IRT

Question:
Are lot traceable Inhibitory Residue Test data available via the internet?

Answer:
Yes. Have the COA for the specific lot on hand, and visit www.alconox.com. If you do not have the COA on hand, you can print it out from the website as well. In the top header, select the product with the right pull down arrow and Inhibitory Residue Test with the left pull down arrow. Follow the instructions and you can print out the IRT data.

Nuclear Cleaning with Alconox, Powdered Precision Cleaner

Question:
Does Alconox decontaminate stainless steel from radioactive contamination?

Answer:Yes, Alconox powder can decontaminate stainless steel of radioactive contamination. The phosphates and chelating agents combined with the wetting agents in Alconox are known to be effective at decontamination. We recommend use of a warm (if practical, otherwise ambient temperature solutions, it just takes longer) 1% (10 g/L or 1.25 oz/gal) solution of Alconox detergent in water for manual or soak cleaning. Do not use any kind of pressure spray or automated cleaning equipment as Alconox is a high foamer. Note that Alconox will bind with radioisotopes and will inhibit separation and waste treatment of the spent cleaning solutions by ion exchange columns. It is better to treat spent cleaning solutions by evaporation than by ion exchange. Sometimes it is necessary to use an anti-foamer in the evaporator depending on the evaporator design and the volume of solution being treated with what other types of waste streams if any.

For more information on Alconox, Powdered Precision Cleaner please read this document.

Cleaning Metaxalene

Question:
Which Alconox detergents would successfully clean Metaxalene?

Answer:
Metaxalene containes amide, ester and ether groups. The solubility is unknown. Alconox recommends using Liquinox or Citranox.

For more information about Liquinox and Citranox, please visit www.alconox.com.

Oil Cleaning with Liquinox

Question:
Does Liquinox have the same oil removing power of Dawn detergent? Will Liquinox remove glycol ether residue?

Answer:
Yes, Liquinox and Dawn contain a blend of nonionic and anionic surfactants. Certain oils are best cleaned by detergents that have mixed micelles of anionic and nonionic surfactants. Using Liquinox in sonication will produce results similar to that of Dawn for oil removal. Liquinox should certainly be able to remove glycol ether residues. Be sure to rinse thoroughly to remove the Liquinox and all other residues.

For information on Liquinox, Crtical Cleaning Liquid Deteregent, please visit http://www.alconox.com/downloads/pdf/techbull_liquinox.pdf.

Cosmetics Cleaning

Question:
What are some cleaning concerns for the Cosmetic industry?

Answer:
Cosmetic manufacturing involves many oils, pigments, emollients, and "waterproof" ingredients. Difficult-to-clean residues include titanium dioxide and silicone oil emollients. For help selecting an appropriate cleaner, request a copy of Alconox Guide to Critical Cleaning at http://www.alconox.com/section_top/m_literature.asp.

How to Use and Restore a pail of solidified Alconox Powdered Precision Cleaner

Question:
Is there any way to restore a pail of Alconox to its original form after it has become solid like a rock?

Answer:
Regretfully, once solidified, the phosphates in Alconox have been hydrolyzed by exposure to water or humidity and then have re-condensed and hydrated to form a phosphate cement. It is certainly possible to scrape and pound to break it up in to chunks and release powder and use these chunks for general purpose cleaning. It is not recommended to use the chunks for critical cleaning. Once the phosphates have hydrolyzed, they are chemically different than the original chemical and will not perform all of the dispersing, chelating and sequestering functions as well as the original formula did. Certainly the hydrolyzed phosphates still have significant detergency, but for the most critical cleaning, do not use the solidified and scraped Alconox.

Alconox should be stored is a closed container in a cool dry place (60 - 90 deg F). Alconox is actually fairly robust and can tolerate a fair amount of excess humidity and moisture, although eventually it will harden.

To view the technical bulletin for Alconox, Powdered Precision Cleaner, click the link http://www.alconox.com/downloads/pdf/techbull_alconox.pdf.

Removal of Tannin from Stainless Steel Equipment

Question:
Which Alconox detergent will clean the red staining of wine (tannin) from stainless steel equipment?

Answer:
The best way to remove tannin is to oxidize it with bleach or an oxidizing agent. There are three Alconox brands that could effectively remove tannin including Detojet, which contains sodium hypochlorite bleach, Alcojet which contains an active chlorine compound that releases hypochlorite when dissovled in water, and Tergajet which contains active oxygen compound that releases peroxide when dissolved in water.

For information on Detojet, Low Foaming Liquid Detergent, Alcojet, Low Foaming Powdered Detergent, or Tergajet, Low-Foaming Phosphate-Free Powder please visit www.alconox.com.