadvantageous in that it is slightly soluble in water and difficult to ingest. Description will be made of an example of improvement in the yield of water soluble propolis (powder) using the special reaction apparatus of the present invention. [0057] A stainless steel reactor was used as the reactor 1 in the special reaction apparatus shown in Fig. 1. As the reactant 4, 15 g of propolis was added to 300 cc of a 50% purified aqueous solution of ethyl alcohol, and the resultant mixture was placed in the reactor, followed by treatment under the following conditions: [0058] Table 4

Treatment conditions: applied AC high potential, 2500 V (50 Hz); treatment time, 24 hours; electric current, 2.1 mA [0059] After the treatment, the solution was filtered through filter paper, and the filtrate was freeze-dried to obtain 12.3 g of propolis (water soluble). The yield was improved by 38% as compared with the yield of 8.9 g in the case in which the electromagnetic coil was not wound on the reactor. This possibly results from the fact that propolis is converted to water-soluble propolis by induction of hydrophilic groups.

It has been clinically confirmed that the propolis produced by the above-described method has the effect of decreasing side effects, such as depilation, anorexia, and the like due to anticancer agents and the effect of decreasing cytokine and endotoxin released from malignant tumors to relieve symptoms such as malaise, pyrexia, and the like. [0060] Example 4

An example of improvement in tastes of fresh foods, such as Japanese radish, strawberry, and the like will be introduced. [0061] Table 5

Treatment conditions: applied AC high potential, 2000 V (50 Hz); treatment time, 80 minutes; electric current, 1.7 mA [0062] In a reactor, each of 500 g of Japanese radish and 500 g of strawberry was placed and treated under the above conditions. As a result, the Japanese radish was decreased in hot flavor and increased in sweetness, and the strawberry was decreased in acidity and increased in sweetness.

[0063] These results possibly result from the fact that hydrolases such as tyrosinase, amylase, protease, oxidase, and the like are activated to accelerate an enzymatic reaction. In particular, it is though that a hot flavor component, an isothiocyanate, released from glycosinate is decomposed by activation of tyrosinase to decrease hot flavor. [0064] This can be assumed to be expressed by the following reaction formulae: Hydrolysis of isothiocyanate

C₄H₅NS + 2H₂O → RNH₂ + CO₂ + H₂S → RNH₂ + CO₂ + H₂O + S Reduction reaction of isothiocyanate

C₄H₅NS + 4H → RNH₃ + H₂CS

[0065] On the other hand, starch is possibly converted to sugar components by decomposition and saccharification, thereby improving the palatability of Japanese radish. In the strawberry, possibly, an enzymatic reaction is accelerated to decrease acidity by hydrolysis, and sweetness is increased by decomposition and saccharification of starch, thereby improving the palatability of the strawberry. Similarly, in other root vegetables and fruits, the effect of improving tastes can be expected. [0066] Example 5

Next, an example of an energy-saving effect in cooking red-bean rice with a streamer will be introduced. Instead of the reactor shown in Fig. 1, a steamer on which an electromagnetic coil was wound was placed on a heater disposed on the insulator with a grounded earth terminal, followed by treatment.

[0067] The steamer included a kettle for boiling water and a steaming cage for steaming the glutinous rice with red-bean placed therein, and the electromagnetic coil was wound on the kettle. An electrode was fixed in hot water avoiding contact with the kettle. [0068] Table 6

Treatment conditions: applied AC high voltage, 3500 V (50 Hz); electric current, 3 mA; substance to be treated, 1.6 Kg glutinous rice [0069] The time required to steam the glutinous rice under the above- descried treatment conditions was 30 to 40 minutes. Since usual steaming of glutinous rice without using the apparatus of the present invention requires 50 to 60 minutes, it is found that the required time is shortened by about 20 minutes, thereby saving energy consumption. [0070] This possibly results from the fact that electrons adhere to the steamer to produce negative stream ions, and the negative stream ions are activated by mutual repulsive micronization to improve the heating efficiency due to the thermal molecular movement of the activated ions. [0071] As described above, the special reaction method and special reaction apparatus of the present invention are adapted to compositely apply, to a reactant, an electrochemical electrode reaction, an AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field due to a solenoidally wound electromagnetic coil. Therefore, the various reactions described in Examples 1 to 5 can be efficiently accelerated.

[0072] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the effects of a reducing function, active molecular species, and microcavitation, and the like, which are caused by an electrochemical electrode reaction, an AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field, can be utilized in a wide variety of fields. [0073] As described above, the special reaction method and special reaction apparatus of the present invention are adapted to compositely apply an electrochemical electrode reaction, the function of a high electric field, and the function of a magnetic field due to a solenoidally wound electromagnetic coil under an AC high voltage/high potential. Therefore, the present invention exhibits the effect of effectively accelerating the following various reactions: 1) Reaction for easily improving water (refer to, for example, Example 1)

2) Reaction for decomposing and removing harmful substances such as nitrous acid and the like (refer to, for example, Example 2)

3) Reaction for creating a new substance such as water-soluble propolis (refer to, for example, Example 3)

4) Reaction for improving quality and tastes of foods such as grated radish and the like (refer to, for example, Example 4)

5) Reaction for significantly saving energy consumption in cooking red-bean rice (refer to, for example, example 5)

Claims

1. A special reaction method comprising: compositely applying an electrochemical electrode reaction, an electrostatic AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field to improve a reactant to be treated with very little electric energy under a condition in which an AC high potential is applied to the reactant to be treated to supply a small electric current thereto.

2. The special reaction method according to claim 1, comprising: providing a reaction apparatus including a reactor which receives the reactant to be treated and which is placed on a reactor table placed on an insulators having a grounded earth terminal, an electromagnetic coil electrically isolated at one of the ends and provided by solenoidally winding an insulated electric wire on the reactor, an electrode disposed in the reactor, and a transformer having a secondary winding insulated from a primary winding, one of the ends of the secondary winding being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected to the electrode and the other end of the electromagnetic coil, so that an AC high potential is applied; and compositely applying, to the reactant in the reaction apparatus, the electrochemical electrode reaction caused between the electrode and the reactant, the AC electric field, and the AC magnetic field due to the electromagnetic coil wound on the reactor with the small electric current due to a high impedance between the electrode and the earth and between the electromagnetic coil and the earth.

3. The special reaction method according to claim 2, wherein the electrode disposed in the reactor includes a conductor such as a metal, carbon, or the like, or a composite electrode including a conductor coated with a piezoelectric high-dielectric-constant material.

4. The special reaction method according to claim 2, wherein the electrode disposed in the reactor is a composite electrode supporting a catalyst suited to the function to accelerate a reaction with a conductor such as a metal, carbon, or the like.

5. A special reaction apparatus for carrying out the special reaction method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the apparatus comprising: a reactor which receives a reactant to be treated and which is placed on a reactor table placed on an insulator having a grounded earth terminal; an electromagnetic coil electrically isolated at one of the ends and provided by solenoidally winding an insulated electric wire on the reactor; an electrode disposed in the reactor; and a transformer having a secondary winding insulated from a primary winding, one of the ends of the secondary winding being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected to the electrode and the other end of the electromagnetic coil, so that an AC potential of 50 to 10000 V can be applied; wherein the reaction apparatus compositely utilizes an electrochemical electrode reaction caused between the electrode and the reactant to be treated, an AC electric field, and an AC magnetic field due to the electromagnetic coil wound on the reactor with a small electric current due to a high impedance between the electrode and the earth and between the electromagnetic coil and the earth.

6. A special reaction apparatus comprising: a reactor which receives a reactant to be treated and which is placed on a reactor table placed on an insulator having a grounded earth terminal; an electromagnetic coil electrically isolated at one of the ends and provided by solenoidally winding an insulated electric wire on the reactor; an electrode disposed in the reactor; and a transformer having a secondary winding insulated from a primary winding, one of the ends of the secondary winding being electrically isolated, and the other end being connected to the electrode and the other end of the electromagnetic coil, so that an AC potential of 50 to 10000 V can be applied.