Chemical cleaning is an effective method to remove contaminations, corrosion and hard deposits formed on the internal surfaces of pipelines and industrial equipment. It may be, as a production residue or grease, scale formation, neoplasms and hard deposits.

Chemical cleaning divides into two types:

Pre-start Chemical Cleaning

It is a mandatory measure for the commissioning of modern and high-precision equipment. Chemical cleaning is carried out to prevent particles of scale, corrosion, dirt and preservation grease from entering the system, which can lead to excessive wear and damage of piston and rotating equipment. Pre-start chemical cleaning eliminates the risk of problems during start-up, operation and maintenance.

Operational Chemical Cleaning

The deposits are formed on the internal surfaces of industrial equipment and pipelines during operation. The neoplasms reduce the efficiency of the equipment, the productivity of pipelines and the quality of the final product. Scheduled chemical cleaning eliminates necessity of emergency manufacturing shutdown due to the failure of equipment, valves and filters.
Failure to carry out chemical cleaning or implementation of imperfect cleaning methods can lead to the most serious consequences: manufacturing shutdown, equipment downtime, major repairs, dismantling and liquidation of production facilities.

«Chemical Cleaning Technologies» LLC helps to avoid economic, industrial-technological, ecological and labor losses by completely restoring and cleaning the polluted surfaces.

Types and description of chemical cleaning technologies

1. Pre-startup cleaning in a place (PCIP)/Pre-starting chemical cleaning in-place by circulation method

The main purpose of pre-start chemical cleaning is to ensure the necessary cleanliness of the equipment surface before start up.

Its purpose is to remove production residue, rust, corrosion products, welding burr, lubrication oils, sand and other contaminants from the installed pipelines and equipment that may appear during transportation, long-term storage and erection.

Pre-start chemical cleaning includes a set of operations: first the high-speed water flushing of the internal circuits surfaces is carried out to remove contaminants that are poorly coupled with the metal surface – sand, loose pollution, burr, etc. In order to remove the lubricants and oils from the surface. The surfaces are treated with an alkaline solution after the water flushing. It isn’t until after then it safe to proceed to the main stage of pre-start up treatment – treatment of deposits with an acid detergent formula. The next phase is the creating of a protective metal oxide film on the cleaned surface to prevent re-corrosion. The neutralization of the waste solution ends chemical flushing stage.

2. Clean-in-place (CIP)/Operational chemical cleaning in-place by circulation method

The operational chemical flushing is carried out in order to remove corrosion products and deposits formed during the equipment operation. The operational flushing during the equipment service life might be repeated several times versus pre-start cleaning which carries out just before start-up.

The acid and alkaline washing are the main operation of operational chemical cleaning of pipelines and equipment from the formed deposits that can be carried out by various methods and means. At the same time, the cleaning effect directly depend on the agent selection accuracy, the concentration and speed of the washing solution, the temperature, solution contact duration with the deposits of their quantitative and quality characteristics.

This measure is necessary to ensure the undisturbed and efficient operation of the equipment and to prevent the creation of an emergency.

3. Chemical cleaning by reagents high pressure spraying

This method of removing contaminants is used to clean tanks, reservoirs and pipelines of large diameters. It is used in case of an impossible option to fill a vessel with a cleaning solution.

Properly selected cleaning solutions and a great variety of the spray heads allows to meet the challenge of washing from the pipe lines diameter up to tens of meters in diameter.

Extraordinary efficiency is achieved by spraying solution through rotating nozzles and heads providing an intensive supply of washing liquid. Therefore, a heavy stream is applying to the surface and thus a scraper effect is achieved, that enhances the action of reagents. Jets pass over the entire surface along a certain trajectory treating each surface area under powerful pressure. The temperature of the washing liquid up to 70°.

4. Chemical cleaning by solution dip

Current solution dip method used to prepare and clean off pipes, mountings, parts and components of the pipeline, as well as metal and general-purpose products. This cleaning method is advisable when it is necessary to process treat the equipment before erection and after dismantling of the system, after the manufacture or long-term storage of system elements and during the process treatment of pipes and general-purpose products of ship systems according to OST 5P. 9527-94(industry specific standard of Russian Federation).

The chemical preparation units are used for chemical treatment by immersion. The main working area of them is a certain number of baths arranged in a certain sequence with appropriately selected etching reagent. This equipment contains stirring via a special pipe distribution system. The cleaned elements at the end of the technology process are moved to the drying compartment for further processing in order to protect against atmospheric corrosion during transportation and storage.

Failure to carry out chemical cleaning or implementation of imperfect cleaning methods can lead to very serious consequences: manufacturing shutdown, equipment downtime, major repairs, dismantling and liquidation of production facilities.

«Chemical Cleaning Technologies» LLC helps to avoid economic, industrial-technological, ecological and labor losses by complete restoring and cleaning of the polluted surfaces.