The performance of a detergent relies on the selection of its chemistry to suit the soils encountered.
When selecting the correct product for an application it is essential to identify: the soiling to be removed, the materials of construction and therefore chemical compatibility of the surface the soiling is sitting on, site water hardness and chemistry, water temperature, method of application and effluent handling
Break or interim cleaning products, often detergent disinfectants, remove light debris while reducing microbial contamination. With a benefit of minimising water, these products, sometimes alcohol based, are applied by fine spray from a trigger in combination with a disposable wipe or by using a hygiene wipe.
QAC biocide products, either water or alcohol based, are most commonly used; however if MRL (Maximum Residual Level) issues are a concern, then the range of non-QAC products can be used.
Food processing soils are a combination of fats, protein and to a lesser extent mineral deposits. Alkaline products used for hand cleaning or foaming perform through the hydrolysis of fats and proteins as well as the emulsification of fats. Foaming enables a longer contact with the soil and has many benefits of application.
The short contact time with detergent and the low impact energies of the wash nozzles means that to clean effectively, high chemical and high thermal energies are utilised. In most situations a caustic low foam detergent, to suit water hardness, is used. A range of non-caustics detergents is provided for sensitive materials such as aluminium, Teflon and polycarbonate.
In general, most process systems that are cleaned in place are constructed of stainless steel with a variety of polymers used as seal materials. This and the fact that during cleaning, operatives are not exposed to the cleaning solutions allow the use of highly caustic (alkaline) or highly acidic products.
With highly caustic products, sequestration is important for control of mineral scale drop out from water hardness. With certain processes, the removal of soils containing high levels of calcium (for instance milk based proteins) is greatly improved by the use of specific sequestrants.
Minerals from water or the food product can form scale which shows up typically as a white deposit. Our alkaline product ranges are formulated to enable the correct product to be chosen to cope with this mineral challenge. In certain cases, however, where deposits have formed, correctly chosen acid based products will remove the deposit. Challenges on effluent discharge with traditional phosphoric and nitric acid (due to low or zero P & N consents) can be overcome with our acid Nopac range of detergents.
