KLT Specialty vs. Generic Cleaners
What’s the difference?
Even with effective pretreatment, membranes will eventually need a thorough cleaning. Generic cleaners (ex. citric acid and caustic soda) may not effectively remove the scale and foulants imbedded on the membrane surface. Even trace residual solid left behind during the cleaning may seed future scale precipitation and fouling, resulting in faster scaling/fouling rates, more frequent cleanings and a decrease in membrane life.
King Lee’s proprietary membrane cleaning formulations include combinations of boosting additives that allow them to attack hard to remove substances in a way that generic cleaners simply cannot. More efficient cleans means lower energy usage, less downtime, and longer membrane life – all leading to long term cost savings.
Buffers
Maintain a more stable pH value by resisting large pH fluctuations. Less of a need to continually add cleaners to stabilize pH.
Builders
Soften the water and help increase surfactant efficacy. Chelating agents that bind with hardness ions increasing cleaning effectiveness.
Chelants
“Grab” and bind with metals in order to remove them from the membrane surface.
Dispersants
Disperse larger colloidal particles which agglomerated together creating larger particles.
Hydrotropes
Solubilize hydrophobic compounds to be flushed out of the system.
Surfactants
Reduces the surface tension which allows the cleaning solution to reach more of the membrane surface creating a “soapy” effect.
King Lee’s proprietary multicomponent formulated membrane cleaners are equipped for stronger reactions to dissolve difficult scale, maintain a more stable pH value during cleaning which requires lower chemical usage, and are better at removing tough organics and insoluble foulants.
Continual pH Fluctuations
Will likely be more influenced by wider pH swings as scale and foulants dissolve. May need to continually add more chemical to stabilize pH. More than with a formulated KLT cleaner.
Weaker Reactions
May not achieve optimal scale and foulant removal because the reactions created may just not be as strong or may not be targeting the correct scales and foulants .
Low Grade
A low grade chemical may contain other impurities which may hinder the cleaner’s performance and may create “unwanted reactions” with residual scale and foulants resulting in a permanent decrease in salt passage or flow.
The up front costs for generic cleaners may be less than proprietary cleaners but over time these are likely to lead to increased cleaning frequency, man power, decreased membrane life and ultimately increased cost.
Decrease your cleaning frequency.
With every subsequent clean using Generic Cleaners (3 CIP events) there is a decrease in permeate flow. The generics don’t fully remove the scale and foulants seeding further scaling. This increases the cleaning frequency within the same time period vs. KLT cleaners (2 CIP events).
Membrane Cleaning Comparison
*Train A & B both have new membrane elements and see identical feedwater.
Membrane Cleaning
Get the most out of your King Lee cleaners and learn best practices including cleaning tips.