Chemical Engineering April 2022 - 24

Univar
FIGURE 5. Processors can expect to see a lot of the current consumer
trends transition into industrial applications, including bio-renewable
surfactants and palm-free surfactants, as well as the potential for new
and upcoming technologies around microbial cleaners
tation speed. This control allows you
to speed the cleaning process, while
also minimizing chemicals and water,
helping processors become more
sustainable and efficient, while also
reducing the costs. "
Greener, effective formulations
Obviously, a significant part of greener
cleaning involves the cleaning formulations
themselves; however, no
one wants to trade effectiveness for
sustainability. For this reason, cleaning
product formulators are creating
greener and more effective formulas.
This is especially true in process industries,
such as food and pharmaceuticals
where very strict cleaning
regulations from government agencies
exist and where specialized and
difficult-to-clean equipment, such as
blenders, high-shear granulation and
fluidized beds, have to be cleaned,
sanitized and neutralized
between batches,
says Aaron Martin, regional
account manager
with PathoSans
(Glendale Heights, Ill.;
www.pathosans.com).
" Cleaning and disinfecting
specialized
process equipment
can be challenging,
so processors
need a system that
meets the regulatory
requirements, their
own safety operating
procedures and can work in conjunction
with clean-in-place (CIP) or
clean-out-of-place (COP) systems, "
he says. " And while they want the
products to be effective, they are
also looking at sustainability. "
PathoSans technology produces
environmentally
responsible,
electrochemically
activated sustainable
solutions in the processor's facility,
explains Martin (Figure 4). " Our onsite
generation equipment uses patented
electrochemical activation to
produce safe cleaning and sanitizing
solutions using just salt, water and
electricity in ready-to-use concentrations
that can replace traditional toxic
chemicals, " he says. " The produced
cleaner and sanitizer are non-irritating
to eyes and skin and are fragrance
and residue free, making them suitable
for use on sensitive process
equipment, as well as general cleaning
throughout the
plant.
Madison Chemical
FIGURE 6. A routine cleaning and maintenance schedule using modern and
efficient solutions will help ensure productivity. Shown here is ProClean Foam
Safe, which, when used in a " foam generator " as a one-package cleaner, produces
thick, stable, wet foam for cleaning without dry out or run off
24
" And because
they are electrochemically
activated
solutions, they are
cleaning more aggressively
with less
impact on the environment
both outside
and inside the
plant where they
can be used to
clean without adverse
side effects
like corrosion and
oxidation, " Martin
continues.
As for the future
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
of greener cleaning formulations,
processors can expect to see a lot of
the current consumer trends transition
into industrial applications, says
Aaron Lee, global vice president
for home care and industrial cleaning,
with Univar Solutions (Downers
Grove, Ill; www.univarsolutions.com)
(Figure 5). " Everyone is interested in
natural and green solutions and this
means bio-renewable and palm-free
surfactants will continue to be a growing
trend, " he says. " There is also
some new and upcoming technology
around microbial cleaners, which
may actually extend the cleaning life,
making them potentially ideal for use
in open-plant cleaning where users
would lay down the product and
have the cleaning last for 24 hours
to several days, which decreases the
amount of physical cleaning employees
would need to do. "
He says formulators are currently
working on ways to take a microbial
surfactant and enzymes and create a
hard surface cleaner for industry.
" Creating a routine schedule of
cleaning and housekeeping helps to
set the expectations for the state of
the production space and ensure a
safe, efficient environment for processing, "
says Brad Sims, food division
team leader with Madison
Chemical Co., Inc. (Madison, Ind.;
www.madchem.com). " Cleaning on
an 'as needed' type of schedule can
lead to oversight and failure to maintain
the equipment and environment
in good working condition. " Instead,
he says, a routine cleaning and
maintenance schedule using today's
more modern and efficient solutions
will help ensure the productivity of
the process, as well as the longevity
of equipment and tools used in the
processing of chemicals and other
products (Figure 6).
Spraying Systems' Patel agrees:
" Within all these facilities, the real
objective is making product. No one
wants extended downtime for cleaning.
We are fortunate to have options
for more efficient and ecofriendly
solutions, providing better ways to
clean and maintain a process facility
and its equipment. "
n
Joy LePree
APRIL 2022
http://www.pathosans.com http://www.univarsolutions.com http://www.madchem.com http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering April 2022

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