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Formulation Card

FC-14.6-P

CIP Cleaner — Alkaline

Ingredients

IngredientINCI / Chemical Name% w/wFunction
WaterAqua65.0Solvent carrier
Sodium hydroxide (50%)Sodium hydroxide20.0Primary alkalinity, protein hydrolysis
EDTA tetrasodium (39%)Tetrasodium EDTA6.0Sequestrant, hardness control
C12-C14 alcohol ethoxylate (7 EO)Laureth-74.0Nonionic surfactant, soil penetration
Sodium gluconateSodium gluconate3.0Chelant, rinsability aid
Sodium hypochlorite (15%)Sodium hypochlorite1.5Oxidizing sanitizer (optional)
Polyphosphonate (HEDP)Etidronic acid0.5Scale inhibitor, chelant boost
Total100.0

Formulation Notes

Clean-in-place (CIP) systems in food and beverage manufacturing require validated cleaning protocols that demonstrably remove organic soils, reduce microbial load, and leave no chemical residue. Alkaline CIP cleaners operate at pH 12-14, leveraging sodium hydroxide for protein hydrolysis and saponification of fatty soils. Sequestrants (EDTA or the biodegradable alternative GLDA) prevent calcium soap precipitation in hard-water circuits .

Procedure. Charge vessel with water. Add sodium hydroxide solution with cooling jacket active (target < 50°C). Dissolve EDTA tetrasodium and sodium gluconate sequentially. Add the alcohol ethoxylate. Introduce HEDP. If the sanitizer variant is produced, add sodium hypochlorite last and minimize hold time; this variant must be produced and dispatched within 48 hours due to hypochlorite instability with surfactants.

Specifications. pH (neat): 13.0 ± 0.2; pH (1% solution): 12.0 ± 0.2; active matter: 20% ± 1%; alkalinity (as NaOH): 12% ± 0.5%.

Application. Typical CIP cycle: pre-rinse with water (30 s, ambient), alkaline wash (1.0-2.0% solution, 65-75°C, 10-15 min circulation), intermediate rinse (60 s), acidic wash (if required, see FC-14.7-P), final rinse (conductivity return to baseline < 50 µS/cm) .

CIP Validation Requirements. A validated CIP cycle must demonstrate: (1) visual inspection — no visible soil, films, or droplets on indicator surfaces; (2) conductivity monitoring — final rinse water conductivity within ±10 µS/cm of incoming potable water baseline; (3) ATP bioluminescence — surface ATP < 100-200 RLU (relative light units) depending on facility-specified action limits; (4) swab testing — total aerobic bacteria < 10 CFU/cm² for food-contact surfaces . Validation data must establish traceability from each production batch to the CIP cycle that cleaned the equipment beforehand.

GHS Classification. Skin Corrosion Category 1A (H314); Signal word: DANGER. Required PPE: chemical-resistant gloves (butyl or nitrile), face shield, chemical-resistant boots, chemical-resistant suit for concentrate handling. Store in corrosive-resistant containers with resistant inner liners .