Industry

Q: You recently recommended hot water for cleaning cosmetics grade silicone that we were having a big problem with.  That seemed to be the missing peace.  We have the same struggles with Vitamin E Acetate.  Should we use hot there?

A: Vitamin E acetate, or alpha-Tocopherol acetate, can definitely be a cleaning challenge.  And indeed heat would be my initial recommendation.

Q: We need a detergent to clean organic debris and deactivate pathogens on medical devices, which is not corrosive.  What would work for us?  The devices include electronics parts and sensors.

A: For removal of biologic and organic debris and matter in medical devices, we first recommend Tergazyme® Enzyme-Active Powdered Detergent….

Q: We are having issues with undissolved detergent that is persisting.  We make sure the compartment is dry before use.  Can we try a liquid?

A: It sounds like you have a cup in door washer for the powdered detergent.  The seals there are not designed to hold a liquid – of course some seals are better than others, but they are more for powders and gels (think home dishwasher gel at home).  

Q: We have started to qualify Alconox Precision Cleaner for our clean line to clean parts for ultra high vacuum applications. Worked great on the stainless parts. But, when we tested an old molybdenum platen with a bead blasted metallic surface, it went black. Do you have a recommendation?

A: While metallic molybdenum is not generally reactive to water or alkaline solutions for the most part, it may be reacting with the phosphates in the Alconox® Powdered Precision Cleaner.

Q: I’m looking for detergents similar to Liquinox and Citranox, that are specially formulated for cold water cleaning conditions. Can you recommend analogs to the two?

A: For most residues, the detergency of an aqueous detergent is enhanced and hastened by heat.