Critical Cleaning - Alconox, Inc.

Alconox, Inc. The Leader in Critical-Cleaning Detergents

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General Cleaner Info: Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation CAP Residue Detection Methods
Catalog	Users Manual

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Residues best cleaned by acidic cleaners

Question:
What types of residues are best cleaned by acidic cleaners and does Alconox manufacture any acidic cleaners?

Answer:
Amines, alkaloids, amphoteric proteins, starches, carbonates and bicarbonates, metal oxides, and insoluble hydroxides are generally best cleaned by acidic cleaners. Alconox manufactures two acidic cleaners. Citranox, Liquid Acid Cleaner and Detergent, a high emulsifying cleaner, can be used ultrasonically or manually. Citrajet, Low-Foam Liquid Acid Cleaner/Rinse is ideal for spray, CIP, or machine washing.

To learn more about Citranox and Citrajet, please visit www.alconox.com.

(Residues best cleaned by acidic cleaners)

Thursday, July 17, 2008
Detergent Selection

Question:
What are the key considerations when selecting an aqueous cleaning detergent?

Answer:
Critical cleaning requires careful selection of cleaning chemistry and methods to ensure adequate performance without sacrificing either work safety or benign environmental impact. Key considerations include: Type of substrate, Type of soil, part complexity, level of cleanliness required, manufacturing process, cleaning efficiency, environmental consideration. – The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook Fourth Edition pp 31-33.

Request your copy of the Aqueous Cleaning Handbook here.

(Detergent Selection)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tergajet Ion Chromatography

Question:
Can Ion Chromatography detection method be used for Tergajet?

Answer:
Sodium Ion specific electrodes can be used to detect Tergajet, however very good deionized water must be used and there can be no other significant source of sodium in your system. There is about 28% sodium by weight in Tergajet. Given that sodium is commonly found in fingerprints and many other compounds, this may not be the best method to use. If the substrates are cleaned in a way that would not tend to get outside sources of sodium on them, then this method will certainly work. There is plenty of sodium in Tergajet. Note that there is no potassium in Tergajet. There is almost 30% sodium citrate dihydrate present in Tergajet. This is a good marker for Tergajet.

Please visit http://www.alconox.com/static/section_top/gen_cleanval.asp for a list of residue detection methods.

(Tergajet Ion Chromatography)

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Undissolved Alconox

Question:
Can using tap water to make a 1% solution of Alconox cause there to be some undissolved Alconox particles?

Answer:
Yes, it is possible that the tap water is very hard water and the undissolved Alconox particles being observed are actually white precipitates of calcium and magnesium carbonate. In extremely hard water (water that is very high in calcium and magnesium content) it would even be recommended to use as high as a 1.3% concentration. This would assure that there is sufficient chelating agent present to tie up the calcium and magnesium to avoid formation of insoluble precipitates of calcium and magnesium. If the problem is hard water, then Alconox recommends using a 1.3% solution of Alconox (390 grams of Alconox +/- 15 grams of Alconox) in 30 L. It may take more than 2 minutes to dissolve, because first the insoluble carbonates are formed, and then the chelating and sequestering agents work on these to react with the calcium and magnesium and eventually the carbonates go back in to solution. It could take as much as 4 minutes. Another solution would be to use softened water, purified water, or to simply dilute the hard water 50/50 with softened or purified water instead of using just hard tap water for the 30 L solution.

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

(Undissolved Alconox)

Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Pharmaceutical Cleaning

Question:
What cleaners does Alconox recommend for cleaning pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment and utensils?

Answer:
Alconox recommends using Solujet, Low foaming phosphate free Liquid or Citrajet, Low Foaming Liquid Acid Cleaner/Rinse. These cleaners are excellent for CIP systems and work at low concentrations. They remove soils such as titanium dioxide, tablet coatings, and petrolatum.

To learn more about Solujet and Citrajet, please visit www.alconox.com.

(Pharmaceutical Cleaning)

Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Medical Device Cleaning

Question:
What are the recommended cleaners for ultrasonic cleaning medical devices?

Answer:
Alconox manufactures high emulsifying cleaners ideal for removing difficult soils from surfaces such as elastomers, plastics, and stainless steel. Alconox recommends using Liquinox, Critical Cleaning Liquid Detergent and Citranox, Liquid Acid Cleaner and Rinse, in a two step ultrasonic process which will remove hydrophobic organic residue, alkaline liable particles and inorganic residues.

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

(Medical Device Cleaning)

Thursday, June 26, 2008
IRT

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

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

(IRT)