Water-based Cleaner

Question:
Is a water-based cleaner the same as an aqueous cleaner?

Answer:
Yes! Aqueous means water. A water-based or aqueous cleaner is a cleaner that increases the ability of water to clean. An aqueous cleaner uses blends of detergent compounds with surface active agents together with other cleaning chemicals that use detergency to lift soil from a surface by displacing it with surface active materials that have a greater affinity for the surface than for the soil.

Water, considered by many to be the "universal solvent," is an important component of aqueous cleaners because it dissolves many types of soils. Water-municipal tap water, deionized or distilled water depending upon the cleaning application-also functions as a carrying medium for detergent compounds. But, while water is capable of dissolving many inorganic and some organic contaminants, not all residues dissolve readily in water. For this reason, aqueous detergent cleaners are complex mixtures specifically formulated to create greater chemical and mechanical cleaning action.
Water is a polar solvent. Being polar is the characteristic that makes it good at dissolving a wide range of polar residues, contaminants and/or soils. Water has a unique V shaped structure with two hydrogen atoms at the top of the V and an oxygen at the bottom. One can think of the oxygen as being a large, dense electron rich atom.

This gives the entire water molecule an overall net negative, electron-rich end at the base of the V (d-) and an electron poor positive end (d+) of the molecule towards the hydrogen top of the V. This directional net-negative charge towards the base of the V is called a dipole moment. Polar molecules such as water have a dipole moment.
Alconox, Inc manufacturers a full line of aqueous cleaners widely used in a range of industries, including pharmaceutical and medical device.

Aqueous Cleaners

Question:
What is an Aqueous Cleaner?

Answer:
Alconox, Inc manufacturers a full line of aqueous cleaners widely used in a range of industries, including pharmaceutical and medical device. An aqueous cleaner is a blend of ingredients designed to enhance the cleaning ability of water. Typically an aqueous cleaner contains a surface active agent (surfactant) and builders to help the surfactant. The surfactant acts as a wetting agent to allow the cleaning solutions to penetrate into crevices and around and under soils. The surfactant will usually also act as an emulsifier to help form emulsions with water in soluble oils. The builders usually react with dissolved metal ions in the water to help stop them from interfering with cleaning.

Inhibited Cleaner for Aluminum

Question:
Specifications for indicate that "Solujet is inhibited for Aluminum. Corrosion testing is advisable." What does this mean?

Answer:
Solujet contains sodium metasilicate which acts as a corrosion inhibitor to stop alkaline attack on aluminum. Solujet would not cause alkaline attack on aluminum as long as the bath is not overused and the metasilicate depleted.

There are galvanic (forming a battery) attacks on aluminum that involve interactions with other metals that may be dissolved in the cleaning solution from prior use, or that may be present as metal in the tank or part being cleaned, and this form of attack will happen with just about any detergent solution including Solujet. Ideally you should not clean other metals in baths used to clean aluminum and should not have other metals that have significantly different galvanic potential than aluminum present in the cleaning solution. If there is any concern that there may be other metals involved, then some testing may be advisable. If the aluminum parts being cleaned are very high value parts, then some testing would be advisable.

Certainly Solujet is designed to clean aluminum safely. Aluminum is a reactive metal, especially if it has been recently machined, cut or tooled so that there is exposed, freshly cut aluminum that has not had a chance to form a protective passive layer of alumninum oxide, which happens naturally with exposure to air. If the protective passive layer is not formed then you can get all sorts of strange galvanic reactions that are not technically corrosion, but which will result in discoloration due to deposits of whatever the other metal or metal oxide on the surface of the aluminum.

Alkylphenol Ethoxylates and Phosphates

Question:
Which Alconox detergents contain alkylphenol ethoxylates and which ones contain phosphates?

Answer:
Liquinox and Citranox contain alkylphenol ethoxylates. Alconox, Tergazyme, Alcojet, Alcotabs, and Detojet contain phosphate. Detergent 8, Luminox, Citrajet, Solujet and Tergajet contain no alkylphenol ethoxylates and no phosphates.

Plastic Container for Soak Solutions

Question:
What kind of plastic container can I use to hold a detergent soak solution?

Answer:
You can use any container that is robust enough to hold typical aqueous solutions of chemicals. A polypropylene or other chemical resistant plastic container such as HDPE (just about anything but polycarbonate or polyurethane) will work just fine for cleaning. If you have specific residue concerns, you should consider the possibility of certain metals or monomers leaching out of the plastic. For general purpose laboratory and medical cleaning this is typically not a concern because the anti-redeposition properties of the detergent are sufficient to stop anything that leaches out of the container from depositing on the substrate being cleaned.

Cleaning Filters with Tergazyme

Question:
What kind of cleaning can I expect from Tergazyme when cleaning filters with wine residues?

Answer:
We would expect Tergazyme to work very well on biofilms or microbial contamination from filters that had been repeatedly used to filter wine. It will do quite well on assorted organic residues from various components of wine. The one cleaning mechanism that Tergazyme does not have is oxidation or bleaching. This means it would not be unusual if some trace color was left of some difficult to hyrdrolyze condensed tannins or other coloring agents from the wine. Certainly Tergazyme would do something on these residues, but it would not be as dramatic as using bleach or peroxide to oxidize or even possibly metabisulfite to reduce these residues. Of course if there is a biofilm , neither bleach, peroxide, or metabisulfite will be as effective as Tergazyme.

Detergent Testing

Question:
What kinds of test soils are used in detergent testing?

Answer:
Synthetic soils are often applied to coupons to use in testing detergents. Typically a soil will be made from some kind of binding natural oil such as vegetable oil or vegetable shortening combined with a protein such as whey powder or egg powder. Additionally there may be motor oil or used motor oil; vacuum cleaner bag dust; carbon black; and clay soils. Sometimes these mixtures would have synthetic hard water such as 150 ppm hardness (2/1:Ca+2/Mg+2) mixed in. In general you want your synthetic soil to mimic the type of residue that you are trying to develop a detergent or cleaning process to clean.

Posted Inhibitory Residue Tests

Question:
How many years are the IRTs posted?

Answer:
Three years, so currently 2007, 2006 and 2005 Inhibitory Residue Tests are posted. If IRTs from years earlier than that are needed, please contact Alconox directly.

Inhibitory Residue Test

Question:
How do I get an IRT?

Answer:
To get a lot number specific inhibitory residue test to comply with accreditation guidelines requiring lot specific or annual testing, get a certificate of analysis (COA) for the detergent you have. These COA’s can be found at http://www.alconox.com/section_dealers/certif_coa.asp

Lot numbers that you will need to get your COA are found at the top of 4 lb boxes (milk cartons), above the label on bottle, and on the side of the corrugated box for larger sizes and cases. These lot numbers are a "sub lot" of a specific master lot. Once the master lot number is identified on the COA, the inhibitory residue test data can be downloaded at www.alconox.com.

Master lot numbers change in the unusual event of a significant change in raw materials or manufacturing. Master lot numbers change such that each lot can be traced to a Master lot that was tested within one year.

Inhibitory residue tests are performed for each year's worth of sub lot numbers.

IRTs for Alconox Brands

Question:
Does Alconox, Inc have IRTs for each brand?

Answer:
Yes, annually Alconox, Inc has each brand tested through an independent laboratory. Brands include Alconox, Alcotabs, Alcojet, Citranox, Citrajet, Detojet, Detergent 8, Liquinox, Luminox, Solujet, Tergajet, Tergazyme.

Inhibitory Residue Test

Question:
What is an Inhibitory Residue Test?

Answer:
The inhibitory residue test is a test of suitability of glassware for microbiology testing. It was important when labs were using phosphate detergents, but is less so now that use of phosphate is being phased out. The test is described in SM 9020B3a (Editions 18, 19) or SM 9020B4a (Editions 20, 21).

Standard Methods says to do the test "as necessary." You might ask your regulator how they interpret that.

First and foremost, it tests the detergents/soaps used for washing glassware in the microbiology section of a lab to make sure that they do not have bacteriostatic or inhibitory qualities that may affect the microbiological test that you perform (such as multiple tube fermentation technique...). Secondly, it also "checks" your washing procedure to make sure that if there are any inhibitory/bacteriostatic substances present in your soap, the cleaning process that you employ washes out any of these inhibitory substances.

Labs that are certified for drinking water microbiology have to perform the inhibitory residue test as well as the distilled water suitability test ANNUALLY. Another source of information about these tests is in EPA's "Manual for the Certification of Laboratories Analyzing Drinking Water". The most current is the 5th Edition published in 2005.

Bath Life Extension

Question:
What is the best way to monitor for bath life extension?

Answer:
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:

1. Titrate a new solution to determine free alkalinity.
2. Titrate the used solution to determine the percent drop in free alkalinity.
3. 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. Typically, this kind of measure the bath and recharge with detergent process can be done 2-3 times before a new bath is needed.

Conductivity and Detergent Concentration

Question:
How is conductivity used to determine how much detergent concentrate to add to a cleaning solution to restore cleaning performance?

Answer:
Part of the technical information Alconox, Inc supplies for its brands are detergent concentration versus conductivity curves. 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.

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.

Conductivity Controller in a Machine Washer

Question:
How does a conductivity controller regulate a dosing pump in a machine washer?

Answer:
A conductivity probe would need to be set up in the sump of a machine washer. The conductivity recorded is sent to the conductivity controller that regulates the pump (usually a peristaltic pump) that dispenses the detergent into the sump. The pump dispenses until the correct conductivity is reached for the desired concentration. Typically a concentration of 0.5% or 0.1% detergent is desired. For example, for a 0.5% Solujet concentration, enough detergent concentrate is pumped into solution until the sump reaches 2.45 mS at 22 deg C (Alconox, Inc has conductivity VS concentration curves available for each brand at 22 deg C). Once the correct concentration has been reached, the wash cycle starts.

Since conductivity is temperature dependent if hot water is used a new conductivity curve must be generated that reflects the higher temperature. If the customer provides the Alconox Technical Team the higher working temperature then a curve could be generated. Alternately, if the customer has access to a conductivity meter they could simply generate the appropriate curve for their working temperature.

Washers with Non-Standard Connectors

Question:
It is not unusual for lab/glassware-washer manufacturers to make custom connectors specific that link their brand of detergent (with unique bottle dimensions) to the machine. This is strategic on the lab/glassware-washer manufactures’ part, as their customers are locked into using their detergent. These custom molded bottles are expensive and generally make the product more expensive than Alconox brands that have standard bottles. So how does Alconox suggest adjusting for the standard bottle with these types of connector set ups?

Answer:
Unfortunately we are usually unable to supply a bottle that fits the connections because the bottles are made from custom molds that are not commercially available. The way some customers use our cleaners in these washers is to pour our detergents out of their original bottles into some of the custom bottles that fit the special washer fittings. This is of course somewhat time consuming and hazardous and there must be adequate cost savings and performance improvements to justify this. In some cases, washers can be fitted with peristaltic pumps and controllers that dose in the detergent correctly from a tube that is dipped in to one of our bottles and bypass the custom fitting bottles. This would typically require an outside contractor with experience in how to retro-fit the washers, or good in-house engineering capability by the customer. We do not have this expertise. We can supply conductivity curves to a contractor or engineer to allow them to program a conductivity controller that regulates the dosing pump.

Cleaning Stainless Steel Weldments

Question:
We need recommendations for cleaning stainless steel weldments. A Walter weld cleaning machine is being used. Currently we have tried using Luminox but sometimes it does not produce satisfactory results.

Answer:
Luminox is a very light duty cleaner used to remove light oils and tiny particulates from delicate substrates. Generally, stainless steel is not considered a delicate substrate. In this case the recommendation would be 2% Citrajet at 60 deg C for 10 minutes followed by a water rinse. Citrajet is a mild organic acid cleaner (pH 2.5) that is good at removing heat scale and discoloration around weld joints as well as being a good general purpose cleaner. The cleaning results with Citrajet will be much better than luminox.

Note, if for some reason you need to use Luminox and are satisfied with the light duty cleaning it gives, I would recommend using it at a 3% concentration at 60 deg C for 10 minutes but I would not expect it to clean as well as Citrajet.

Citrajet is low foaming like Luminox and probably a low foamer is preferable to use in junction in a large dip tank. If you for some reason have a particularly oily substrates to clean, we do make a high foaming cleaner called Citranox (manuf cat no 1801 for the 1 gal size) that would give the same heat scale and discoloration cleaning while doing a better job on oily residues. I am guessing you do not have particularly oily substrates to clean and that you will be happier with the low foaming version.

Citrajet (manuf cat no 2001 for a 1 gallon size) should be available from whatever dealer you get your Luminox from such as VWR, Thomas, Cole-Parmer or other lab and health supply dealers.

Liquinox in Relation to Alconox

Question:
Is the Alconox powder equivalent to the Liquinox liquid? If these are the same could you please provide me with some sort of documentation saying that Alconox is the powdered form of Liquinox and that they are interchangeable?

Answer:
Liquinox liquid hard surface cleaner concentrate is designed to be the functional equivalent of Alconox powdered hard surface cleaner concentrate. Liquinox was designed as a liquid replacement for Alconox. For each functional ingredient in Alconox, there is a functionally equivalent ingredient present in Liquinox at a concentration designed to give functionally equivalent performance. Of the six ingredients in Liquinox, two are identical to those found in Alconox. The other four are chosen for equivalent cleaning functionality with good shelf life characteristics in a liquid form. If we just made a liquid Alconox, it would have a very poor shelf life measured in weeks.

The key ingredient for cleaning by wetting, emulsifying and dispersing is the surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate. This ingredient is identical in both cleaners. The surface tension, which correlates with wetting, emulsifying and dispersant character, is 32 dynes per cm in both Alconox and Liquinox. Cleaning is also assisted by chelating and sequestering agents that tie up calcium, magnesium, iron and other ions that will tend to form insoluble complexes with soils. Alconox and Liquinox both contain chelating and sequestering agents that are effective for this purpose. Alconox relies on polyphosphate chelant/sequesterants, which are perfectly stable as powders, but which do not have long term stability as liquids. In Liquinox, liquid stable organic chelants are used. Alconox and Liquinox are both detectable by total organic carbon (TOC) and other surfactant detection methods. The sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, which will test TOC positive, is theoretically the last ingredient to rinse away in both formulations.

Xylene Equivalent

Question:
Currently we are using Xylene to clean equipment that is used with extremely non-polar compounds. Does Alconox have a cleaning product that would be equivalent to Xylene but not as harmful and dangerous to work with? It would have to be a cleaning product with a low polarity index (between 2 and 3).

Answer:
Even extremely non-polar compounds can often be emulsified by polar surfactants.
Alconox and Liquinox both contain polar surfactants that would work well at emulsifying a non-polar compound that has been found to be cleaned by xylene. The rational for this recommendation is due to the non-polar end or hydrophilic end of the surfactant that contains xylene and benzene derivatives. In theory, polar surfactants typically form micelles in aqueous solution, meaning that the hydrophilic "head" regions aggregate in contact with surrounding solvent (aqueous) and the opposite non-polar or hydrophilic ends are sequestered together at the center of the micelle sphere, interacting with the non-polar compound of interest, thus trapping the non-polar compound in the center of the sphere. Due to this nature, the interior of the micelle – hydrophobic- is able to emulsify the non-polar residues.

An initial test to determine if warm 1% Liquinox (liquid concentrate) or Alconox (powder) solution to see if it will clean the non-polar compound. Note that unlike xylene cleaning, you will need to rinse away the detergent solution after cleaning. Xylene evaporates away, detergents rinse away. Our rational for this recommendation is based on the non-polar ends of the surfactants found in Alconox and Liquinox, based on xylene and benzene You do not have to try both, either of them should work. The Alconox is more economical to use, but it is a little messy to dissolve the powder to make a cleaning solution. The Liquinox is easier to handle, dose and mix.

If this fails, then consider using a semi-aqueous cleaning system that is a combination of surfactants and solvents that may be able to act as cosolvents for your non-polar residue. I would recommend trying a 5% Detergent 8 solution, but only if Alconox or Liquinox fails. Detergent 8 is a corrosive liquid that requires wearing rubber gloves and eye protection. Detergent 8 contains surfactants and semi-polar glycol ethers that might be able to solvate non-polar solvents.

EC 648/2004 Compliance

Question:
What Alconox brands are EC 648/2004 compliant?

Answer:
Alconox, Alcotabs, Citrajet, Detojet, Tergajet, Tergazyme

Etching During Cleaning

Question:
My system has the following materials in it: CPVC, stainless steel, cast iron and copper; should I expect an 8% Citrajet solution to etch any of these materials?

Answer:
No etching will occur on CPVC, Stainless Steel, cast iron and copper from 8% Citrajet. Cast iron might rust in the rinse water, especially if you use hot rinse water. Use water below 120 deg F to rinse cast iron and then dry quickly.

Cleaning Light Bulb Filaments

Question:
How do you clean oxides from light bulb filaments?

Answer:
When cleaning oxides from light bulb filaments our recommendation is 8% Citrajet for a contact time of at least 3 seconds at about 140 deg F. In principle, every 10 deg C you go up, doubles the cleaning speed. At 185 deg F, you would be roughly 20 deg C

Pre-soaking Pipettes

Question:
Why is it important to pre-soak pipettes in 1% Alconox or Liquinox before washing in pipette siphon washer with Alcotabs?

Answer:
The most common problem in pipette cleaning is residues that dry on after use and prior to cleaning. This problem is attributed to the failure to pre-soak the pipettes immediately after use. Our technical experts at Alconox recommend placing soiled pipettes in 1% Alconox or Liquinox solution immediately. For the purpose of detergency, it does not matter if pipettes are place tips up or tips down during pre-soak. The important thing is to make sure the pipette is completely immersed in solution with no part exposed to air where there would be a meniscus to potentially leave a ring or even an etch the pipette. For fewer broken pipette tips, it is recommended to place pipettes tips upward, if possible. However, for cleaning extremely viscous or difficult residues there is possibly a theoretical advantage to putting the pipettes in tips down to pre-soak because when they are lifted out of the pre-soak any loosely adhered residue or particulate will drain out the bottom and not have to pass thru the entire length of the pipette before it is removed.

Washing Pipettes

Question:
Is there a CAP approved procedure for washing pipettes?

Answer:
There is no CAP approved procedure for washing pipettes. Alconox, Inc recommends using Alcotabs in combination with a pipette siphon washer after a pre-soak with Alconox or Liquinox for effective batch pipette cleaning for laboratory use.
Our suggested directions are to first completely immerse pipettes immediately after use in a pre-soak solution of 1% Alconox or 1% Liquinox. When ready to clean drop an ALCOTAB into bottom of siphon pipette washer. Place pipettes in holder into the washer. Turn on cold or warm water at a rate that will fill the washer and completely cover all pipettes, then drain to the bottom during each cycle. Run water until ALCOTAB has completely dissolved, continue running water to rinse thoroughly (may take an hour to complete washing and rinsing). For analytical or tissue culture work use distilled or deionized water for final rinse.

Rinsing with Tap Water

Question:
Does tap water rinse as well as purified water?

Answer:
As far as detergency is concerned, tap water will rinse just as well as any purified water. Rinsing is a mass displacement mechanism and in itself does not depend on the purity of the rinse water. The reason to be concerned with the purity of the rinse water is that whatever is in the rinse water can deposit on your instrument when the water evaporates away during drying. In the case of medical instrument cleaning, the primary concern would be anything that would interfere with the following sterilization step. Any reasonably clean tap water will rinse away the detergent/residue mixture left on the instrument from the cleaning process and would be clean enough that it would not leave a pathogen shielding film or residue that would inhibit the sterilization process. In instances where chemical disinfection is being used without a further sterilization step, then it can be critical to use high purity water to rinse with, however when rinsing is intermediate to a final sterilization step, there is greatly reduced risk of cleaning and sterilization failure due to the rinse water. You do run the risk of water spots from calcium and magnesium deposits in the event that the tap water has a high mineral content. This can be minimized by wiping instruments dry or shaking them off to remove water droplets. In either case, even if incidental water spots are formed, water spots would not cause sterilization failure.

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.

Click here for more information.

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.

Click here for more information on removing lead dust.

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.

Click here for more.

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.