| abstract |
METHODS FOR CLEANING INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT WITH PRE-TREATMENT. A method of cleaning equipment, such as heat exchangers, evaporators, tanks and other industrial equipment employing cleaning procedures in place and a pretreatment solution prior to the conventional CIP cleaning process. The pretreatment step improves the degree of softening of the dirt, and thus facilitates its removal. The pretreatment solution can be a strong acidic solution, a strong alkaline solution, or it can comprise a penetrant. A preferred strong acid solution is an acid peroxide solution. In some embodiments, pretreatment may include no alkali or strong acid ingredients; preferably, the penetrant provides acceptable pre-treatment levels. |