Biotechnology

Q. In the past you have recommended a specific detergent type detergent for our sensitive plastics (stressed polycarbonate), mentioning that it does not have a surfactant. Can you elaborate for us why?

Q. What is a surfactant? A. Surfactant is short for “surface active agent,” it is an organic molecule with a hydrophobic (water-hating/oil-loving) end and a hydrophilic (water-loving) end.

Q. What are the differences between Static and Dynamic spray balls in CIP machines? A. The typical considerations in using either static or dynamic spray balls in CIP (clean-in-place) are that….

Q. Does Alconox provide information on calculating cleaning agent safety based limits?
A. Cleaning agent safety based limits are typically calculated from a safety factor of an acceptable daily intake (ADI), a (1/1000 or more) reduction of an LD50 preferably by the same route of administration, or reproductive hazard levels. Alconox, Inc Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation References PDF has an entire section dedicated to cleaning agent safety based limits.

Intuition, logic, and maybe even some experiences, can lead us to believe more detergent is better.  These everyday experiences where it might apply include your washing machine, dishwasher, or even your hands in the bathroom sink.  But, what is actually meant by better?  This is where concentration and detergency come into play, terms you may see in our literature and documentation, as well as our responses and solutions to cleaning challenges.