There are many types of industrial cleaners, and the classification is relatively simple, mainly based on their organic chemical composition: organic chemical cleaners and analytical chemical cleaners. In addition, some cleaning agents may have different effects on different stains, or have multiple effects on the same stain, so they can be categorized according to their main function. The main types of industrial cleaning agents include:
1. Aqueous and non-aqueous organic solvents
Organic solvents are those that can remove stains by dissolving or dispersing them without forming stable new chemicals. Such solvents include water and non-aqueous organic solvents.
(1) Water: Water is the most important organic solvent present in nature. In industrial cleaning, water is not only the solvent of most organic cleaning agents, but also an effective solvent for many stains. In the cleaning process, where water can be used to remove stains, there is no need to use non-aqueous organic solvents or other chemical additives.
(2) Non-aqueous organic solvents: Non-aqueous organic solvents include hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters, phenols, etc., which are suitable for dissolving organic stains, such as oil and certain organic substances.
2. Surfactants
The molecular structure of surfactants is both hydrophilic and lipophilic. When added in small amounts, surfactants can significantly reduce the surface tension of organic solvents (usually water) and perform a variety of functions such as lubricating, solubilizing, emulsifying, dispersing and cleaning. Surfactants are classified in various ways, usually according to their electrolyte properties in organic solvents and the ionization type of hydrophilic groups, and the common ones are cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants and nonionic surfactants. The first three types are ionic surfactants, which are widely used in daily life and industrial cleaning.
3. Acid-base cleaners
This type of cleaner transforms stains into a form that can be dissolved or dispersed in a cleaning solution by reacting with the stain with a strong acid or alkali (sometimes accompanied by reactions such as air oxidation reduction), and common ingredients include citric acid, strong oxidizing agents, alkali, and salts that are acidic or alkaline after hydrolysis. Most acid and alkaline cleaners consist of an acid and alkali solution and the necessary modifiers. Another type of acid or base that melts at high temperatures and is capable of converting otherwise insoluble stains into soluble compounds is often referred to as a melting agent. This type of cleaner is effective in treating stains that are difficult to remove with organic solvents or aqueous solutions.
4. Air oxidizers
This type of cleaner mainly relies on a chemical reaction with the stain to remove it, and belongs to the category of reducing or oxidizing agents, including melting agents. Reducing agents are used to remove stains with oxidizing properties, such as many organic stains, while oxidizing agents are used to remove stains with reducing properties, such as rust.
5. Metal ionizing chelating agents
This type of cleaner transforms a stain into a chelate that is soluble in the cleaner by a coordination reaction with the metal ions in the stain. This type of cleaner or modifier is known as chelating agent and is commonly used in the cleaning of rust stains and carbonate stains.
6. Catalyst carriers
Catalyst carriers are chemicals that remove stains by physically or chemically adsorbing them. Catalyst carriers with strong adsorption ability to stains should be selected to improve the cleaning effect.
7. Enzymes are proteins produced by small animals, plants and microbial strains that have the ability to catalyze reactions. During the stain cleaning process, it can have specific biochemical reactions with organic stains, thus promoting the dissolution and removal of stains. For example, the addition of trypsin, lipase, pepsin and cellulase to a cleaning agent can accelerate the removal of specific stains.
8. Bacteria and Algae Destroyers and Sludge Strippers are chemicals that destroy bacteria and algae on clean surfaces to remove microbial strains and sludge. These agents include both inorganic and organic components, with the inorganic component usually being an oxidizing agent.