An important distinction to make when considering the use of chlorine in
your cleaning process is whether the desired effect is to help clean, or
remove, a soil from a surface, or if the desired effect is to sanitize a
surface.
If the desired effect is to clean or remove a soil from a surface, then
chlorinated alkaline detergents are typically used. These types of
detergents make very effective cleaners against soils containing
proteinacious materials. Chlorine acts to break up peptide bonds, causing
the protein to be broken down into smaller fragments, which are then removed
by the detergent in the system. It is extremely important to know the
initial chlorine concentration in the wash solution and to verify the
concentration at the end of the wash cycle. Generally, when cleaning with a
chlorinated alkaline detergent, chlorine levels will vary from 80-120 ppm.
It is recommended to maintain a minimum concentration of at least 50 ppm, to
avoid forming chloroproteins. Chloroprotein complexes will form when
insufficient amounts of chlorine are present when cleaning a protein-based
soil. Chloroproteins are actually more difficult to remove than the original
protein soil.
There are other alternatives to using chlorine in a cleaning application. In
addition to chlorinated alkaline products, Ecolab has alternative product
offerings that are effective in removing proteinacious soils.
It is important not to add sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to an acid detergent
system, or to drive the pH of sodium hypochlorite solution down to the
acidic range, as this will cause chlorine gas to be released from the
system. Chlorine gas is toxic and presents a hazard to employees working in
the area who are not wearing protective gear. Free chlorine gas is also
corrosive to stainless steel and other materials.
If the desired effect of using chlorine in your process, then 100-200 ppm of
available chlorine is typical. A typical pH for this application is 7-8. It
is important to note that bleach solutions alone are not effective cleaners.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss Ecolab product offerings in
this area, please contact me off line at the e-mail address below.
Best regards,
Mark Altier
mark.altier@ecolab.com
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