Use of extended surfactants in process membrane cleaning
AssigneeEcolab USA Inc.
InventorsPaul Frazer Schacht, Caleb Power, Keith G. Lascotte, Elizabeth Irey, Sukhwan Soontravanich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are membrane separation cleaning processes and clean in place compositions for such membranes. The cleaning compositions can remove proteins, fats, and other food, beverage, and brewery based soils and offer an environmentally friendly alternative surfactant system to NPE. Branched extended chain PO/EO nonionic surfactants with certain characteristics may be used to provide superior cleaning to membranes. The specific surfactants may be used alone or in combination. In some embodiments, the surfactant package is used as part of a cleaning composition.
Claims36
A method for cleaning a membrane filter system comprising:
- washing a membrane with a composition comprising a surfactant comprising one or more branched extended nonionic surfactants with a contact angle of less than 20 degrees, and a cloud point of 50° C. or higher,
- wherein said branched extended nonionic surfactant comprises a surfactant booster having the following formula:
- R-[L]x-[O—CH2-CH2]y
- where R is a branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms, L is a propylene oxide (PO) linking group, x is the chain length of the linking group ranging from 2-25, and y is the average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 2 to 20.
A method of cleaning a filtration membrane comprising:
- applying to said membrane a cleaning composition comprising;
- a source of alkalinity;
- and
- one or more branched extended nonionic surfactants with a contact angle of less than 20 degrees, a cloud point of 50° C. or higher wherein said branched extended nonionic surfactant comprises a surfactant booster having the following formula:
- R-[L]x-[O—CH2-CH2]y
- where R is a branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms, L is a propylene oxide (PO) linking group, x is the chain length of the linking group ranging from 2-25, and y is the average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 2 to 20 and thereafter,
- rinsing said membrane, wherein said cleaning composition is NPE free.
A method of cleaning a filtration membrane comprising:
- Mixing water with one or more branched extended nonionic surfactants with a contact angle of less than 20 degrees, a cloud point of 50° C. or higher wherein said branched extended nonionic surfactant comprises a surfactant booster having the following formula:
- R-[L]x-[O—CH2-CH2]y
- where R is a branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms, L is a propylene oxide (PO) linking group, x is the chain length of the linking group ranging from 2-25, and y is the average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 2 to 20 and thereafter,
- flushing said membrane with water and said surfactant mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.