On-line peracetic acid sensor has key CIP use

The company's Dulcotest PAA 1 technology is aimed at the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries, all of which use peracetic acid to ensure a high levels of hygiene and quality control.

In the pharma industry, the acid is used primarily for disinfection and cleaning in place (CIP) applications. Disinfection tends to be carried out by flushing the system with peracetic acid and water, often at high temperatures.

The Dulcotest PAA 1 product monitors the system to ensure that levels of the acid are maintained to provide effective disinfection.

The company says that the technology is characterised by its dirt and surfactant resistant properties and can be integrated with the control unit, resulting in a convenient in-line monitoring system.

It is also said to be unaffected by media flow and requires minimum maintenance, thus overcoming the problems that impede reliable and continuous measurement and control of peracetic acid levels under practical conditions in the manufacturing process.

Peracetic acid is said to be an environmentally friendly disinfectant and is particularly suitable for aseptic filling, rinsing and CIP applications. To this end it is used to clean storage tanks, piping systems, as well as product packing drums.

The company's technology targets the fact that paracetic acid should be metered out in precise measurements to ensure maximum product quality, hygiene and efficiency, while still remaining economical.

The PAA 1 technology allows continuous online measurement to provide the exact quantities of peracetic acid in the processing loop. Thanks to a sensor function, this means that levels of hydrogen peroxide - one of the main compounds in the acid - and accommodated fluctuations in flow rate and temperature are all regulated.

A spokesperson for the company explained that the new product has advantages over other monitoring methods as it looks for the peracetic acid itself rather than signs of its presence. For example, monitoring using alternative methods such as redox systems involves establishing the amount of oxygen in the water - the greater the oxygen content, the better the disinfection. However, this is a rather inaccurate technique as it merely gives an idea of the water quality rather than levels of disinfection.

The Dulcotest PAA 1 technology is a species-specific amphometric sensor, that allows constant monitoring of the peracetic acid to ensure that effective disinfection is taking place by monitoring free-radicals released directly from the acid.

There are two versions of the technology offering measuring ranges between 1 and 200 mg/l and between 10 and 2000 mg/l, operating between pH 3 and pH 8 and 1 °C and 45 °C.

The technology is operated using a DC1 controller, together with a sensor and flow meter and the company claims that primary benefits are simple start-up, ease of maintenance and short delivery times.