Enzyme cleaners are specialized products that help accelerate the process of breaking down organic waste and soils. In addition to helping eliminate stains, they can also fight the pungent odors that accompany many types of decomposing matter. Keep reading to broaden your understanding of how these cleaners work, when enzyme cleaners are particularly useful, and the industries that rely on them every day to keep their facilities clean, safe, and healthy.
What is an enzyme?
Enzymes are proteins that accelerate chemical reactions. Enzymes are highly specific molecules that react with a particular substrate by breaking it down into smaller components. Enzymatic reactions occur everywhere in nature and are vital for most metabolic and biological processes.
How does this help me clean?
Traditional detergents rely on surfactants, the solution’s pH (either acidic or alkaline), builders, and solvents to clean. And there is nothing wrong with that! But sometimes soils can be exceedingly difficult to clean, beyond the effectiveness of traditional detergents. This is where enzymes come in handy.
Enzymes can break down larger soil molecules, like proteins, fats, or starches, into smaller, easier-to-clean pieces. Specially formulated enzyme cleaners, like Zymit® Pro, contain powerful enzymes that break down large soil molecules into smaller pieces that surfactants can easily lift away. It’s important to understand what type of soil you’re targeting so you can choose the correct enzyme cleaner.
Zymit® Pro is a specially formulated enzyme cleaner that contains a powerful blend of surfactants, builders, and protease enzymes. Because protease enzymes break down proteins, this cleaner is especially good at cleaning food and biological soils. Zymit® Pro is formulated with biodegradable ingredients, is solvent-free, phosphate-free, and has a neutral pH. Zymit® Pro is free rinsing and compatible with a large variety of metals, plastics, and elastomers.
A list of uses and industries served by Zymit® Pro include but are not limited to the following:
Zymit Pro Uses:
Ceramics
Cleanrooms
Filter membranes
Gemstones
Glass
Industrial equipment and parts
Labware and instruments
Medical devices
Metal finishing
Stainless steel
Optical lenses
Pharma manufacturing equipment
Tanks, mixers, and fluid lines
Plumbing systems
Process equipment
Zymit® Pro Industries Served:
Academia
Electronics
Filter Membrane Cleaning
Food & Beverage
Forensic & Crime Scene
Government
Industrial
Laboratory
Laundry
Medical
Medical Device
Nutraceutical
Parts Cleaning
Personal Care
Water/Wastewater
Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
Research Laboratory
No matter your industry, if you encounter tough protein soils, Zymit® Pro is the ideal choice for thorough and effective cleaning. For difficult-to-clean soils that include both protein and starch, Zymit® Low Foam may be the right cleaner for you.
Contact our team for more information or to get help finding the right cleaner for your application.
Comments Off on Choosing the Right Automotive Assembly Lubricant
Hoses, seals, O-rings, belts, pads, bushings, and grommets – what do they all have in common? These parts are all made of rubber and are found within your car.
Automobile assemblies are complex and contain many moving parts. The average light vehicle in the US and Canada contains about 206 pounds of rubber, accounting for around 5% of the vehicle’s total weight (Statista n.d.). That is a lot of rubber! That said, the integrity of rubber components is just as important as that of the other parts in a car. Without using a proper rubber assembly lubricant, you risk tearing, fraying, and ripping your rubber parts. Damaged rubber can lead to costly repairs or worse. The P-80 line of temporary rubber assembly lubricants helps prevent these issues by effectively lubricating rubber parts, allowing the parts to easily slide into place while avoiding the damage caused by friction and force. Other industrial oils and lubricants are formulated with chemicals that are harmful to rubber and your health, including mineral oils and solvents. P-80® lubricants do not contain such chemicals and are a safer choice for both your rubber parts and your health.
All four of IPC’s industrial lubricants are perfect for automotive assembly applications. Because each type of part may require that the lubricant have specific characteristics, below is a brief introduction to our lubricants:
A thick, viscous lubricant that does not drip. Ideal for vertical or overhead assemblies.
IPC is the best supplier of assembly lubricants for automotive applications. P-80® products are also perfectly suited for your other industrial lubricant needs. The technical team at IPC is available to answer any questions or further assist you in selecting the perfect lubricant for your automotive application. Contact us today to get started.
Comments Off on Helping You Choose the Right Solution for Medical Device Cleaning and Medical Instrument Cleaning
Whether your medical device is disposable, implantable, or reusable, it must be cleaned before use. Cleaning medical equipment is a crucial step in a successful disinfecting procedure. IPC offers a full line of precision cleaners, each with unique characteristics, that can provide you with the required level of cleanliness prior to disinfecting. IPC’s cleaners offer many benefits: they’re solvent-free, highly concentrated, economical, easy-to-mix liquids, phosphate-free, and, most importantly, effective.
What should you consider when choosing one of IPC’s cleaners as a medical instrument detergent?
The soil to be cleaned (biological, tissue, fingerprints, oil, etc.)
Cleaning temperature (enzymes can’t be used at high temperatures)
The type of material to be cleaned (to make sure the cleaner won’t tarnish metals, etc.)
If enzymes are preferred
Wash method and if foam is an issue or not (we offer both high-foamers and low-foamers)
Choosing the right cleaner:
For removing oils, fingerprints, and debris from the manufacturing process:
Our alkaline cleaners, including Micro-90, Micro Green Clean, and LF2100, are all effective at removing oily residues.
Micro-90 is formulated with a synergistic surfactant blend and chelants to easily remove manufacturing and process soils. Micro Green Clean is just as effective with its biodegradable formula.
LF2100 is a low foaming cleaner for cleaning applications where a high foam level is not acceptable.
Surface-Cleanse/930 is a surfactant-based cleaner that is safer for many surfaces due to its neutral pH.
For cleaning reusable devices, such as endoscopy equipment:
Our enzyme cleaners, such as Zymit Low Foam and Zymit Pro, would be ideal for this situation.
Zymit Low Foam contains both amylase (breaks down starches) and protease (breaks down proteins) enzymes, while Zymit Pro contains just protease enzymes.
These cleaners are powerful at removing biological debris yet are gentle on your devices.
Once your parts are cleaned and rinsed, you can start the next important step: disinfecting. Ensuring that your cleaning and disinfecting process is effective is necessary for preventing infections and rejections in patients who rely on your medical devices and medical instruments. Although IPC does not offer disinfectants, our cleaners effectively remove tough soils that allow your disinfectant step to be thorough and effective.
IPC can help with establishing a cleaning validation protocol. We offer free samples to help you determine your ideal cleaning solution. See our guide on cleaning medical devices for more information. Contact us for questions, technical information, and more.
Comments Off on Why Food Manufacturers Trust IPC’s Cleaners
Disinfectants and other sanitizing agents cannot adequately sanitize a surface with leftover food residue on it. These contaminants can harbor harmful germs and bacteria. Cleaning removes traces of dirt, debris, and dust and primes surfaces and equipment for disinfection. Simply put, cleaning is just as important as disinfecting, and that’s why selecting an appropriate cleaner is crucial for achieving your facility’s cleanliness goals. The right cleaner will easily remove all food residues and soils so that your sanitizing step is thorough and effective. IPC has several products available to help you effortlessly achieve your cleaning needs.
Why Cleaning is as Critical as Sterilization for Food Manufacturing
Foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria, viruses, and molds and spread via cross-contamination. Performed correctly, cleaning and sanitizing can protect the health of employees and consumers by virtually eliminating the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Cleaning is a process that involves the removal of unwanted dirt, debris, and contaminants. It is an essential first step in your sanitization procedure. IPC’s cleaners are formulated with surfactants and builders and are available in several different pHs.
Disinfecting uses chemicals, like bleach or quats, to destroy microorganisms, which is why cleaning is a pivotal first step. You need to ensure all of your food processing surfaces are clean enough to have contact with the sanitizer. Leftover food debris or other contaminants prevent sanitizers from adequately reaching the food contact surface and destroying microbes.
Cleaning and disinfecting go hand-in-hand, but cleaning must be performed first since the disinfecting step will not effectively sanitize soiled surfaces or equipment.
Why Manufacturers Trust IPC for Food Processing Cleaning
Manufacturers trust IPC for food processing cleaning because our powerful cleaners are mild and cover a wide range of needs.
We have several types of formulations available, including:
Acidic, neutral, and alkaline pHs,
Enzyme cleaners,
High and low foamers,
Biodegradable options.
All of our cleaners are NSF-registered A1 general-purpose cleaners.
Since no government regulatory agency controls cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, NSF fills this void by requiring all formulas to undergo formulation, label, and traceability review prior to certification (Dezsi 2021).
We also offer two NSF-registered H1 lubricants for incidental food contact, P-80® Emulsion IFC and P-80® Thix IFC, for all your assembly needs.
All IPC formulas are:
Phosphate-free
Solvent-free
Fragrance-free
Low VOC
Our cleaners provide fast, effective soil removal.
This decreases downtime so you can get back to production quickly.
Our formulas are free-rinsing.
Water easily rinses away our cleaners off of your surfaces. This means no residue buildup on your equipment.
We offer free cleaning validation reports to help you set up your own procedure.
Our cleaners are safe for use on stainless steel, glassware, ceramics, most plastics, and more.
Although our non-corrosive cleaners are unlikely to damage equipment, we always recommend our customers test our cleaners first
Extends the potential operational lifetime of equipment when compared to using more corrosive cleaners.
Highly concentrated and competitively priced, our cleaners are an economical solution for cleaning your food processing facility.
A simple 1-2% solution of our cleaners in water makes for a powerful cleaning solution.
We provide free samples and technical support
IPC provides free samples for all cleaning products as well as complimentary technical support to ensure that your plant is utilizing the best possible cleaning procedure.
Our product specialists are experts in cleaning and validation procedures for food processing. We have cleaning validation methods available to help get you started.
Getting Started With Your IPC Cleaner
Once you’ve selected your ideal IPC cleaner, we can show you how to develop a more effective cleaning process for your food processing plant. Contact us for more information, to request a free sample, or for technical support.
New year, more solutions! DuBois Chemicals acquired International Products Corporation (IPC) in July 2021. DuBois’ European operations in the Netherlands began managing the supply of IPC products and services for Europe in February 2022.
IPC’s line of specialty chemical products, including cleaners and assembly lubricants, allows DuBois to expand their chemistry and process knowledge capabilities with new robust solutions in the European market.
P-80® Lubricants possess the unique property of being temporary rubber assembly lubricants. After assembly, the water dries, and the part is left securely in place. Due to the lubricating oils in our lubricants, a tiny amount of residue may remain on the parts. Sometimes, the question of how these residues may impact automotive fuels is brought up. So we had our industrial lubricant residues independently tested for compatibility with both gasoline and diesel fuels to give our automotive customers confidence and peace of mind when using P-80 Lubricants.
Comments Off on An Easy Guide to Understanding How Surfactants Work
What is a Surfactant?
Surfactants are a primary component of cleaning detergents. The word surfactant means surface active agent. As the name implies, surfactants stir up activity on the surface you are cleaning to help trap dirt and remove it from the surface.
Surfactants have a hydrophobic (water-hating) tail and a hydrophilic (water-loving) head. The hydrophobic tail of each surfactant surrounds soils. The hydrophilic head is surrounded by water.
How do surfactants work?
When there are a sufficient amount of surfactant molecules present in a solution they combine together to form structures called micelles. As the micelle forms, the surfactant heads position themselves so they are exposed to water, while the tails are grouped together in the center of the structure protected from water.
The micelles work as a unit to remove soils. The hydrophobic tails are attracted to soils and surround them, while the hydrophilic heads pull the surrounded soils off the surface and into the cleaning solution. Then the micelles reform with the tails suspending the soil in the center of the structure.
Types of Surfactants
The hydrophilic head of each surfactant is electrically charged. The charge can be negative, positive, or neutral. Depending on the charge of the hydrophilic head, the surfactant is classified as anionic, nonionic, cationic or amphoteric.
Anionic Surfactants
Anionic surfactants have a negative charge on their hydrophilic end. The negative charge helps the surfactant molecules lift and suspend soils in micelles. Because they are able to attack a broad range of soils, anionic surfactants are used frequently in soaps and detergents. Anionic surfactants create a lot of foam when mixed. While anionic surfactants are excellent for lifting and suspending particulate soils, they are not as good at emulsifying oily soils.
Sulfates, sulfonates, and gluconates are examples of anionic surfactants.
Nonionic Surfactants
Nonionic surfactants are neutral, they do not have any charge on their hydrophilic end. Nonionic surfactants are very good at emulsifying oils and are better than anionic surfactants at removing organic soils. The two are frequently used together to create dual-action, multi-purpose cleaners that can not only lift and suspend particulate soils, but also emulsify oily soils.
Certain nonionic surfactants can be non-foaming or low-foaming. This makes them a good choice as an ingredient in low-foaming detergents.
Nonionic surfactants have a unique property called a cloud point. The cloud point is the temperature at which the nonionic surfactant begins to separate from the cleaning solution, called phase separation. When this occurs, the cleaning solution becomes cloudy. This is considered the temperature for optimal detergency. For low foaming cleaners, optimal detergency is at the cloud point; for foaming cleaners optimal detergency is either just below the cloud point or at the start of the cloud point. The agitation of low foaming cleaners is sufficient to prevent phase separation.
The temperature of the cloud point depends upon the ratio of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions of the nonionic surfactant. Some cloud points are at room temperature while others are very high. Some nonionic surfactants don’t have a cloud point because they have a very high ratio of hydrophilic to hydrophobic moieties.
Examples of some common nonionic surfactants include cocamide, ethoxylates, and alkoxylates.
Cationic Surfactants
Cationic surfactants have a positive charge on their hydrophilic end. The positive charge makes them useful in anti-static products, like fabric softeners. Cationic surfactants can also serve as antimicrobial agents, so they are often used in disinfectants.
Cationic surfactants cannot be used with anionic surfactants. If positively charged cationic surfactants are mixed with negatively charged anionic surfactants, they will fall out of solution and no longer be effective. Cationic and nonionic surfactants, however, are compatible.
Examples of some common cationic surfactants include alkyl ammonium chlorides.
Amphoteric Surfactants
Amphoteric surfactants have a dual charge on their hydrophilic end, both positive and negative. The dual charges cancel each other out creating a net charge of zero, referred to as zwitterionic. The pH of any given solution will determine how the amphoteric surfactants react. In acidic solutions, the amphoteric surfactants become positively charged and behave similarly to cationic surfactants. In alkaline solutions, they develop a negative charge, similar to anionic surfactants.
Amphoteric surfactants are often used in personal care products such as shampoos and cosmetics. Examples of some frequently used amphoteric surfactants are betaines and amino oxides.
How Surfactants are used in Cleaners
Surfactants are a key ingredient in cleaning products. One thing that differentiates cleaning products is how they are made. Cleaners made from a single chemical, targeting a specific type of soil, are referred to as commodity cleaners. Cleaners that are blends of various chemical ingredients designed to work together to remove various types of soils are referred to as formulated cleaners.
Formulated cleaners usually contain four basic elements: surfactants, hydrotropes, builders and carriers. Hydrotropes are chemicals that keep the otherwise incompatible surfactants and builders stable in a solution. The carrier is either water or a solvent. These elements work together to create mechanical actions to remove soils. The end result is a product that can attack dirt on surfaces with a variety of cleaning mechanisms including emulsifying, lifting, dispersing, sequestering, suspending and decomposing soils of various types. The type of surfactants used in a cleaning product largely determines which soils they will be best at removing.
IPC offers a full line of formulated cleaners that among the safest yet most effective solutions on the market. Request a free sample to test our products for your most challenging cleaning applications.
Comments Off on The Importance of Cleaning Before Disinfecting
Disinfecting surfaces to kill traces of microbes and disease is a critical concern right now. A common misconception is that simply disinfecting a surface is enough to sanitize it. This is not the case, cleaning and disinfecting are both important parts of a thorough sanitizing process.
Why do both?
Surfaces must be properly cleaned prior to disinfecting. Removing traces of dirt, debris, and dust primes surfaces and equipment for disinfection. Soils can harbor germs and bacteria. Disinfection becomes less effective if surface soils are present.
What happens if I disinfect without cleaning?
If a surface is disinfected before it is cleaned, the remaining soils can still contribute to the growth of harmful microbes and lead to further contamination. The residual soils may also serve as a barrier, preventing the disinfectant from reaching the surface and doing its job. Lingering soils on the surface may affect the active chemicals in a disinfectant, impacting their efficiency. If the surface is thoroughly cleaned first, and validated for cleanliness, the disinfection step becomes much more effective.
What are the steps for proper cleaning and disinfecting?
Comments Off on A Look Back: IPC’s Top 5 Blog Posts of 2019
2020 marks the start of a new year and a new decade. The start of a new year also provides an opportunity to reflect on what was learned over the past year. At IPC, we’re thrilled to see how the popularity of our blog has grown exponentially over the past year. Some of you liked the blog posts so much, you came back more than once! Here is a review of our most popular posts of 2019.
IPC’s 5 Most Popular Posts of 2019
1. 5 Reasons Why P-80 Is the Best O-Ring Lubricant
Remember the last time you had to install an O-ring? Maybe you were assembling new equipment or repairing a pump. Regardless of the type of equipment involved, unless you used an O-ring lubricant chances are you may have struggled with the installation….
2. Why Micro-90® is A Lab Tech’s Best Friend
Regular cleaning is one of the easiest ways to keep your equipment functioning properly. Apparatus that is not thoroughly cleaned can yield inaccurate and inconsistent results. Trace ingredients from previous use must be removed to avoid cross-contamination and to ensure that all future test results are error-free….
3. Do You Need P-80® Temporary Rubber Assembly Lubricants?
How many times have you pushed a rubber hose onto a fitting only to find it wouldn’t slide into place because the fit was just too tight? Or, how about all of those seals and O-rings that twisted or tore because it took so much force to seat them? Remember the frustration you felt after pushing a grommet into place and then watching it pop right back out?…
4. 5 Step Guide to Choosing The Right Assembly Lubricant
Rubber can be difficult to install, remove or manipulate. It’s not unusual for rubber parts to slip or break during assembly or not fit into place: an O-ring may get twisted, a heater hose may not fully insert, or a gap can appear in a waterproof seal. Improper assembly can lead to a multitude of problems including destroyed parts, invalidated warranty claims, product recalls, and worker fatigue or injury…
5. Selecting the Right Ultrasonic Cleaning Detergent for Regulated Industries
Regulated industries use ultrasonic cleaning for pharmaceutical equipment, medical devices, surgical equipment, labware, optical instruments, and dental equipment because it is highly effective at removing soil and debris before sterilization, especially on intricate or hard-to-reach parts. A detergent must be used in conjunction with ultrasonic cleaning in order to effectively remove most soils. A multipurpose cleaner is ideal because of its versatility…
We have more great content coming your way in 2020. Subscribe to the IPC blog so you don’t miss our newest posts.
Comments Off on Selecting the Right Ultrasonic Cleaning Detergent for Regulated Industries
Regulated industries use ultrasonic cleaning for pharmaceutical equipment, medical devices, surgical equipment, labware, optical instruments, and dental equipment because it is highly effective at removing soil and debris before sterilization, especially on intricate or hard-to-reach parts. A detergent must be used in conjunction with ultrasonic cleaning in order to effectively remove most soils. A multipurpose cleaner is ideal because of its versatility.
3 Things to Consider When Selecting the Right Detergent for Your Ultrasonic Cleaner
1. What are the Soils?
Understanding which soils you need to remove will guide you in choosing the right detergent. Micro-90® is an alkaline cleaner that is designed to work well on a broad spectrum of soils. It is extremely effective for removing oil, grease, wax, tar, flux, particulates, and biological debris.
Most commercial critical cleaners are effective in removing dirt, but many are also corrosive, harmful if inhaled, and environmentally hazardous. Safer cleaning detergents will be free of phosphates, solvents, silicates, phenols, and substances of very high concern.
View this video to see the effectiveness of Micro-90 in ultrasonic cleaning.
Using Micro-90 in Ultrasonic Cleaning
Micro-90 is a multipurpose, alkaline concentrate that provides superior performance in ultrasonic cleaning. The ingredients in Micro-90 penetrate tough oils and greasy films, allowing the soil to become suspended in the solution without the risk of redepositing. These properties make Micro-90 just as effective as corrosive cleaners without the health or environmental risks. Micro-90 does not contain solvents, phosphates, or heavy metals. In fact, Micro-90 removes hard metals in water that would otherwise detract from the detergency of the solution.
The ingredients in Micro-90 were chosen for easy validation in an FDA process. Reports can be provided upon request. It is also NSF registered as a USDA-A1 Cleaner. Micro-90 can be used in concentrations as low as 0.5% up to 5%, and concentration can be easily determined by conductivity. Micro-90 has a high cloud point, making it easy to see when parts are clean. When properly rinsed, Micro-90 leaves no residue.
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