Eight kinds of industrial cleaning agent types and characteristics

There are many types of industrial cleaning agents, with clear classification formulas. The most commonly used are chemical cleaning agents and analytical chemical cleaning agents based on chemical composition; If the same cleaning agent acts differently on different stains, or has two or more effects on the same stain, it is classified according to its main function in conventional usage scenarios. Different categories of industrial cleaning agents each have unique principles and applicable scopes: water and non-aqueous solvents clean stains by dissolving or dispersing them; water is the most common and important cleaning solvent, while non-aqueous solvents are mainly used to remove organic stains; Surfactants require only a small amount to change solvent tension, possessing various cleaning-related effects. They can be divided into multiple categories based on ionization state and hydrophilic group ionization type, with a very wide range of applications. The specific classification of industrial cleaning agents is as follows:

1.Water and non-aqueous solvents

2.Substances acting as stain solvents refer to substances that can remove surface stains from the cleaned object by dissolution or dispersion, without forming stable, chemically defined new substances. They can be divided into aqueous and non-aqueous solvents

3.(1) Water: Water is widely found in nature and is the most important cleaning solvent. In industrial cleaning, water is both the solvent for most chemical cleaning agents and can directly dissolve various stains as a solvent. During cleaning, any stains that can be removed with water alone do not require additional non-aqueous solvents or additives

4.(2) Non-aqueous solvents: Non-aqueous solvents include hydrocarbons and halides, alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters, phenols, and their mixtures, mainly used to dissolve organic stains, such as various oil stains and organic dirt

5.The molecular structure of surfactants contains both hydrophilic polar groups and oleophilic nonpolar groups. With only a small amount added, the interfacial tension of the solvent (usually water) and the liquid surface tension can be significantly reduced, while also providing lubrication, solubilization, emulsification, dispersion, and washing functions

6.There are several classification formulas for surfactants, usually based on their ionization state in the solvent and the type of ionization of hydrophilic groups. Common categories include cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, and nonionic surfactants. The first three categories are collectively referred to as ionic surfactants. Surfactants are widely used in both residential and industrial cleaning fields

7.Acid-base cleaners

8.Acid-base cleaners react with stains through acid-base reactions (sometimes redox and other side reactions), converting stains into substances that can be dissolved or dispersed in cleaning solutions. Their active ingredients are mostly organic acids, inorganic acids, bases, and salts that become acidic or alkaline after hydrolysis

9.Most acid-base cleaners are made by combining acid and alkali solutions with necessary modifiers; Another type of acid and alkali cleaning agents uses acids or bases as active ingredients, which react with stains in a high-temperature molten state, converting stains that were otherwise insoluble or poorly soluble in cleaning media into easily soluble substances. These acids and bases are usually called fluxes. This type of cleaner is effective at treating stubborn stains that are difficult to remove with solvents or solutions, achieving cleaning by converting stains into soluble or dispersible substances. The flux is highly effective for treating insoluble stains under high temperatures

10.Redox agents remove specific oxidizing or reducing stains through chemical reactions; Metal ion chelators can coordinate with metal ions to convert stains into easily soluble chelates, and are mostly used for cleaning rust scale and inorganic salt scale.

11.Redox agents

12.Preparations that mainly rely on chemical reactions with stains to remove stains are oxidizer-reducing agents for cleaning, which include the flux-type products mentioned earlier. Reducing agents are used to remove oxidative stains, such as most organic stains; Oxidizers are used to remove reducing stains, such as rust scale

13.Metal ion chelating agent

14.By coordinating with metal ions in stains, the stain is transformed into chelates that are easily soluble in cleaning agents. These cleaning agents or additives are called metal ion chelating agents, mostly used for cleaning rust scale and inorganic salt scale

Substances that remove stains through physical or chemical adsorption are considered cleaning adsorbents. Cleaning operations require adsorbents with stronger affinity for stains to ensure effective cleaning

15.Enzyme preparations are catalytic proteins produced by animals, plants, and microorganisms. During cleaning operations, enzyme preparations can undergo biochemical reactions with organic stains, promoting the decomposition and removal of stains. For example, adding protease, lipase, amylase, cellulase, etc., to cleaning agents can speed up the removal of corresponding types of stains

16.Sterilizer, algae, and sludge stripping agent

17.Chemical agents that can kill bacteria and algae on the cleaned surface and strip microbial sludge are called fungicides and sludge strippers. These chemicals can be divided into inorganic and organic types, with inorganic substances usually also possessing oxidizing properties

In summary, different types of industrial cleaning agents each play an indispensable role in the field of industrial cleaning, meeting the needs of various stain types and cleaning scenarios.

The practical application selection of industrial cleaning agents should be determined comprehensively based on the material to be cleaned, stain type, cleaning conditions, and environmental emission requirements: For heavy oil stains on the surfaces of carbon steel workpieces, water-based cleaning agents combining nonionic surfactants with inorganic alkali can be chosen, which have excellent oil emulsification and dispersion ability without causing excessive corrosion to carbon steel, and the subsequent wastewater treatment is relatively difficult; For cleaning residual solder paste and flux in precision electronic components, hydrocarbon non-aqueous solvents are often chosen, with moderate flash points and strong solubility, preventing residual ionic impurities affecting electrical performance and meeting environmental directives such as RoHS; For scale and rust on the inner walls of boilers and heat exchangers, preferably use organic acid-based acid-base cleaning agents combined with metal ion chelating agents, which can dissolve carbonate and sulfate hard scales and stabilize dissolution products through chelation, avoiding secondary deposition of scale residues; For bacterial and algal growth and sludge adhesion in circulating cooling water systems, sterilizers and sludge strippers should be used together, first killing attached bacteria and algae, then stripping loose sludge, and then combining with subsequent flushing to quickly restore system heat exchange efficiency.

As industrial clean production requirements continue to rise, industrial cleaning agents are evolving toward low VOC, biodegradable, phosphorus-free, and fluorine-free green solutions: traditional highly toxic halogenated hydrocarbon solvents are gradually being replaced by environmentally friendly hydrocarbon and alcohol ether solvents, and water-based cleaning agents containing phosphorus additives have gradually transformed into biodegradable phosphorus-free formulations, ensuring cleaning effectiveness while reducing environmental impact. In the future, specialized customized cleaning agents for segmented industrial scenarios will become an important direction for industry development, further improving industrial cleaning efficiency and cleaning levels.