The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook

Question:
Dr. Carole LeBlanc of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts indicates in the forward of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook that Alconox, Inc has a "self-imposed mission to educate the public about aqueous cleaning."

Answer:
Forward to The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook

Most cleaning practitioners are familiar with the story: the scientists who developed chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), first as refrigerants and then as solvents, had struck upon what they thought were safe, inert materials. CFCs would replace petroleum- based chemicals known for their health hazards. CFCs were relatively inexpensive, readily available and most importantly, they worked.

What the researchers did not know was the impact these chlorine-containing substances would have on the ozone layer: that portion of the atmosphere responsible for shielding the earth from some of the solar system's most harmful ultraviolet
(UV) rays.

Chlorine (Cl) atoms participate in the destruction of ozone (O3) as they randomly make their way into the upper atmosphere. The reaction is catalytic with the potential for one (1) Cl atom to destroy thousands of O3 molecules. The introduction of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as secondary replacement chemicals reduced but did not eliminate this danger.

CFCs and HCFCs also increase global warming by interfering with the atmosphere's natural ability to radiate heat away from the planet. This exacerbates the Greenhouse Effect most noticeably impacted by fossil fuel burning.

The international Montreal Protocol treaty and the U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments govern the usage and production of most of these compounds, including VOC (volatile organic compound) emitters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) identifies acceptable substitutes. These laws purposefully devastated organic and chlorinated solvent markets while fostering research and development. Hundreds of companies specializing in surface preparation, cleaning, rinsing, drying and inspection owe their economic feasibility to regulatory drivers.

In addition, the U.S. EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) provides a powerful tracking tool for looking at the places and the reasons hazardous chemicals are used. This transpired against a back drop of Right-to-Know legislation and chemical accidents culminating, in no small measure, with the inception of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). The occurrence of the words "test data unavailable" or "unknown" on many of these documents helped set the stage for other environmental initiatives.
Initiatives in northern Europe have begun to reflect the precautionary principle. This is the EH&S equivalent to the Hippocratic medical oath, "First do no harm." The translation: sell no product whose environmental, health and safety concerns have not yet been elucidated.

The principle represents a radical departure from conventional thinking that may be lost on those not directly involved in the chemical industry Thousands of new chemicals enter the market each year while little is known about the vast majority of existing chemicals. This would no longer be tolerated under a system that demands thorough environmental and health information before exposure (as opposed to after a potential, unknown disaster). Chemical manufacturers would have stronger stewardship responsibilities. Products would take longer to reach the marketplace. And once a substance was deemed safe, who would be liable for any errors that are sure to occur? It remains to be seen whether American society, steeped in litigation, can rise to the occasion.

Testing parameters other than those based on the cancer paradigm need to be determined. The study of chemicals' effects at low concentrations, should be expanded (negative impacts from low-dose exposures include hormone mimickers and endocrine disrupters). The effects of chemical mixtures, individually thought to be benign, bear more investigation. Methods of extrapolating test data as well as gender and age differentials require review.

Other problems remain. Most government policies focus on chemical handling and use. They do not necessarily take into account a chemical's life cycle or environmental fate. Nor do they fully consider the drain that chemical manufacture can place on natural resources and raw materials. Risks may simply be shifting from the site of usage to the chemical's production plant (or power plant) rather than real progress being made. This is especially worrisome in light of environmental justice issues.

It is no wonder, then, that many industries are rediscovering water (H2O) as the ideal cleaning medium, the only universal solvent truly non-toxic to both humans and the environment. Like the CFC and HCFC designers, today's formulators will undoubtedly push aqueous (i.e., water-based) cleaners to the scientific limits of the day. This is no time for intellectual arrogance. Chemical exposures effect workers, consumers and communities. Early partnering with stakeholders may ameliorate
the mistakes historically associated with the discovery process.

The constituents and mechanisms of aqueous cleaners must be understood. Surfactants and emulsifiers, alkaline builders and the dependence on water and energy (increasingly precious resources in an over-populated world), all matter to the concerned scientist. One suspects that not all aqueous cleaners are created equal.

There are challenging opportunities for advancement. It is possible to envision the day when manufacturers will no longer be forced to use hazardous materials for surface cleaning in the production of quality goods and services. Furthermore, toxic-free analytical techniques for surface evaluation will be invented that are superior to those now in use.

Based on the cornerstones of pollution prevention and cleaner production,* pursuit of this vision minimizes or eliminates environmental impacts and health and safety risks linked to many industrial cleaning applications. These objectives support a more sustainable business plan, leading to better job security and overall quality of life.

Alconox, Inc. deserves much credit for its self-imposed mission to educate the public about aqueous cleaning. Readers, prepare to learn well from this Handbook.

Click for more information on The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook.

Aqueous Cleaning Handbook Forward

Question:
Who wrote the forward of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook?

Answer:
The forward of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook was written by Dr. Carole LeBlanc of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts. Alconox, Inc wrote The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook to assist customers understand the science behind the solution.

Aqueous Cleaning Handbook

Question:
Alconox, Inc has written The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook to assist customers understand the science behind the solution. How does the printing of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook support American Forests?

Answer:
For every Aqueous Cleaning Handbook printed, Alconox, Inc. donates one dollar to American Forests to support forestry conservation and tree-planting projects. American Forests has been promoting protection and sustainable management of forest ecosystems since 1875.

Elliot Lebowitz Helps with the Katrina Aftermath

Question:
Did you know that Alconox’s Chief Operations Officer helped clean up the Gulf Coast following Katrina? Elliot Lebowitz believes that helping Katrina victims is part of his personal and professional responsibility.

Answer:
When it comes to helping others facing disaster, many just shrug their shoulders and say "that’s too bad."

For Elliot Lebowitz, however, chief operating officer for well-known aqueous cleaner maker Alconox, Inc., providing relief for victims of hurricane Katrina meant more
than opening a corporate checkbook. He rolled up his sleeves and went to work as a disaster volunteer.

After seeing images of the devastation to areas of Louisiana where he had once lived, he signed on as a volunteer with the West Chester, PA chapter of the American Red Cross. Upon completing training, he was on the ground in Pass Christian and Gulfport, Mississippi on September 29, exactly one month after Katrina made landfall. For three weeks he served as a driver of a 30-foot truck, unloading supplies at displaced-person and volunteer shelters. "Everywhere I looked," says Lebowitz, "I thought a bomb had gone off. People looked shell-shocked." American flags were flying everywhere, "often the only mark that a home had once stood on the site," he adds.
Trees Displaced by Nature’s Power

As an advanced amateur photographer, Lebowitz recorded images of the environmental ruin, especially to the tree canopy along the once lush Gulf coast. His avocation of nature photography stems from a long-standing interest in the environment and how best to conserve it: "I have always been interested in the environment, especially after living in Texas as a young man on a small ranch."

His concern for the natural world has carried over into his career, and his company has supported the national conservation group American Forests since 1998.
According to that group, coastal forests do more than beautify the environs. Communities recovering from hurricane damage need help restoring the urban and rural forests that provide the life-giving benefits of clean air and water. Trees help control storm water, cool and clean the air, and help remove toxins from groundwater.
Carrying out his Red Cross volunteer duties, Lebowitz witnessed the damage to wetlands and woodlands stemming from Katrina firsthand. It made him realize how long it was going to take to rebuild the communities and their ecosystems: "Don’t forget that we are talking about hundreds of square miles of complete destruction to not only homes, but the entire green infrastructure of the area - trees for protective shade, bird habitats, and urban cover all stripped bare of leaves, uprooted or dead from the salt water surging onto the land."

The rebuilding process has already begun with funding from American Forests. Through its Katrina ReLeaf initiative, activities are being supported such as helping local groups plant new trees native to the Gulf region, flush salt from tree roots with fresh water, and cover exposed roots with soil and mulch.
Reclamation an Ongoing Effort

Lebowitz carried memories of his experience with him long after returning home from the Gulf coast. He was not alone. More than 200,000 people volunteered through the Red Cross and other charities to help with the relief effort. "I am very glad that I was able to be there,” Lebowitz adds, "to see the area firsthand and meet the people that were affected by Katrina."

According to American Forests’ website at americanforests.org, there are a number of activities companies can become involved with to advance the restoration and revitalization of areas hit by environmental catastrophe and deforestation. A Red Cross relief worker at a local chapter or contact the American Red Cross at their website at redcross.org for information on volunteer opportunities. "It was extraordinary to meet volunteers from all over this country as well as Canada and Bermuda," concludes Lebowitz. "The reclamation effort in this part of the country by volunteers was enormous by any standard, and I was proud to be a part of it."

Alconox Interactions with Bleach

Question:
Can you add bleach to 1% Alconox?

Answer:
Bleach can be added to 1% Alconox solution (or any working percentage of Alconox) to enhance the decontamination or disinfection properties. There are no adverse reactions that interfere with the bleach disinfection or the detergency of the Alconox.
If specific bleach contact time (sometimes designated for decontamination of specific pathogens), then we recommend that you should clean with 1% Alconox or other Alconox brand cleaner first to assure that you have a clean surface. Following this use a separate bleach solution for specific designated time to be sure you have achieved your disinfection goal.

Density of Liquinox and Alconox

Question:
What is the density of Liquinox and Alconox?

Answer:
Liquinox has a density of 1.07 g/ml.

Alconox is a dry blended hygroscopic powder, so its density varies as the powder settles and it gains or loses moisture. It is unusual to use the density of Alconox for anything because it varies. The typical density is 0.95 g/cu cm – the range is 0.85 g/cu cm to 1.1 g/cu cm – it varies with humidity, handling and settling.

Viscosity of Detojet

Question:
What is the viscosity of Detojet so a vendor can specify a flow meter for delivery application? Do you have any recommendations of methods of verification?

Answer:
The viscosity of Detojet is similar to that of water. The viscosity of water depends on temperature. At 293 K (20°C), the viscosity of water is 1.002 cP. Its viscosity decreases as temperature increases. Our studies show that Detojet passes thru a #1 Zahn cup in approximately 24 seconds at 24°C, approximately 10 cP.

Because of its high alkalinity, the presence of Detojet is always easily verified by pH.

Biochemistry Laboratory Cleaners

Question:
What cleaners are recommended for general biochemistry laboratory?

Answer:
For manual or soak cleaning of laboratory instruments, labware (glassware or plastics), vacuum equipment, tissue culture ware and sampling appartus soiled with grit, grime, slime, grease, oils, particulates, deposits, chemicals and solvents, we recommend using Liquinox. It is concentrated to save you money, phosphate free, biodegradable and is "free rinsing" meaning it leaves no interfering residue (which
is very important in the laboratory for reliable results!). We recommend that you monitor shifts in pH towards neutral as indicator to refresh an exhausted cleaning solution.

With regard to removing proteinaceous soils, tissue, blood and body fluids from glassware or plastics, we recommend using Tergazyme, a detergent that contains a protease enzyme. As with all of Alconox brand detergents, Tergazyme is concentrated to save you money, biodegradable, and free rinsing leaving no interfering residues (again, very important in the laboratory for reliable results!). We recommend that once in solution it be used within 3 to 6 hrs, due to the half life of the enzyme.
Pipets can be pre-soaked in Liquinox prior to cleaning. For the actual cleaning step we recommend Alcotabs be used in combination with syphon washer. Alcotabs are specially formulated tablets for slow release for maximum cleaning performance from your syphon pipette washers. Alcotabs are concentrated to save you money, biodegradable, and free rinsing to give you reliable results and no interfering residues. If you are testing for ALCOTABS® detergent, please adapt the procedure to use a detergent test kit that is sensitive to anionic detergent residues. These kits are available from:

1. Chemetrics Inc. water testing kit for anionic detergents, which is sensitive to 1/4 ppm. Contact Chemetrics, Inc. at 1-800-356-3072.

2. LaMotte Chemical water testing kit for anionic detergents, which is sensitive to 1 ppm. Contact LaMotte Chemical at 301-778-3100.

3. Hach Company water testing kit for anionic detergents, which is sensitive to 1 ppm. Contact Hach Company at 1-800-227-4224 or 303-669-3050.

Use the kits to test for detergent in rinse water that has passed through a pipette. If no detergent is detected with the kit, you can conclude that there is no interfering residue from the ALCOTABS®.
Alconox cleaners are available from leading lab supply dealers such as VWR Scientific, Thomas Scientific (800) 345-2100, Cole-Parmer (800) 323-4340, Spectrum Chemical (800) 772-8786 and USA Bluebook (800-548-1234); or check for a local dealer at www.alconox.com.

Cleaning Fiber Optics

Question:
Can you recommend a cleaner appropriate for fiber optics?

Answer:
To clean fiber optic components using ultrasonic tanks, use a warm (45 deg C) 1% Liquinox solution followed by a thorough high purity water rinse (distilled, deionized or best of all, reverse osmosis water). To clean manually, use 1% Liquinox with appropriate lint free swabs or tools to clean surfaces followed by rinse wiping and possibly drying with isopropyl alcohol (drying solvent). You can also use a drying solvent such as isopropyl alcohol after rinsing when you clean with ultrasonics, although it is not entirely necessary. Liquinox has emulsifiers that are effective on a broad range of oils, dispersants that are effective on particulates, and contains rinse-aids and anti-redeposition agents that allow it to rinse away freely without redepositing any residues.

Nonionic Detergent

Question:
What is a nonionic detergent? How can a nonionic detergent like Alcojet have ionic sodium salts in it? What does it mean when a mil spec requires the use of a nonionic detergent?

Answer:
Surfactants are surface active agents that are classified according to the charge on the organic part of the molecule. The surfactants are either: negatively charged which are anionic; positively charged which are cationic; neutrally charged which are nonionic; change charge with change in pH which are amphoteric; or in unusual cases the surfactant has both anionic and nonionic charges present on two parts of the molecule at once which are zwitterionic. So surfactants can be anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric, or zwitterionic. In some cases, people somewhat ambiguously use the word detergent interchangeably with the word surfactant, so by the same logic when you are using the word detergent to mean surfactant, you can also say that there are anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic detergents. A less ambiguous definition for the word detergent is to use it to mean a blended product that contains a surfactant(s) plus other ingredients (typically called builders) to make a formulated detergent. By naming convention in the detergent industry, a formulated detergent is classified by the charge on the surfactant that is present in the detergent. You can also have formulated detergents that are anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic. These formulated detergents can contain builders such as sodium phosphates, sodium silicates, sodium carbonates, potassium hydroxide, citric acid and many other ionic salts or acids. So as you can see, it is perfectly possible to have a formulated detergent that is nonionic, yet contains many ions: both anionic and cationic. Understanding this possibility can be very important for electronic component cleaning where in some cases the use of nonionic detergents is specified. In many cases the intent of this nonionic specification is intended to assure that the detergent does not contain any metal ions that could deposit and leave a conductive residue. Many anionic surfactants have sodium or potassium metal ions present in their salt form when found in the detergent. For this reason, it is reasonable to consider not using anionic surfactants and anionic formulated detergents to avoid the possibility of depositing any sodium or potassium conductive metal salts in the event that the detergent evaporates on to the surface. In an effort to achieve this specification, it is often written as “the use of nonionic detergents”. Unfortunately, this can lead to the use of nonionic formulated detergents that contain many sodium and potassium metal ions that come from the builders in the formulated detergent. If these metal ion containing nonionic formulated detergents evaporate on to the surface during cleaning, they can result in conductive residue, even though a nonionic formulated detergent was used. To avoid this problem, when cleaning an electrical substrate where the cleaning specification calls for the use of a nonionic detergent, it is best to use a nonionic detergent that is ion-free. In this way you can assure that there are no metal ions coming from the builders in the nonionic formulated detergent. Alconox, Inc. supplies Detergent 8 which is both a nonionic detergent and an ion-free detergent.

Shelf Life of Liquinox

Question:
What is the shelf life of the Liquinox concentrate?

Answer:
Liquinox conforms to its 2 years from date of manufacture shelf life as long as the bottle is kept closed in between use. Incidental opening and closing of the bottle to pour out liquid for use, and the resulting increased head space air in the bottle or drum will not harm the shelf life. The main mechanisms of degradation are not related to air concentration above the Liquinox as long as there is not continual exchange of air in a completely open bottle such that continual evaporation is occurring.

Maximum Wash Temperature for Liquinox

Question:
What is the maximum wash temperature for Liquinox? At this maximum temperature is there an accelerated breakdown of detergent?

Answer:
Liquinox is heat stable all the way to boiling at standard temperature and
pressure conditions. From a practical standpoint, there are some detergency
mechanisms that begin to break down mechanistically as you approach boiling.
Emulsions begin to become less stable as you approach within a couple
degrees of boiling. If emulsifying is not a critical cleaning mechanism,
this may not be relevant to you. Maintaining a hot temperature and keeping
water from evaporating is also a practical consideration as far as maximum
temperature is concerned. As you approach boiling, the rates of evaporation
of water increase and it becomes more important to add make-up water in
order to maintain a controlled concentration of Liquinox. It is also of
course energy intensive to maintain a near boiling solution. As you
approach boiling, corrosion mechanisms are at their peak, so sometimes it
does not pay to approach boiling temperatures from a substrate stability
standpoint. From a practical standpoint, you would not typically use
Liquinox much above 95 deg C (200 deg F). With that said, there are unique
applications we are aware of that employ boiling Liquinox for small parts
washing, i.e. used in jewelry making where parts are dipped into a pot of
boiling Liquinox and the end user has to periodically add make-up water to
compensate for water evaporation.

Stability of Alconox

Question:
Is a 1% Alconox solution stable in tap water? How long can 1% Alconox be
stored as solution? Is pH measurement the best estimate of stability?

Answer:
Alconox is stable in tap water (or any purity water) for at least three
weeks when stored in a closed container. The mechanisms of degradation are
microbial activity and hydrolysis of the polyphosphates. We have done
studies that demonstrate that under closed lid (only) conditions for three
weeks, no microbial growth occurred. However for real life application, the
lid will be opened and closed to dispense the 1% Alconox, so you must
account for possible microbial growth. The best way to do that is to
monitor the pH of the solution over the course of the three week storage.
Take and record a pH start point after initially preparing the solution as a
reference point. Typically a drop in pH will detect the onset of microbial
proliferation and activity. Also, another early warning sign of microbial
activity is a "characteristic" microbial odor. Monitoring with pH and odor
during the three weeks will give you some control to be sure that microbial
activity had not started to cause concern.

The second possible mechanism is polyphosphate degradation. Detecting the
onset of polyphosphate hydrolysis is a little trickier than detecting
microbial growth. Unfortunately the pH only rises slightly as the
polyphosphates hydrolyze to ortho-phosphates, and to the best of our
knowledge there is no quick and simple way to monitor this. Though it is in
our experience that not a sufficient amount of polyphosphate hydrolysis
occurs during the first three weeks to perturb or interfere with
performance. So as long as you change the solution every three weeks, there
will be little concern other than possible microbial growth.

Creating a 20% Solution

Question:
How do you generate a 20% concentration of Citrajet for stainless steel passivation?

Answer:
To make a 20% solution use 200 ml of Citrajet with 800 ml of water to make up a liter, or use 2 gallons of Citrajet with 8 gallons of water to make 10 gallons of 20% solution.

Stainless Steel Passivation at an Ambient Temperature

Question:
Is it possible to use Citrajet at ambient temperature (20 deg C) for stainless steel passivation and if so how much time would the process require?

Answer:
Our typical recommendation for stainless steel passivation is to use 20% Citrajet for 120 minutes at 50 deg C. Since stainless steel passivation follows first order reaction kinetics, in theory decreasing the temperature by 30 deg C, from 50 deg C down to 20 deg C, you would need 8 times as much time, or 960 minutes. In principle, every 10 deg C decrease in temperature from optimal doubles the length of time needed.

Oral Toxicity

Question:
How is Oral Toxicity defined and reported?

Answer:
Oral toxicity is reported as an Oral LD50, the lethal dose at which 50 percent of a population of animals will die when exposed orally. Oral toxicity is often used to estimate toxicity from other routes of exposure by using safety factors ranging from 1/1,000 to 1/100,000 of an Oral LD50. Lower safety factors are used for shorter duration exposure devices that are less invasive.

Biocompatibility for Medical Device Cleaning Validation

Question:
What types of biocompatibility data does Alconox, Inc. provide for detergents commonly used in medical device cleaning validation?

Answer:
Setting residue acceptance limits as part of your medical device cleaning validation is much easier when appropriate biocompatibility data is available about the critical cleaning detergent you are using. To help assess the biological effects of cleaner residues, Alconox, Inc. conducted extensive evaluations of biocompatibility of its LIQUINOX and CITRANOX detergents. Along with the typical oral toxicity data, Alconox also provides dermal irritation, dermal sensitization, intracutaneous injection, cytotoxicity, and systemic injection toxicity data. These types of relevant data will assist you in setting the most scientific and exposure specific residue acceptance limits. As a result, the derived limits are more practical to achieve, as they are not based on conservative estimates.

Shipping Corrosive Liquids

Question:
How can I ship cleaners that are corrosive liquids by air?

Answer:
The three corrosive liquid cleaners that need proper packaging for air shipment are: Detojet, Solujet, and Detergent 8. These three cleaners can be shipped by air in the 5 gallon (19 L) jerrycan size. The 4X1 gallon (3.8 L) case or the 12X1 quart (0.95 L) are combination packages that are not suitable for air transport. To ship by air you must use the jerrycan size. The catalog numbers for these three cleaners are Detojet = manufacturer catalog number 1605; Solujet manufacturer catalog number 2105; and Detergent 8 = manufacturer catalog number 1705. The proper shipping name, hazard class and other hazmat shipping information can be found on any of the msds for any of these cleaners. The msds are available at the top center of any page on the Alconox website at www.alconox.com.

Removing wax or petrolatum from glassware

Question:
What is the best way to remove wax or petrolatum from pipettes and other glassware?

Answer:
The best way to clean wax and petrolatum from pipettes and other glassware is to use very hot, emulsifying 1% solutions of cleaners such as Alconox or Liquinox. By very hot, I mean above the melting point, or at least above the softening point of the wax. Typically this can be reached at 170 deg F (77 deg C). In practical terms this is a difficult temperature to reach. It would typically require heating a soak solution on a hot plate or other external source of heat. Petrolatum can be successfully cleaned at as "low" a temperature as hot 140 deg F (60 deg C), although even this is often hotter than you can get out of a hot water tap.

Specifically for pipettes, soak the pipette in the hot or very hot solution of 1% Alconox or Liquinox for at least 10 minutes. Then drain the pipette 3 times filling and emptying with the hot or very hot solution. Then move the pipette to a normal ambient temperature 1% Alconox or Liquinox soak solution to hold it until you are ready to clean in a siphon pipette washer with Alcotabs. You could skip the ambient temperature soak and go directly to the siphon pipette washer with Alcotabs if you want to. The idea is to not let the pipet dry out or be exposed to plain water where trace wax or petrolatum might plate out on the inside of the pipette. With any used pipette whether it has wax and petrolatum residues or any other residue, it is good practice to place the pipette in a 1% Alconox or Liquinox soak solution immediately after use to avoid any residues drying on to the pipette.

If it is not practical to pre-soak in a very hot or even hot 1% solution of Alconox or Liquinox, you can often get satisfactory cleaning from just prompt pre-soaking in an ambient 1% Alconox or Liquinox in accordance with our recommendations for standard pipette handling. Low melting saponifiable natural and synthetic ester waxes can often be adequately cleaned by this method. Higher melting waxes like bees wax, require at least a hot water (circa 140 deg F, 60 deg C) 1% Alconox or Liquinox 10 minute pre-soak. If this is absolutely not practical, it is possible to remove high melting natural and synthetic ester waxes using a 1% Solujet presoak which can saponify the waxes. Note that Solujet is a potassium hydroxide based corrosive liquid that absolutely requires skin and eye protection for use. It is important to immerse the pipette completely in the Solujet solution to avoid etching the glass at the air/solution interface. In fact it is good practice to always completely immerse pipettes or any glassware to minimize any concerns about etching no matter what soak solution you are using (even deionized water). Normally we do not recommend Solujet for manual cleaning operations unless it is absolutely necessary. Petrolatum in heavy quantities in the absence of emulsifiers that may be present in the cream or lotion you are working with may not be adequately cleaned by the simple ambient temperature pre-soak. If the cream or lotion with the petrolatum contains emulsifiers that are effective on petrolatum already, even an ambient temperature pre-soak in 1% Alconox or Liquinox can be effective. Note that Solujet is not particularly any more effective on petrolatum than Alconox or Liquinox.

Alconox, Liquinox, and Solujet are available from leading laboratory supply companies such as VWR, Cole-Parmer and Thomas Scientific.

Technical bulletins and msds for these cleaners are available at the top center of our home page at www.alconox.com.

We would be happy to provide samples of any of these cleaners on request.

PFOA or PFOS in Alconox Cleaners

Question:
Is there any PFOA or PFOS in any Alconox cleaner?

Answer:
PFOA and PFOS are perfluoro-octanoic acid and perfluoro-octane sulfonate. None of the Alconox, Inc brand cleaners contains PFOA or PFOS ingredients. We have no data on any trace content of these materials in Alconox cleaners, although on the assumption that these would come from contact with treated fabrics, we certainly do not use any treated fabrics in our manufacturing process and we do not think any such treated fabrics would be found in our raw material supplier processes. Therefore we would not expect any significant trace content of PFOA or PFOS in any Alconox cleaner.

Low Foaming Cleaners

Question:
Which Alconox cleaners are low foaming for use in mechanical washers?

Answer:
Alconox, Inc makes both powder and liquid; acid and alkaline; and phosphate containing and phosphate-free low foaming cleaners. You need a low foaming cleaner for use in mechanical washers that rely on spraying to clean surfaces. If you used a high foaming detergent, the foam will interfere with the mechanical energy of the spray and may leak out of the washer and cause undesirable foam to leak out of the machine. The low foaming cleaners are: Alcojet powdered alkaline phosphate containing cleaner; Tergajet powdered alkaline phosphate-free cleaner; Detojet alkaline phosphate containing liquid; Solujet alkaline phosphate-free liquid; and Citrajet acidic phosphate-free liquid. Typically phosphate-free cleaners are required for phosphate-sensitive cleaning of environmental and water lab equipment.

Click here for a PDF with more information.

Making a 1% Solution by Weight or Volume

Question:
How do you make up a 1% solution of cleaner?

Answer:
To make a 1% solution of powdered detergent such as Alconox or Tergazyme, you can make your solutions by weight or by volume. To make solutions by weight add either 1.28 dry ounces of powder to 1 gallon of water, or add 10 grams of powder to 1 liter of water. Alternatively, you can add a heaping 1 ounce scoop (a large coffee measuring scoop typically works) to 1 gallon of water, or add 2 level teaspoons of powder to 1 liter of water. Mix gently for 1-2 minutes until all of the powder is dissolved. To make a 1% solution of a liquid detergent such as Liquinox or Citranox, you can make these by weight or by volume. To make solutions by weight add either 1.28 ounces of liquid to 1 gallon of water, or add 10 grams of powder to 1 liter of water. Alternatively to make solutions by volume, add 1.28 fluid ounces of liquid to 1 gallon of water or 10 ml of liquid added to 1 liter of water, and mix gently for 10-15 seconds. All of these techniques will make approximately a 1% solution for effective cleaning.

Click here for more information.

Optical Lens Cleaning

Question:
How do you clean optical lenses during manufacturing?

Answer:
To clean optical lenses, typically you use warm (120 deg F or 50 deg C) solutions of 1% Liquinox in an ultrasonic bath followed by a thorough rinse. The lenses would typically be mounted in racks to keep them from touching each other during cleaning and rinsing. This avoids trapping "dirty" cleaning solution between the lenses where they are touching. Rinsing is typically done under running deionized water. The use of deionized water stops rinse water deposits or water spots from forming. For more information on Liquinox see the technical bulletin. Samples of Liquinox are available by clicking the "get sample" button at the top of the page - be sure to fill out a comment stating that you are interested in Liquinox.

Click here for more information.

Custom Detergents for Critical Cleaning

Question:
Does Alconox, Inc. make custom detergent formulations to solve special cleaning problems?

Answer:
Yes, Alconox, Inc. will make custom formulations to solve special cleaning problems. Of course we always try to solve cleaning problems with off the shelf cleaners, but if there are special cleaning needs that cannot be met using regular Alconox brand cleaners, then where the size of business warrants manufacturing a new formulation, we will make custom detergents. Typically to make a custom powdered cleaner, a 1,000 lb batch is required. For custom made liquid detergents, as small as 4X55 gal drums or 1,000 gallons packed in 1 gallon bottles can be made. For example, sometimes people may want a higher or lower pH enzymatic cleaner than the pH 9.5 Tergazyme, in which case we offer formulations with ingredients modified to adjust the pH to as low as 7.5 or as high as 10.5. Where a liquid version of a phosphate containing cleaner like Alconox was required, we made a custom formulation. Email cleaning AT alconox.com for more information.

Measuring Concentration of Solujet

Question:
How can I use conductivity to measure the concentration of a Solujet solution in order to control the concentration in a cleaning bath?

Answer:
In cleaning machines that have sumps or baths that are used repeatedly for cleaning where there will be dragout of solution on the parts being cleaned, evaporation of water, make-up water being added, and possibly dilution with rinse water, the cleaner concentration will constantly be changing as the solution is altered by any of these mechanisms. One way to control this is to monitor the conductivity of the solution which will allow you to determine the concentration of Solujet present which in turn will allow you to determine how much Solujet to add to bring the solution back up to full cleaning strength. For example the conductivity of Solujet at 22 deg C for weight/weight percent Solujet is as follows: 0.125% = 0.64 mS; 0.25% = 1.26 mS; 0.5% = 2.45 mS; 1% = 4.85 mS; 2% = 9.2 mS; and 4% = 17.9 mS. You can contact Alconox at cleaning@ alconox.com to get a copy of an excel spreadsheet with this data in it along with a graph for interpreting results.

Cleaner Ingredients

Question:
How do I find out the ingredients of Alconox cleaners?

Answer:
To find out the ingredients of Alconox cleaners, first review either the Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation references, the msds or technical bulletin for the brand you are interested in. The Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation References discuss various analytical methods to detect components of the detergents along with general information about how much of the component of interest is in each detergent. The msds discloses approximate content of various ingredients, including any ingredients with any particular associated hazard or irritation. The technical bulletin gives a list of the general ingredient types in each product. If further detail is required, you will need to contact Alconox at cleaning AT alconox.com and ask for a non-disclosure agreement for the brand of cleaner you want to know the ingredients for along with the purpose for your need to receive this proprietary information disclosure. Your request will be evaluated and an agreement sent if appropriate.

Detecting Trace Residues

Question:
How do I find an analytical method to detect trace residues of Alconox brand cleaners for a cleaning validation?

Answer:
The best place to find analytical methods for detergent residue detection for either a pharmaceutical or medical device cleaning validation are on the "Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation" references found on the upper right hand corner of www.alconox.com. This document refers to many possible methods and discusses how to use them. Once you have reviewed the references, contact Alconox at tdowds AT alconox.com for details about your preferred analytical detection method, and Teri Dowds will send you whatever further details are available on that method.

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Lead Dust Removal

Problem:
How to remove lead and lead dust from lead based paint

Solution:
To remove lead contaminated dust resulting from chalking of old lead-based paint, use Ledizolv cleaner. Ledizolv is a specially formulated cleaner designed to remove trace levels of lead, such as those typically found in older homes that have lead based paint in them.

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Critial Cleaning pH

Question:
What is the pH of a 1% solution of Alconox for cleaning?

Answer:
A 1% solution of Alconox has a pH of 9.5. This is a mild alkaline solution suitable for general purpose cleaning of a wide range of organic and inorganic residues. The pH of a 1% Alconox solution and other technical information can be found on an Alconox technical bulletin.

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Expiration Date of 1% Alconox Detergent Solution

Question:
What is the expiration date of a 1% solution of Alconox detergent?

Answer:
A 1% Alconox solution has an expiration date of 3 weeks from preparation using deionized or distilled water stored in a closed container. The reason for the short shelf life is that the dilute detergent is a carbon source for microbes and the dilute detergent will eventually start to support microbial growth. It is acceptable to open the container periodically to pour out solution for use as long as the container is closed promptly after opening.

Alconox at the 2007 MD&M East Show

Question:
Will Alconox, Inc attend the MD&M East Show in 2007?

Answer:
Alconox, Inc will be attending the MD&M East Show at the Jacob Javits Center New York City, NY on June 12-14. Stop by our booth #2768 for your free detergent samples, free copy the Guide to Critical Cleaning or Aqueous Cleaning Handbook!

You'll want to visit Alconox, Inc booth #2768 at MD&M EAST because...

Alconox, Inc is The Leader in Critical Cleaning Detergents with sixty years of experience getting medical equipment critically clean for use in demanding human or veterinary health applications, and in the manufacturing of medical devices - such as titanium prosthetic hip joints - we understand how to clean to implantable standards. Whether the product is designed for in vitro or in vivo use, is biomechanical or electronic, you'll find an Alconox cleaner expressly formulated to get products scrupulously clean without leaving interfering residues.

You'll meet the Alconox, Inc technical experts who are ready to discuss your cleaning validation needs!

MD&M is the recognized resource since 1983 for everything you need to design and manufacture medical devices and equipment for today's increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace. For more information visit http://www.devicelink.com/expo/east06/.

INTERPHEX2007 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition

Question:
Will Alconox, Inc attend the INTERPHEX2007 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition?

Answer:
Alconox, Inc will be attending the INTERPHEX2007 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, NY April 23 - 25, 2007. Stop by our booth # 3136 for your free detergent samples, free copy the Guide to Critical Cleaning or Aqueous Cleaning Handbook! Great opportunity to "Ask Alconox" and get experts advice about your industrial cleaning needs!
Mark your calendars for INTERPHEX2007 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition!

When the pharmaceutical industry gets together for its largest annual event, important things happen. INTERPHEX gathers all of the resources, equipment, technologies, ideas, strategies, suppliers, and partners to help optimize every aspect of your operation, from process development and R&D through manufacturing and packaging. The comprehensive conference program offers the views and opinions of industry leaders, as well as strategic and technical applications. The exhibit floor showcases over 950 leading global companies. There are daily keynotes, networking opportunities, industry awards, plus much more. For more information on INTERPHEX2007 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition please visit http://www.interphex.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=42&appname=100026.

Pittcon 2007 - Visit Alconox at Booth 2377

Question:
What are the dates, times and location for the Pittcon 2007 exposition and what is Alconox's Booth #?

Answer:
The exposition dates / times for Pittcon 2007 are as follows: Monday - Wednesday, February 26-28, 2007 from 9AM - 5PM Thursday, March 1, 2007 from 9AM - 3PM. The exposition will be located in McCormick Place.

Alconox Inc. booth # 2377, stop by for your free detergent samples, free copy the Guide to Critical Cleaning or Aqueous Cleaning Handbook! Great opportunity to "Ask Alconox" and get experts advice about your industrial cleaning needs!

For more information on 58th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy - Pittcon - Show visit http://www.pittcon.org.

Pittcon 2007 - Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy

Question:
Will Alconox, Inc attend the 58th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy - Pittcon - Show in Chicago 2007?

Answer:
Alconox, Inc will be attending the 58th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy - Pittcon - Show in Chicago on February 26 thru March 1, 2007. Stop by our booth # 2377 for your free detergent samples, free copy the Guide to Critical Cleaning or Aqueous Cleaning Handbook! Great opportunity to "Ask Alconox" and get experts advice about your industrial cleaning needs!

For more information on the 58th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy - Pittcon - Show visit http://www.pittcon.org/index.html

Nuclear Power plants need high purity Detergent 8

Problem:
Nuclear power plants need to perform cleaning of reactory cavities, tools and equipment to remove radioactivity. They need cleaners that do not contain chelating agents that can interfere with ion exchange waste treatment and they need cleaners that do not contain trace impurities that can degrade the long term stability of stainless steel.

Solution:
The most widely used Alconox product in nuclear power is Detergent 8. Detergent 8 is used in removing radioactivity from inside the reactor cavity and from tools and equipment used in the reactor cavity. There are two main reasons they like Detergent 8. First, it does not contain any chelating agents that interfere with ion exchange waste treatment to remove the radioactivity from the used wash and rinse solutions. Second, Detergent 8 has very low levels of any impurities that can degrade the long term stability of stainless steel. I have attached the trace analysis showing the purity of Detergent 8 and how it does not contain chlorides, halogens, low melting metals and sulfates. You can see the trace analysis for Detergent 8 above in the tech info and certicates section; select Detergent 8, trace analysis, and press go. The Detergent 8 has been used in manual cleaning and spray power wash cleaning to replace the use of strippable coatings in reactor cavities. One of the advantages of this is that the cleaning can be done without needing to use the "cherry picker" (the bucket on a crane that holds a person to do maintenance procedures high off the ground) inside the reactor cavity so that the outage can be shorter and the cherry picker can be used for other maintenance needs other than cleaning.

ROHS compliant detergents

Problem:
In order to sell to European and multi-national customers involved with electronic components, it is often required to use ROHS compliant cleaners and materials the meet the Restriction of Hazardous Substances EU directive 2002/95/EC

Solution:
RE: The Inclusion of any ingredients in Alconox, Inc. cleaners under Guideline 2002/95/EC for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) The following inclusion statements apply to all the current Alconox, Inc. cleaners: Alconox, Detergent 8, Liquinox, Citranox, Tergazyme, Luminox, Alcojet, Citrajet, Alcotabs, Tergajet, Detojet and Solujet: 1. Alconox, Inc. cleaners are not subject to any of the RoHS directive exemptions; 2. No Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr, polybrominated biphenyls(PBBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as defined under Guideline 2002/95/EC for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) are used in the manufacture as ingredients of any of Alconox, Inc. cleaners.; and 3. No trace contaminant of any restricted substance as defined under Guideline 2002/95/EC for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) exceeds the threshold limit: Restricted Substance. The limit of contaminants of interest in allAlconox, Inc Cleaners are: lead (Pb)=Less than 1000 ppm; Mercury (Hg)=Less than 1000 ppm; Cadmium (Cd)=Less than 100 ppm; Chromium (Cr)=Less than 1000 ppm; polybrominated biphenyls(PBBs)=Less than 1000 ppm; polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)=Less than 1000 ppm. These limits are all compliant with ROHS guidelines.

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Discrepancies in phosphate vs phosphate analysis using a Hach kit on Alcojet

Problem:
When using a Hach water testing method for phosphate analysis, values of 26-28% phosphate were detected when a value of 9% or 8.7% was expected.

Solution:
I can explain the observations about detecting 26%, 27% and 28% phosphate in Alcojet using a Hach analytical method when you are expecting 9%. The kit you are using is detecting ortho-phosphate (PO4 -3) which has a molecular weight of 94.97. The 9% you refer to is elemental P which has a molecular weight of 30.97. Actually if you look on the Alcojet box it contains 8.7% elemental P. This elemental P is present as polyphosphates which needs to be converted to ortho phosphate to be detected by the Hach method. If all the P in Alcojet has been converted to ortho-phosphate, then it will be 26.7% ortho-phosphate as calculated by 94.97/30.97*8.7. Assuming you have acidified your solution according to the Hach sample preparation method which involved boiling in excess acid for 0.5 hrs and the neutralizing with a slight deficiency of base, then you are getting the correct results expressed as ortho-phosphate. I would comment that the variation in your results might be attributed to a couple of causes that you might want to be aware. of. One, you need to be careful to boil in acid with the full 5.25 N H2SO4 for a full 0.5 hour. If you do not do this, then some of the polyphosphates may not be converted to ortho-phosphate and you will get a false low reading. Another possible source of variation is failure to take a representative large enough sample of Alcojet. You should use at least 10 g of Alcojet to make your stock solutions from in order to avoid sampling error from this non-homogeneous dry blended powder. If you take too small a sample of Alcojet, you run the risk of getting a few extra particles or few particles short of polyphosphates which will cause variation in your results. By taking a 10 g sample of Alcojet to start with, a few particles here and there is not enough to cause variation in your results at the level of precision of this method. By converting the reported results from % ortho-phosphate to % phosphorous, perfectly usable data results as follows: 28% ortho-phosphate = 9.1 % phosphorous; 27% ortho-phosphate = 8.8 % phosphorous; 26% ortho-phosphate = 8.5% phosphorous. The average value is 8.8% phosphorous which is quite in agreement with the 8.7% expected value. The variation may be acceptable, or by improving the boiling in acid step or the size of the sample from the Alcojet box you may be able to reduce the variation in your results. It may simply be that the precision of this analytical method is such that you will get this level of variation. From having worked with similar kits in the past, I suspect you can get less variation in your results if you want to work on it.

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How to find an NFPA or HMIS safety rating for Alconox, Inc. cleaners

Problem:
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 704) ratings and the Hazardous Material Identification System (HMIS) ratings are not on all technical bulletins and msds. You need to know which document to look at to get these ratings.

Solution:
The HMIS and NFPA ratings for Alconox, Inc. cleaners are found on the ANSI format msds available at the alconox website in the top center of the page by selecting the cleaner brand, selecting msds, clicking go, and then clicking on ANSI (international) - the msds will come up and the two ratings are in section 15. The National Fire Protection association created the NFPA 704 chemical labeling system which is intended to provide basic information to fire fighting, emergency, and other personnel, enabling them to more easily decide whether to evacuate the area or to commence emergency control procedures. It was also intended to provide them with information to assist in selecting fire fighting tactics and emergency procedures. In addition to these original goals, this standard provides laboratory personnel with an invaluable tool to help in establishing the appropriate level of personal protection that is required for working with a material and the correct method of storage and use that should be employed. NFPA 704 provides a simple, easy to recognize and understand system of markings that provides information regarding the hazards of a material and the severity of these hazards as they relate to handling, fire prevention, exposure and control. It should be used in conjunction with other chemical labeling systems to maximize safe usage and storage of hazardous materials. The NFPA 704 system is based on a diamond shaped marking that is divided into 4 regions, each assigned a color, and a numerical rating in each region. The regions depict health hazard, fire hazard, reactivity hazard and a region to indicate a reactivity with water, or other specific hazards if water reactivity is not an issue. The Hazardous Materials Identification System, HMIS, was developed by the National Paint and Coatings Association in the early 1970's for use as an in-plant labeling system. The HMIS rating is a color-coded, alphanumeric system which gives information about the health, flammability and reactivity of the chemical in question. The system rates a material from a minimal hazard through a serious hazard. It also recommends the appropriate personal protective equipment to be worn when handling the particular chemical.

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Cleaning high quality zerodure substrates for multilayer optical coatings

Problem:
Zerodur optical substrates that will have multiple optical coatings applied require the removal of particles, contaminants, soils to assure proper coating and coating performance.

Solution:
To clean the zerodur substrates clean in warm (circa 50-55 deg C) 1% Liquinox in an ultrasonic bath followed by a thorough rinse in high purity water, preferably deionized or reverse-osmosis water.

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Fiber optic lens cleaning

Problem:
Fiber optic lenses and components must be free of any residues that could degrade or alter light transmission.

Solution:
The most commonly used cleaner for cleaning fiber optic lenses and other components is Liquinox. Usually used at a 1% concentration followed by a thorough rinse in purified water.

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How to detect Detojet residues using phosphate

Problem:
In order to document that acceptable levels of Detojet are left after cleaning, or to search for Detojet residues in an investigation of cleaning and rinsing effectiveness, you need to find an appropriate analytical method to detect Detojet.

Solution:
Basically if I wanted to search for Detojet residues, the phosphates are probably the most characteristic ingredient to look for. Detojet contains 2.3% elemental Phosphorous as phosphates. Note that the phosphates in Detojet are polyphosphates.

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CAP inspection detergent residue detection

Problem:
To comply with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) laboratory accrediation inspection questionaire you need to check for detergent residues on your glassware to assure that good rinsing procedures are being used

Solution:
To comply with the testing requirements, you can follow the procedures in the bulletin on the upper right hand corner of this web page by clicking on "CAP Residue Detection Methods." This bulletin outlines various choices to use a pH meter, Bromothymol Blue (BSP) dye pH indicator, and detergent detection test kits to perform the tests. Not all methods can be used for all cleaners. Only alkaline cleaners such as Alconox, Liquinox, and Solujet (to name a few) can be detected using BSP dye. Only alkaline or acidic cleaners can be detected using a pH meter. Neutral cleaners such as Luminox or Alcotabs must be detected using a detergent test kit.

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Difficulties ordering Alconox, Inc. cleaners from Fisher Scientific

Problem:
Due to changes in catalog numbers for Alcnox, Inc. cleaners at Fisher Scientific, we have heard that some customers or Fisher Scientific Customer Service Representatives may be having difficulty finding the correct catalog number to use to order Alconox, Inc. cleaners with Fisher. We have heard that their representatives have made statements to potential Alconox customers that could be understood by some to suggest that the Alconox cleaners are discontinued, obsolete or no longer available.

Solution:
Alconox, Inc. cleaners are not discontinued, obsolete, or unavailable: just the Fisher catalog number has changed. To find the correct catalog numbers to order Alconox, Inc. cleaners with, you can see the table at http://www.alconox.com/popups/popups_dealer/dealer02.html, or go to the home page of www.alconox.com and click on the link in the center of the home page about the "Important Product Availability Notice." This has a link to the table of old and new catalog numbers and explains that Fisher may place your order with us and have us ship directly from our factory. Note that you can also use the "Find Dealer" button at the top of the page to find other local stocking dealers if you prefer not to have your cleaners shipped from our factory.

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Reprocessing and re-use of single use medical devices

Problem:
Single use medical devices cannot be re-used without FDA compliant reprocessing procedures. Essentially reprocessing a single use device constitutes manufacturing it which requires conmpliance with FDA medical device manufacturing regulations. Appropriate cleaners must be chosen and cleaning validations done.

Solution:
Alconox, Inc. cleaners can be used for medical device reprocessing cleaning. Alconox provides technical bulletins, books, and support for the use and validation of their cleaners. See the medical device validation section by clicking on the related Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation link located at the upper right hand corner of the page and then clicking on the "see printable version" button on the upper right hand corner which will take you to http://www.alconox.com/downloads/pdf/PCV42301.PDF. This document contains information about identifying residues on medical devices, selecting residue detection methods, selecting medical device surface sampling methods, establishing acceptable residue limits, validation of the methods, writing standard operating procedures, traning operators to follow the procedures, and a directory of analytical methods to use to detect specific Alconox brand detergents on the surface of a medical device that is being cleaned for re-processing. Alconox cleaners are both efficient at the removal of post use residues on medical devices as well as having the documentation and support needed for compliance with FDA regulations governing medical device re-use and reprocessing

High purity cleaner for cleaning nuclear stainless steel

Problem:
Stainless steel used in nuclear power related applications must be cleaned with cleaners that contain no trace contaminants that can potentially harm the very long term integrity of the stainless steel. No trace agents that could potentially cause hydrogen embrittlement or stress cracking can be tolerated.

Solution:
Use the very high purity Detergent 8 to clean nuclear power related stainless steel and other surfaces in reactor cavities and equipment. Not only is Detergent 8 free of potentially harmful trace impurities, it is also free of chelating agents that can interfere with ion exchange waste treatment to remove radioactive isotopes from liquid waste resulting from the cleaning operations. See the Detergent 8 trace analysis above at the top center of the page by selecting the pull down menu for Detergent 8, then to the right selecting the pull down menu for Trace Analyis, and hit "go." For further details concerning additional testing on a wide range of other impurities of potential concern, contact Alconox technical support at cleaning@alconox.com or call ++914-948-040.

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Mold Release and Silicon or Polysilane Oil Removal

Problem:
Silicon Mold Releases and polysilane oils are very difficult to remove filmy residues that can be difficult to remove from stainless steel, plastic and glass

Solution:
In our experience silicon mold release agents (polysilanes or silicon oils) are extremely hard to remove and can account for all sorts of residue problems. We have seen mold release agents on glass act as a protective film on the glass and when you try to clean them off with very aggressive acid or alkaline cleaners, the cleaning agent etches around the edges of the mold release agent and the un-coated sections of the glass, leaving behind a shadow of where the mold release was or had been. Even if the cleaner does eventually remove the mold release, there is a permanent shadow of where it had been due to the etching that occurred where the mold release had been. We have also seen this same effect with fingerprints on glass. If you think you have a silicon mold release agent on the glass, remove it with ultrasonic cleaning with extremely hot (over 170 deg F or over 77 deg C) 2% Alconox followed by a thorough rinse. Ideally, make sure the first rinse is with extremely hot water. Typically 10-20 minutes in ultrasonics is adequate to remove the residue. Alconox is a mild cleaner and will not etch the glass under normal cleaning conditions. On plastic first make sure your plastic is compatible with exposure to these temperatures. As we best understand it, many polysilanes have a softening point at somewhere in the 160-170 deg F (72-77 deg C) range. Above that softening point, the polysilanes can be more readily emulsified by a strong emulsifier. A 2% Alconox solution is a strong emulsifier and has been successfully used to remove difficult silicon oil residues. Once the polysilane is emulsified, you want to rinse it with hot water so that cold rinse water does not break the emulsion and redeposit the silicon oil before it has a chance to be rinsed away. The cleaning temperature is critical here. If this is a smooth, cleanable and easily rinsed surface, you can often get away without having to use a very hot water rinse. If there are crevices, blind holes or other features to the glass that would slow down the rinsing, then the very hot first rinse is critical tool Once you have done an initial static or running water initial very hot rinse, then subsequent rinses can be usually be done with ambient temperature water. Note that if extremely high purity deionized or reverse-osmosis water is used for the first very hot rinse, this water can etch glass; although at least it should be a uniform etch because there should no longer be a mold release mask on the glass. To avoid this, use tap water for the first very hot rinse, followed by cooler or ambient temperature higher purity water if a high purity water rinse is required to avoid water spots or other tap water residues. Note that as far as removing the mold release is concerned, tap water rinses will work just fine. The reason to use any higher purity water rinse is to avoid water spots or other tap water residues. These tap water residues can also be minimized by physically removing the tap water and not allowing it to evaporate and deposit - this can be done by blowing off the rinse water, wiping it off, or removing it using a drying solvent like isopropyl alcohol.


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How to clean lab glassware exposed to sea water

Problem:
Sea water contains a large and variable quantity of salts, biological and organic residues. Lab glassware needs to be free of any of these residues to avoid interference in research involving sea water.

Solution:
Sea water would not particularly present challenges beyond the normal array of residues that lab glassware sees in the wide variety of types of lab glassware that Alconox, Inc. laboratory detergents are used to clean. A standard cleaning protocol, see the users manual at the top right hand corner of this web page, will work fine. For typical manual cleaning wash with 1% Alconox or Liquinox in warm water followed by a thorough rinse in water of suitable purity) for standard laboratory cleaning requirements. If you are doing some extremely sensitive analytical procedure with the glassware (beyond ppm analytical detections), then you will want to pay particular attention to your rinsing technique and the quality of your rinse water. In general use deionized water for inorganic analysis rinsing and distilled water for organic analysis rinsing. Carbon filtered or reverse osmosis water can be used in place of distilled water typically. Rinse more than the standard three time rinse for more critical analytical glassware. In the event of glassware used for extreme low level inorganic analysis, an intermediate acid wash step after cleaning with the Alconox or Liquinox will improve cleaning. For manual cleaning use a warm 2% Citranox for the acid cleaning step prior to the final thorough rinse.

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D - Drying

Question/problem:
Why is drying of parts so important in ensuring critical cleaning?

Solution:
This addresses the eighth variable "DRYING" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

DRYING
Drying can be done by physically removal of rinse water or by evaporation. Physically removal by wiping, blowing, centrifuging, drying fluids, absorption, or other physical techniques will eliminate the rinse water before it has a chance to evaporate.

Such methods prevent precipitating out of any salts or impurities that could form water spots. Water removing drying methods also minimize the risk of corrosion occurring during drying.

Evaporation methods such as air drying, heat drying, and vacuum drying can deposit nonvolatile impurities present in the rinse water and cause water spots. Although vacuum drying does evaporate water and can lead to deposits, in many cases the deposits themselves evaporate under vacuum drying conditions. Drying can affect residues and corrosion because impurities from rinse water can be deposited during evaporation.

Water, particularly high-purity rinse water, can be corrosive to metal substrates during heated and air drying. Physical removal of rinse water, various drying techniques and the addition of corrosion inhibitors (with tolerance for inhibitor residue), to the rinse water, can help minimize such corrosion.

By choosing an appropriate cleaning agitation method, using the right rinsing and drying process, then varying the cleaner, concentration, heat, and time, an optimized aqueous-cleaning system can be achieved. To sustain successful cleaning, control before, and after, cleaning are important considerations. If you think about the variables in BATHCARD (before, agitation, time, heat, chemistry, after, rinse, dry) while evaluating your cleaning process, you will be more successful at diagnosing problems and optimizing your process. Click here for the pdf.

R - Rinse

Question/problem:
What role does rinsing play in the cleaning process?

Solution:
This addresses the seventh variable "RINSE" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

RINSE
With aqueous cleaning, the last thing to come into contact with the cleaned surface is the rinse water. A thorough rinse will remove soils which have been cleaned from the surface as well as detergent residue. Rinsing is where much of the actual removal of residues from the vicinity of the surface occurs.

After the residue/detergent mixture is rinsed away, any contaminants, present in the rinse water, may be deposited on the surface when rinse water is evaporated. For many applications, it is possible to rinse with tap water and then do a final purified water rinse to remove tap water residues. For higher level medical device, semiconductor, and electronics cleaning, all rinses should be done using purified water. Rinsing is primarily a mass displacement mechanism and should involve exchanges of water. This is why a running water rinse is typically the most effective rinse. With soak or ultrasonically agitated rinsing, it is desirable to have two counter-flow cascade rinse tanks dripping "over the tank" to reduce dragout. In all cases, running water or an otherwise agitated rinse is better than a static soak-tank rinse. Higher levels of cleaning may require the exclusive use of deionized or distilled water and in some cases more than three times the volume of rinse water.

In most clean-room, electronic-component and circuit board cleaning, deionized water is preferred over either tap or distilled water. There is less potential for metallic cation deposition on sensitive electronic components, leaving conductive residues. On metal parts, the use of deionized rinse water reduces the likelihood of depositing calcium, magnesium, or other water spotting salts. For medical device rinsing, distilled or reverse-osmosis grade water is typically used because it contains fewer organic contaminants.

A - After Cleaning

Question/problem:
How does after cleaning handling impact outcome?

Solution:
This addresses the sixth variable "AFTER CLEANING" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

AFTER CLEANING
How parts are handled and stored, after cleaning, determines whether cleanliness is maintained. Depending on the setting, it may be necessary to make special provisions to establish a clean storage place or storage conditions. It may also be helpful, if not necessary, to determine how long a surface or part will stay clean while stored to decide whether it needs to be recleaned prior to use. Cleanliness testing can be done to monitora surface and determine how long it will remain suitably clean. Humid after-cleaning storage conditions can result in corrosion or condensation that promotes microbial contamination. Obviously a dirty, after-cleaning environment can recontaminate surfaces. Cleanliness can be maintained by as elaborate a process as sterilizing and using sterile packaging, to as simple a process as putting a clean tarp over a piece of equipment that has just been cleaned.

C - Cleaner

Question/problem:
What factors should be considered when choosing a detergent?

Solution:
This addresses the fifth variable "CLEANER" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.


CLEANER
The cleaner or detergent used should match to the desired cleaning method, the surface and types of soils being cleaned. For instance, a low-foaming detergent should be used for spray or machine cleaning, a good anti-redeposition detergent for soak and ultrasonic cleaning and a high emulsifying and wetting detergent for manual cleaning. The detergent, temperature, and degree of agitation should be strong enough to remove the soil to the desired level of cleanliness without harming the substrate being cleaned.

It is very important to choose a low-foaming or non-foaming detergent when cleaning in or with a machine that relies on spraying for mechanical agitation. Foam is caused by agitation at an air/solution interface when a foaming agent is present. It may build up and spill over from the machine creating a mess. It will also build up on the substrate and interfere with the mechanical cleaning energy of the spray. Finally, foam may get sucked into recirculation pipes causing problems with pumps in the machine.

Surfactants are often foaming agents. Most aqueous cleaners have surfactants in them. There are three basic types of aqueous cleaners that are suitable for machine washing: cleaners with no surfactant, cleaners with non-foaming surfactants, and cleaners with low or controlled-foam surfactants. There are important differences among these types of cleaners. Remember that foam forms in the presence of an agitated foaming agent where air is present. Many soils are foaming agents. In particular, soap formed by saponifiers, in electronic solder flux cleaning, is a foaming agent. A surfactant-free cleaner will not protect against foam formed by soils. Clean only non-foaming soils with surfactant-free cleaners. A nonfoaming cleaner usually has a nonionic polymer surfactant. These surfactants come out of solution at elevated temperatures and form an oil slick on top of the solution. The oil slick is a barrier to air contact preventing foam from forming or being stable. These cleaners will suppress foam from soils. They only work properly if the temperature is hot enough. Find out the minimum temperature at which to use these cleaners.

Finally, there are controlled foam cleaners which usually have limited foam suppressing capabilities. The surfactants themselves do not foam excessively, but they are not be able to control much foam resulting from soils.

It is critical that the detergent be scientifically formulated to clean effectively and to rinse away without leaving interfering residues. A scientifically formulated detergent will typically have appropriate surfactant ingredients and non-depositing rinse-aids. The surfactant should have sufficient surface tension lowering properties to assist in proper rinsing. A surface tension below 35 dynes per centimeter for the cleaning solution, as used, is often sufficient for good rinsing. Non-depositing rinse-aids can help complete a formulation to meet the rinsing requirements of critical cleaning.

In addition, detergents should be manufactured according to appropriate quality-control procedures. In many critical cleaning applications it is desirable to choose a detergent with a lot number tracking system and with certificates of analysis available from the manufacturer. These certificates document each lot of detergent to assure consistency and quality control and to prevent cleaning failure from inconsistent manufacturing or unannounced formulation changes. It is also desirable to choose a detergent from a manufacturer who maintains quality control of raw materials and who retains samples of each detergent lot to be able to respond to concerns about a particular batch.

The detergent should be widely available and economical to use (for optimum economy, a concentrated detergent is typically used at 1:100 to 2:100 dilutions). The detergent concentrate should be diluted according to the manufacturer's instructions. Typically, warm (about 50 degrees C) or hot (about 60 degrees C) water is used. Ambient temperature water may be acceptable, especially for presoaking. For difficult soils, very hot water should be used (over 65 degrees C), and the recommended detergent concentration doubled.

Chemistry Bath-life extension and control

To avoid potential for cross contamination, only freshly made up cleaning solutions should be used for the highest levels of critical cleaning. For industrial critical cleaning applications, high levels of cleaning can also be achieved with extended bath life. In general, a pH change of 1 unit towards neutral indicates an exhausted cleaning solution. Bath life can be extended by physical filtration of particulates, cooling and settling of sludge and skimming of oils. Bath life can also be extended by adding one half as much detergent, of the initial load, after partially depleting the cleaning life of the bath. With frequent daily use, detergent solutions can rarely be used longer than a week even with these bath life extension techniques. Conductivity, pH and % solids, by refractometer, can be used to control bath detergent concentration.

Free alkalinity titration can be used to control bath life of alkaline cleaners where the soil being cleaned depletes free alkalinity-as is often the case with oily soils.

The process:

• Titrate a new solution to determine free alkalinity
• Titrate the used solution to determine the percent drop in free alkalinity
• Add more detergent to the bath to bring the free alkalinity back to the level of the new solution. (For example if the initial solution is made up with 100 ml of cleaner concentrate and a 25% drop in free alkalinity is observed, try adding 25 ml of cleaner concentrate to recharge your solution.)

Perform a new free-alkalinity titration to confirm the recharge the first few times this recharging method is used. This is to ensure that the detergent being used is linear with respect to free alkalinity depletion. This form of bath life extension cannot run indefinitely, sludge will eventually form. Fresh solutions must be made up periodically. Bath lives can also be extended using conductivity. Most cleaners contain conductive salts which can be detected using conductivity. Once the conductivity response of the detergent is determined, the depletion of those conductive salts can be measured. Many cleaner manufacturers can supply the curves of detergent concentration versus conductivity. By adapting these curves to your conditions and measuring the conductivity, detergent depletion and dilution can be determined. This determination can be used to figure out how much detergent to add to the cleaning solution to restore cleaning performance. Typically, this kind of measure the bath and recharge with detergent process can be done 2-3 times before a new bath is needed. Keep in mind that, the bath will ultimately reach a point where it forms sludge (or where some other failure occurs). At that point, the bath must be dumped and a complete batch of new cleaner made up. The time to dump the bath, and start over, is generally determined using some sort of cleanliness measurement and defined in terms of number of parts cleaned or time period of bath use. Conductivity does not typically detect the point of cleaning failure, but only detects concentration of cleaner present, whether depleted or not. The following table gives specific examples of concentration vs. conductivity for several Alconox-brand cleaners. Use this data to derive the concentration of detergent from measured conductivity. Note that, conductivity is temperature dependent. Detergent solutions do not have the same slope as many default settings on temperature-correcting conductivity meters. For best results, allow hot detergent solutions to cool to a consistent temperature for comparison.

Chemistry, cleaning and corrosion inhibition

Corrosion, during cleaning, is accelerated by the same variables that accelerate cleaning: heat, aggressive chemicals, time, and agitation. To reduce metal corrosion (in approximate order of importance) use less heat, lower pH detergent, shorter cleaning time and less agitation. In general, use the mildest pH detergent to limit metal corrosion.

Higher pH detergents may have metasilicate corrosion inhibitors making them suitable for cleaning soft metals such as aluminum. In general, to reduce plastic corrosion, use less aggressive cleaners, with less solvent or surfactant character; lower concentrations of cleaners; lower cleaning temperatures; less contact time; and finally, less agitation. After aqueous cleaning, metal corrosion can occur during rinsing and drying. Corrosion inhibitors can be added to rinse water provided that inhibitor residue does not interfere with clean surfaces. Using hot rinse water (to keep clean surfaces hot) and rapid heat or vacuum drying, speeds drying and minimizes metal corrosion. Forced air drying, drying with a hot oxygen-free gas such as nitrogen and using air knives, that physically remove rinse water, can also minimize corrosion. When rinsing mild steel with hot water and drying with hot air, "flash rusting" can occur. The corrosion actually occurs during rinsing as a result of dissolved oxygen in the rinse water. In some instances, lowering the water temperature or drying temperature can help avoid corrosion. For instance, in a case where flash rusting on mild steel had been occurring, the rusting was avoided by lowering the temperature of the rinse water from 150 degrees F to 120 degrees F maintaining an ambient air drying system. Flash rusting can also be avoided by using a solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol, to rinse with rather than water. Adding corrosion inhibitors, to rinse water, can also prevent corrosion but the corrosion inhibitor may leave residue during rinsing.

H - Heat

Question/problem:
How does temperature impact cleaning?

Solution:
This addresses the fourth variable "HEAT" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

HEAT
In general, higher-temperature cleaning solutions result in better cleaning. In practice, there is typically an optimum temperature for a given combination of cleaning variables. Many soak, manual, and ultrasonic cleaning methods work best, for example, at 50 degrees C to 55 degrees C. Many spray washing techniques work best at 60 degrees C to 70 degrees C. Waxy or oily soils are more easily cleaned at higher temperatures that are above the melting point of the wax. Particulate soils tend to be more easily removed at slightly lower temperatures where dispersions are not broken down. As a general rule, many cleaning mechanisms follow first order reaction kinetics whereby the cleaning speed doubles with every increase of 10 deg C. Of course, you do not want to use a temperature so high that it damages your substrate.

T - Time

Question/problem:
How can understanding the "time-factor" in your cleaning process help to ensure desired results?

Solution:
This addresses the third variable "TIME" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

TIME
In general, the longer the cleaning time, the more thorough the cleaning will be. Many cleaning mechanisms such as emulsifying, dissolving, suspending, and penetrating are time dependent.

Cleaning time can be accelerated by increased agitation and temperature and by the use of a more aggressive detergent. If none of these variables can be changed - perhaps, because the substrate is too delicate or the proper equipment, unavailable - be prepared for longer cleaning times. While manual cleaning may take minutes: and spray cleaning, seconds: soaking may take hours, possibly overnight, to achieve comparable cleanliness.

There are some instances when long cleaning times may promote substrate corrosion, weakening, or swelling. The optimum cleaning time depends on the specific substrate, temperature, cleaning method, and detergent.

A - Agitation

Question/problem:
What types of movement can be employed to enhance cleaning?

Solution:
This addresses the second variable "AGITATION" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

AGITATION
Soaking is a cleaning method that involves no agitation. Other cleaning methods involve some form of agitation which can be performed through manual (cloth, sponge, brush), ultrasonic, flow-through clean-in-place (for pipes, tanks and tubes), spray cleaning (a dishwasher, for example), and high-pressure spray cleaning. In general, increasing agitation means increasing cleaning effectiveness, particularly when trying to remove heavy, bulk soils.

Agitation is a factor in detergent choice. High emulsifying, high foaming cleaners are more effective for cleaning processes with low levels of agitation and longer cleaning time. These include the manual, soak and ultrasonic processes. Likewise, low foaming, high dispersing cleaners are suitable for high agitation cleaning with short contact time as found in spray washing, parts washing and when using spray CIP systems, etc.

Presoaking generally enhances cleaning, particularly if soils are dried or baked onto the part to be cleaned. As stated above, it is always preferable, to clean as soon as possible after soiling to avoid dried or baked on soils.

Time constraints and volume of parts being cleaned affect choice of an agitation method and with it detergent. When a large number of parts must be cleaned quickly, then a fast, high-agitation method, such as spray washing, with an aggressive detergent is preferable. Likewise, when cleaning fewer parts or batch-continuous quantities of smaller batches rather than the large quantities from continuous manufacturing of parts, ultrasonic soak cleaning with a milder detergent is more appropriate for the wetting and emulsifying mechanisms that work well in ultrasonics.

The cleaning methods referred to above are discussed below in greater depth:

• Manual cleaning - typically chosen for small-volume batch cleaning. High levels of cleanliness that can be achieved by manual cleaning. Though, much depends on the consistency of operators performing the cleaning operation. That's why, rigorous operator training and retraining should be arranged. In addition, there is a
  need for clearly written cleaning procedures and training procedures. It is even a good idea to go so far as to certify operators in different cleaning methods with periodic recertification.


• Soak cleaning - usually chosen for cleaning small volumes, of parts, when time is not of the essence. Typically a slow process, soaking is not labor intensive. Care should be taken, however, when cleaning delicate parts. Because soaking involves longer cleaning times, there more opportunity for corrosion to occur. As a result, soaking is best suited for cleaning robust parts.


• Ultrasonic cleaning - particularly effective on small parts with blind holes and crevices that are inaccessible by spray cleaning. This process is essentially soak cleaning enhanced by ultrasonic sound energy. It greatly accelerates the speed of cleaning and can greatly improve cleaning in small spaces or crevices. Ultrasound helps disperse and mass transfer the cleaner. It replenishes fresh cleaning solution to surfaces of parts being cleaned.
  
  Ultrasonics also accelerates corrosion, so care with substrates and cleaners with suitable inhibitors is required. Ultrasonic cleaning involves more expensive equipment and is typically suitable for larger volume batches and where a higher level of cleaning is required.


• Clean-in-place by circulation system - typically used for piping or small tank systems where a spray clean in place system cannot be used. It is also an appropriate method for cleaning filtration systems in which filters cannot be accessed by spray nozzles.


• Spray clean-in-place - typically used in larger tank systems where the increased efficiency, achieved by using less cleaning solution, justifies the cost of the spray system. Spray cleaning of tanks provides more reliable and more complete coverage of the tank. An immersion cleaning system may not reach the top of a tank and additional manual cleaning may be necessary.

When choosing a detergent for tank systems, remember that a detergent that performs well for soak cleaning may not perform as well in spray cleaning. Therefore, if you anticipate scaling up a current system to a spray clean-in-place one, consider using a spray-cleaning detergent that performs adequately in soaking operations.

The choice of a cleaning machine depends both on size of batch and size of parts being cleaned. As batch size increases and ultrasonic machine may no longer be efficient. It often makes sense to choose some form of cabinet, under-counter or floor standing washer.

For very high-volume parts washing, a conveyor cleaning system is a suitable option. Parts, placed on a conveyor, are cleaned using spray nozzles as they pass through the system.

Spray cleaning systems are very good for parts and surfaces that are readily accessible. They are not as effective when there are blind holes and small crevices. When cleaning high volumes of parts, where it makes sense to use spray cleaning, investigate spray under immersion.

For cleaning very, large parts, for example, vehicles or very large assemblies (where an operator can physically move around the part), it makes sense to use a power spray wand or handheld pressure spray device to clean part exteriors.

B - Before Cleaning

Question/problem:
Why is the handling of parts and substrates prior to cleaning important?

Solution:
This addresses the first variable "Before Cleaning" in Alconox's acronym BATHCARD, factors that contribute to successful cleaning. Click here to learn more.

Before Cleaning
How parts and substrates are handled prior to cleaning can significantly impact the difficulty, or ease, of cleaning. Soils are more difficult to remove if they are:

• Allowed to dry, set up and cross link
• Stored in a dirty environment
• Stored in a humid or corrosive environment

As a rule, it is important to clean parts as soon as possible after they are soiled. In some instances, it makes sense to take parts directly from a manufacturing process and put them into a soak solution where they may sit for extended periods of time prior to cleaning.

Soiled parts can also be placed in protective packaging, dipped in a protective coating or immersed in oil or grease to maintain their current state and avoid increasing the cleaning burden. Clean storage conditions and proper packing by the supplier make it easier to clean parts and substrates.

Steps to Successful Critical Cleaning

Problem/Question:
Did you know there are eight different factors that determine successful cleaning?

Solution:
"BATH CARD" a phrase coined by Alconox technical team to assist you in remembering:

1. Before - handling prior to cleaning
2. Agitation - type of movement used to enhance cleaning
3. Time - duration of cleaning cycle
4. Heat - temperature of cleaning solution

5. Cleaner - chemistry of cleaning solution
6. After - post cleaning handling
7. Rinse
8. Drying

It is important to understand and control these interrelated cleaning variables in all critical cleaning, but particularly in highly sensitive industrial applications such as medical device manufacturing, metal surface preparation, optics assembly and electronic component manufacturing. Use the variables in BATH CARD to evaluate, diagnose and optimize your cleaning process.

How to get the expiration date for an Alconox, Inc. detergent

Problem:
To assure that you are using effective detergent, you want to know that the detergent has not expired. Alconox, Inc. detergents have a shelf life of two years from the date of manufacture. You need to know the date of manufacture to determine the expiration date.

Solution:
Some liquid bottle packages of Alconox, Inc. cleaners have expiration dates ink jet printed on the bottle next to the lot number just above the label. For other packages, you can find the date of manufacture and expiration date on the certificate of analysis (COA) of the lot of detergent that you have. For help finding the lot number of the detergent you have or help finding the COA, use the applications database at the upper left hand corner of the alconox website; select "application and put in the key word "lot number" or "COA" and click the button "search." You can also estimate the expiration date using the lot number if you know it. To estimate the expiration date from the lot number, use the 3rd and 4th character of the lot number. The 3rd character is a letter that stands for the month of manufacture using A for January thru M for December skipping the letter I to avoid confusion with the number 1. The 4th character of the lot number is a number which stands for the year of manufacture currently starting from the year 2000, such that 0=2000 and 9 = 2009. Starting in the year 2010, 0 will mean 2010 and 9 will then mean 2019 and so on. Knowing the month and year of manufacture, you now add two years and get the month of expiration. This method works for all Alconox, Inc. lot numbers except Alcotabs and packets of 1/2 ounce Alconox. Different lot number systems are used for these and you must get a certificate of analysis in order to get an expiration date for these cleaners.

Click here for more information.

How to find a Lot number for Alconox, Inc. Detergents

Problem:
In order to control manufacturing processes for companies with raw material control requirements such as ISO certified organizations and cGMP compliant companies, you need to record a lot number for the detergent being used in cleaning. You need to be able to find that lot number.

Solution:
To find the lot number of the detergent you have, look on the package. All plastic bottles of detergent have a 5 character lot number printed in ink jet characters just above the label. All milk carton boxes of powdered detergent have a 4 character lot number at the very top flap of the milk carton stamped in to the milk carton. All drums of liquid detergent have a 5 character lot number hand written on the top of the drum as well as stamped on to the label on the drum. All powdered drums have the 5 character lot number stamped on to the drum next to the label. All corrugated cardboard boxes have the 4 or 5 character lot number stamped in the upper right hand corner of the panel that has the "Ship To" information on it, or on the upper right hand corner of one of the panels of a box that has a label on it that has a dotted line saying "Do Not Cut Below This Line" with the lot number stamped right next to those words. This lot number can be used to get a certificate of analysis which will give the expiration date, storage conditions and analysis for that lot. If you do not have the package available to you, it is possible to track the lot number if you know the detergent brand, the purchase order number placed with Alconox, Inc. and name of the company that sold the Alconox, Inc. detergent to you. By contacting Alconox, Inc. at cleaning @ alconox.com or calling 914-948-4040 with this information they can review their sales records and determine the lot number of the detergent shipped on that order.

Click here for more information.

How to get a Certificate of Analysis for an Alconox Detergent

To control materials such as Alconox cleaners that are used to clean pharmaceutical product contact surfaces in a good manufacturing practice (GMP) validated environments, certificates of analysis for the detergent should be obtained and kept on file. These certificates of analysis (COA) can document the analysis of a specific lot of detergent and verify that it conforms to the manufacturers specifications and that the detergent has not changed.

Click Here for a Solution.

Eudragit Brand Coating Removal from Tablet Coating Equipment

Eudragit brand coloring agents from Roehm GmbH & Co for coating tablets can be very difficult to clean from tablet coating equipment. Different Eudragits need different types of cleaning agents. Some require acid cleaners with wetting agents and dispersants, and some require alkaline cleaners with wetting agents and dispersants.

Click here for a solution.

Pharmaceutical Tools and Utensil Cleaning

Tools and utensils need to be cleaned with pharmaceutical grade detergent that is supported with cGMP validation support, formulation consistancy and lot traceability. Many CIP cleaners are too corrosive and hazardous for safe manual use.

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Passivation of Stainless Steel

Surface contamination interferes with formation of protective oxide coating on stainless steel thereby leaving it open to corrosion. The stainless steel needs passivation.

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PH and Dissolved Oxygen Probe Cleaning

Dissolved oxygen and pH probes used in fermentation vessels can get buildup from the fermentation media that degrades the probe performance and increases the likelihood of batch to batch contamination. Even CIP systems cannot always reliably clean the probes.

Click here for a solution.