INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL CLEANING

Because cleanliness is next to godliness, plus the fact that the modern civilized world is based upon given postulates (i.e. faith, contracts, etc.), virtually everything must be cleaned, being that it is for safety, inspection, or esthetic reasons.

Industry particularly is very "Cleaning Oriented" to provide better and more desirable working conditions for their employees - hopefully gaining more production thereby; inspection, overhaul, and safety are all reasons for cleaning as well as other secondary reasons.

The best way to clean a soil (and there are multitudes of soil) is obviously the fastest and the cheapest as both time and money are the two requirements that a clean surface demands. Consequently, the clients are buying a clean surface or object, not a cleaning agent. This is based upon the premise that people by quarter inch holes, not quarter inch drills. They do need the hole but really not the drill.

Cleaning compounds are as old in our culture as civilization itself, stemming from a simple water wash-off to exotic processing of any manufacturing product. The two other essentials for the process are mechanical agitation and cleaning solutions.

We will explore in this brief treatise virtually all the common and some exotic methods, means, and compounds for industrial, commercial, and general cleaning.

But first, some elementary chemistry:

One does not need to be a chemist or a chemical engineer to sell chemicals. One does need to be a super salesman, a mover of goods, enthusiastic, a producer, etc. However, some knowledge is required in basic chemistry so that one can make correct recommendations and avoid pitfalls that are common to those with limited knowledge in the use of cleaning compounds.

PH

All cleaning compounds have a common measurement. It is pH. The standard pH scale runs from 1 to 14 and measures the acid-alkali in the compound. With water being ranked 7 or neutral. So we have this industry wide standard measurement of:

1-6 heavy to mild acidity. Water neutral of 7. 8-14 mild to heavy alkali. Undiluted concentrated acids are in the heavy corrosive area of 1 to 3. 3 to 6 are normal diluted versions of acids and acid products with the majority of acid based cleaners being in this range of 4.5 to 6.6. Alkaline cleaners are around 9 to 11 with the heavy corrosive types being 11 to 14. 9 i.e. caustic soda-sodium hydroxide.

In order to neutralize acid, you mix alkali with it, and vice-versa for alkaline. For instance, if you have 50% by volume sulfuric acid (which means that it is mixed with 50% water), you can neutralize it with an alkali something like this: if the pH is 5, you neutralize it with an alkaline product with a pH of 9.

Obviously, if you mix an acid cleaner with an alkaline cleaner on a soil they will neutralize each other and will not work or clean.

BASICS

Most cleaning compounds are INORGANIC. That is, they contain no carbon or carbon derivatives. The easiest way to learn the difference is to remember that ORGANIC means that carbon is present. This means virtually all fossil fuel-based chemicals, (e.g., petrochemicals, solvents, oils, distillates, etc.) contain carbon-hydrogen molecules.

It is obvious how these types of compounds go after soil, particularly organic or greased-based dirt. This is all of the common degreasers, which cut everything from grease to wax by merely super, or hyper-diluting.

The way INORGANIC compounds clean is by SAPONIFICATION, which reconstitutes a soil by re-completing it. With an acid soil, an alkaline cleaner will neutralize (the soil) and with the aid of soap, detergent, chelates, sequesterants, or surfactants, will lift, remove and adequately loosen soils so that a high-pressure spray (hot or cold water) rinse will remove it. The reverse is true for an alkaline-based soil which, incidentally, is the most commonly found.

COMPOUNDS

The following is an itemization of common applications of cleaning compounds called in the industry "chemical specialties."

• Heavy duty alkaline cleaners: pH from 10 to 12.5 or 13. Usually powdered and sold by the pound from 30 cents up, depending upon the ingredients. Most are similar to Tide (laundry detergent) with some phosphates, chlorides, surfactants, etc., and many are buffered to prevent attack on non-ferrous metals, as most acid and alkalis will go after non-ferrous metals, (which means everything that is not iron or steel, i.e. aluminum, cadmium or cad plate, magnesium, or titanium). These garden variety cleaners run the spectrum from heavy to light duty.
• Heavy duty acid cleaners: pH from 4.5 to 6. Usually implemented where an alkaline cleaner is ineffective or in a processing line where an alkaline cleaner would carry through the metal processing line and neutralize subsequent acid-based baths (or spray applications such as in iron or zinc phosphatizing; which is the base coating that is applied over bare metal for corrosion resistance under paint application). We do not at this time offer an acid base cleaner to supply to this type of metal processing. These cleaners are always mostly liquid.
• Solvent based-cleaners: Stoddard solvent or kerosene type of compounds, vapor degreasing utilizing tri-chloroethylene or perchloroethylene are the most common in this area. Emulsion types, although highly selective, either from an application or soil standpoint are also in this group. An emulsion is a solvent based product with chlorinated hydrocarbons that is miscible with water and, as such, turn milky white for a complete water mix. They can be used with water or straight.
• Decarbonizers: Baked on soil like carbon (e.g. exhausts from aircraft engines or automotive and gas residues, varnishes, fuel glazes, etc.) are the toughest to remove and usually are complicated as they are found on non-ferrous surfaces. Consequently, the product utilized must be buffered on inhibited so as not to attack the metal surface such as an aircraft application. So stringent are these regulations and requirements that Federal, Military, and Airframe manufactures, as well as air carriers have laid down minimum requisites for structural safety and integrity on an aircraft.

They range from heavy-duty soak tank to light duty spray application and are both acidic and alkaline in basis. Many incorporate available chlorides and exotic compounds to hit the soil and not the metal. An example would be a cresylic acid-based product with methylene chloride with an inhibitor to prevent any available hydrogen molecules from entering the metal, which would cause hydrogen embrittlement (e.g. an aircraft landing gear, as the hydrogen molecules would migrate in the metal at the point of the most stress and cause metal fatigue-drystallization and ultimately fail and break). A salient example of a product like this is the garden variety of Gunk or carburetor cleaner found at any automotive or airmotive shop.

WATER IS NOT REALLY SUPER WET UNTIL CERTAIN PHYSIOCHEMICAL ACTIONS OCCUR

Colloidal particles called Micelles perform in reducing surface tension of water in a very dilute solution. Each Micelle is about one ten-millionth of a centimeter (0.000,000,01cm) in size. Although the physical action is electrical in nature, it is perhaps more readily visualized by "Hydrophilic" or having an affinity for water. The rectangular ends may be regarded as "Hydrophobic" or being antagonistic to water.

It has been demonstrated that substances such as petroleum compounds, waxes, the more complex alcohols, oil soluble dyes and other substances that are insoluble in dilute detergent solutions will dissolve on solutions that contain these colloidal particles called Micelles. In laboratory tests the syne/centimeter surface tension of tap water has been halved by the adding of as little as 1/3250th part of ENERGY III.

This may serve to explain why the invention of ENERGY III allows us to constitute so many solutions from one product that can have the properties of a soap, a detergent, a solvent or other cleaners and yet be none of these in itself, and to do so with so nearly perfect a safety factor.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ENERGY III COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION AGENTS

ENERGY III CHEMICAL AGENTS = SAFETY!!! AGENTS are completely "People Safe" and will not harm or dry out normal skin. There are NO effects from over-exposure. NO emergency or first aid procedures are required, except if splashed into eyes, flush with water. NO special equipment or protection devices needed when using agents. AGENTS DO NOT require any special precautions for handling or storage.

AGENTS are NON-HAZARDOUS, NON-FLAMMAGLE, NON-TOXIC, NON-EXPLOSIVE, NON-FUMING, AND NON CAUSTIC.

AGENTS are safe on plastics, fabrics, paints, leather, metals, wood, glass, ivory and ceramics when used as directed. AGENTS may be used on anything that is safe in water.

AGENTS conform or exceed EPA standards for biodegradability.. Biodegradability refers to the breaking down and returning of a substance to a natural state through natural action. This happens when bacteria attacks the substance and returns it to nature. However, the word "biodegradable" means nothing by itself, as all materials will eventually return to a natural state. The key is how soon or how long. When a substance biodegrades too quickly it becomes a "Biostimulant," and as in the case of phosphates, becomes a pollutant aging the waters by using too many bacteria too quickly, (eutrophication), which is what has happened to the Great Lakes. When a substance biodegrades in excess of the optimum EPA standard, it is considered a hard chemical. These hard chemicals resist microorganisms and can persist in the environment for many years. DDT is an example of a hard chemical. These are generally very soluble in fats and when ingested in food, can be dangerous to our health.

Phosphates can biodegrade in 24 hours where mercury takes over 100 years to biodegrade. Therefore, to say that a thing is biodegradable or biodegrades is incomplete and must be clarified by the time period in which the biodegradation occurs. ENERGY III AGENTS biodegrade in accordance with the EPA standards for biodegradability.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ENERGY III COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION AGENT

ENERGY III is an amber colored liquid having a mildly pleasant odor and a viscosity of 110 cps (centipoises). The pH is 10.3 to 10.5 and the boiling point of 212 F. The product is Non-Toxic and has no flash point.

ENERGY III is 99.935% water soluble with .065% insoluble matter. The vapor pressure at 20 c is 17.0 mm (millimeters) and the vapor density is .62 of air (air = 1). The specific gravity is 1.017 @ 20 c with a surface tension of 29.5 (dynes per cm at 25 c). The evaporation rate is .7 of butyl acetate (Butyl Acetate = 1).

ENERGY III AGENTS may be mixed with alkalis, certain types of salts, certain types of acids and petroleum solvents for those jobs that may require special applications.

BSP ENERGY III is not a soap, detergent, or petroleum solvent.

ENERGY III is a homogeneous blend of colloids, sequesterants, surfactants, and hyper-wetting AGENTS that become SUPERACTIVE when processed together. The cleaning action is unique and can only be related to the reaction of the atom in an atomic explosion where the ceaseless random movements of the atoms taking place in the product actually lifts, separates, and holds in separation the oils, greases, dirt, soils, etc. which have been penetrated by our AGENTS. Although we refer to AGENTS as cleaners, they are not a soap or a detergent so their use is not limited to just cleaning.

What happens when we clean with ENERGY III AGENTS? Our AGENTS demonstrate the magnetic qualities and attraction of the suspension AGENTS which give them an extremely wide range of power in the jobs it will do. Since the AGENTS simply penetrate into soils and stir things up, their design is like NO other cleaner and will continue to work as long as there is moisture to work with. Although they work equally well in fresh or salt water, water is a prime factor in their cleaning processes.

Because our AGENTS work in this unusual manner, time is important. Therefore we must re-learn our cleaning methods to allow for "dwell" time; or time to allow the agent to lift and separate.

Occasionally, or on heavy soil, agitation will also be needed to assist the cleaning process and speed up the action.

If you think of cleaning as a pie cut into four pieces, which include time, chemical, energy, and heat, you can visualize how cleaning works. If you make chemical a smaller piece, you will have to increase the other three pieces, or at least one of them to compensate for the smaller amount of chemical. So, if you decide to decrease the amount of chemical you will perhaps increase the agitation by using a brush or increase heat by using a steam cleaner, or increase both by using a steam cleaner with a jet spray. If you do not increase either of these pieces, then you must allow additional "dwell time" to compensate for the decrease of chemical. This formula works for each of the pieces of pie. Increase the chemical and you can decrease the time, energy, heat, or all three.

ENERGY III ANALYTICAL DATA

Concentrations of MG/1 of:

• PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
• INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL CLEANING
• ENERGY III CHEMICAL PRODUCT LINE
• APPLICATIONS 1
• APPLICATIONS 2