In the field of cleaning chemicals, a balan-ce is always being struck between the use of raw materials (with the support of ad-ditives where necessary) and ready-made cleaning chemicals.

The proponents of ready-made cleaning chemicals repeatedly point out that their process is cheaper. The managing direc-tor of Horpovel® GmbH, Michael Poe-ten, opposes this: „Approx. 20% lower dosage quantities and up to 50% lower chemical costs are not utopian values with our process using additives. Even in the field of filtration systems, the use of raw materials can optimise costs and cleaning results“.

Advantages and disadvantages of the different cleaning methods

A main argument for the use of ready-made cleaning chemicals usually is the re-duction of effective concentrations. The question is to what extent that statement is justified?

The majority of ready-made cleaning chemicals are alkaline mixtures of caustic soda (with potash lye if necessary), com-plexing agents and polymers with and without surfactants. These ingredients are usually used to prevent stone (lime deposits) and to improve the absorption of dirt particles in the working solution. For this reason, the necessary quantitati-ve alkalinity for effective, alkaline cleaning can only be reduced by these additives to a very small extent. If there is a signifi-cant reduction in the total alkalinity of the cleaning solution, the question is whether similar concentrations would have been sufficient when using pure raw materials. Here it is proven that often propagated reductions of the working concentrations of the pure alkalinity cause that plants are not cleaned in certain areas. 

„We therefore always recommend the implementation of a cleaning verifica-tion, which we carry out on the basis of persulfate technology. This way we can determine whether organic deposits are still present in the plants after cleaning,“ says Martin Patzelt, head of application technology.

• The costs of cleaning agents are reduced.
• Logistics costs are reduced, as caustic soda/ nitric acid is available in most plants.
• By reducing the transport effort, the environment is less strained and CO2 pollution is lowered.
• The use of additives makes it possible to use products that are unstable in ready-made products. Hence, diffi-cult cleaning processes can be better affected. For example, it is possible to use defoamers that are effective even at much lower concentrations.
• Where the use of raw materials and additives is possible, a reduction of the rinsing quantities of CIP can be expected by reducing the amount of surfactants in the cleaning solution. This in turn has a positive effect on waste water in most cases.

In addition to the adaptations for cleaning tanks, pipelines, separators, etc., the use of raw materials as a supplement is also possible in membrane systems. „The support of alkaline cleaning steps, e.g. by adding the raw material caustic soda lye, is a useful means of achieving high pH values without risking an overdose of complexing agents and surfactants,“ explains Martin Patzelt.

In the fi eld of membrane systems, the rin-sing of the complexing agents and surfactants often poses just as great a challenge as the removal of the actual contamination in the system. A decoupling, e.g. of the alkalinity for controlling the pH values during cleaning and the targeted use of the cleaning surfactants provides an optimal solution.

The condition for the use of raw mate-rials always is the technical situation of the plant.

SARS-CoV-2 has shown it works: service without personal contact

Regardless of the intensive, personal customer care provided by the specialists in the fi eld, Horpovel® has drawn conclusions from the current pandemic. In each case, an individual assessment is made as to whether personal contact is necessary and if so, under what conditions it can take place. 

In order to be able to continue to provide safe and successful cleaning support, Horpovel® GmbH invested in remote monitoring of the cleaning process.

Clients can choose from five options: