Metal Surface Treatment Using Oxygenated Water

Abstract

A passivating system for stainless steel process equipment includes: an oxygenation system comprising a raw water inlet, an oxygen inlet, a porous membrane through which oxygen flows into the raw water to create oxygenated water and, an oxygenated water outlet; a fluid conduit providing the oxygenated water to a clean-in-place (CIP) system connected to the stainless steel process equipment; and, a control interface through which a user may circulate the oxygenated water through the piping for a selected time to improve the surface passivation after a cleaning cycle. The oxygenation system may be separate from the CIP system or they may be co-located on a skid or other common base. The oxygenated water preferably has a dissolved oxygen content of at least 20 mg/L.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.