TechNotes

Q: We are looking for detergent and process recommendations for manual cleaning of a 100 gallon mixer. We make one product in the mixer which contains water, modified food starch, acidic buffers, sucralose and preservative. Currently when cleaning, we boil for 1 hour at 90°C, then cool, drain and soak in cool water while using the mixing blades.  Scrub brushes and a spray hosing follows that. The mixer is made from stainless steel.

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Q: We are cleaning heavy scale compounds of Ca, Mg, carbonates, phosphates and organic matter from reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Can you tell us some cleaning best practices and recommend a detergent?

A. If the organic matter is significant, a two-step process, cleaning by re-circulation or soaking (re-circulation may be more effective) could be needed. If the organic matter is biologic in nature, we would recommend Tergazyme® Enzyme-Active Powdered Detergent which is both a powerful emulsifier along with protein enzymes. If the organic residue is more of an oily nature…

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Q. Why are critical cleaners essential in flavor and fragrance industries? A. Many major flavor and fragrance companies use Alconox or Liquinox detergent to soak, scrub or sonicate their manufacturing equipment. The reason they use these detergents is that they are free of all flavors, fragrances, dyes, cationic biocides or disinfectants, and emollients that might leave residues. This way…

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Q. Is Alconox detergent compatible with phenolic resins for cleaning purposes?

A. Alconox® Powdered Precision Cleaner has been used with no reported incidents to clean phenolic resins. In literature, it is reported that phenolic resins have excellent solvent and acid resistance….

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Q. We manufacture vitamins, which include minerals (calcium, magnesium etc.) and have found that Citranox is very effective in cleaning the residue left in our equipment. Unfortunately, we have learned that the pH of Citranox is too low for our local requirements. Do you have another detergent with a higher pH that would work equally as well?

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Q. We have heard that Alconox is recommended for glass mold cleaning. Other than release agent, can the product also remove oxidation from the mold surface? And finally, why is the concentration on the Alconox detergent only 1-3% when we typically use concentrations of 20-30% when cleaning molds with sodium or potassium hydroxide based chemicals?

A. Alconox® Powdered Precision Cleaner is what we tradtionally recommend for mold release cleaning applications, but many also find Detonox® Ultimate Precision Cleaner to be particularly effective.

When it comes to removing oxidation…

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What is the proper way to dispose of your detergents? Detergent disposal in a proper manner is an integral part of a robust cleaning program regardless of scale or industry. Alconox, Inc. detergents are biodegradable….

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Find answers to questions such as: What is ultrasonic tank cleaning? Which industries employ? What Alconox brands are ideal for ultrasonic tank cleaning?

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Q. We use grocery store detergents to clean our labware and it recently came to my attention that we may need to switch to a laboratory grade detergent such as Alconox or Liquinox. Why is that necessary?

A. Here are some insights as to why a grocery store detergent is not suitable for use in a lab…

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Q. I work at a museum and my current project is to remove both oxidation of copper and what I assume are residues from calcareous water from a valuable, antique sink. From the XRF-analysis, I have identified the sink as having a copper base with a zinc-nickel plating. My primary concern is that I need to preserve the “used” and dull appearance on the sink and not achieve a shiny, “like new” result.

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