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Materials Compatibility

Trustwater™ AQ Ecasol™ is proven not to corrode stainless steel processing equipment.

Trustwater™ has developed a new Electro Chemical Activation (ECA) technology specifically for use in Clean-in-Place (CIP) and other surface-contact applications. This latest range, the AQ, has the highest salt conversion efficiency of any ECA-type technology, and as such, the lowest residual salt levels in the generated solutions. Trustwater™ AQ technology is the only ECA technology that complies with the warranties of the leading beverage bottling equipment manufacturers.

Corrosion has been one of the most significant disadvantages of on-site or ECA technologies to date. Certain plants have experienced serious corrosion issues due to high-chloride content solutions. In order to demonstrate the non-corrosive nature of Trustwater™s AQ technology, a study was commissioned at the German BAM Institute.

The BAM Institute was chosen to carry out the study because of its international reputation as a corrosion testing and materials analysis institute. It was established in 1920 and is the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing.

Stainless Steel 304 (X5CrNi18-10) was chosen as it is known to be more sensitive to corrosion than Stainless Steel 316. The chloride content of three solutions was studied: (1) Trustwater™ AQ Ecasol™ (2) FEM 3 solution and (3) Flat plate solution.

1. Trustwater™ AQ Ecasol™ – 50mg/l – “Low Salinity”
2. FEM 3 solution – 800mg/l – “Standard Salinity”, and
3. Flat plate solution – 1,300mg/l – “High Salinity”.

The tests were carried out in accordance with test procedures of ASTM Standard G61 and DIN EN ISO 17475: “Conducting Cyclic Potentiodynamic Polarization Measurements for Localized Corrosion Susceptibility of Iron, Nickel, or Cobalt-Based Alloys”. This specific protocol deliberately forces corrosion to occur, and then measures the continuance of corrosion or lack thereof. All solutions were diluted in de-ionized water in order to contain an identical FAC (Free available chlorine) content of 40ppm, 20-40ppm is commonly used in CIP sanitising processes.

The graph below details the position of the pitting corrosion potential of the three ECA solutions tested. The graph clearly illustrates that the AQ solution does not continue corroding, rather a re-passivation of the material occurs. In contrast, the two other solutions tested caused continued corrosion.

The report states, when used for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, the Trustwater™ AQ solutions will not result in corrosion when applied at a concentration of 40mg/l FAC. However, this cannot be said for the high salinity solutions typified by other ECA-type technologies.

Commercial Implications:

Testing results demonstrably indicate that no corrosion problems are to be expected when Trustwater™’s AQ Ecasol™ solution is used in sanitising equipment or procedures within the Food & Beverage processing industry. Conversely, testing data indicates that both FEM-3 and Flat Plate technologies pose a significant corrosion risk to stainless steel equipment.

Food & beverage equipment manufacturers’ warranty policies clearly state the acceptable chloride content levels for use with their equipment. As depicted on the graph below, only Trustwater™s AQ technology complies with standard warranty specifications.

Clean-In-Place

• Improve Efficiency
• Low Salinity
• Sustainability Benefits
• Reduce CIP Time
• Improve Profitability

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