MG++ chemistry and method for fouling inhibition in heat processing of liquid foods and industrial processes
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to methods for removing or preventing scale formation in a liquid food processing operation. The present invention also relates to methods and compositions for increasing the solubility of insoluble calcium salts in an acidic environment. Aqueous antiscalant solutions comprising soluble magnesium salts are used to prevent the precipitation of insoluble calcium salts and/or to increase the solubility of insoluble calcium salts.
1. A method for removing scale from industrial equipment used to process a liquid food source during a cleaning process comprising:
applying a composition comprising an acidic detergent and an antiscalant solution comprising about 10 ppm to about 200 ppm of a water soluble source of magnesium ion selected from the group consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and mixtures thereof to the surface, wherein the composition increases the solubility of the scale present on the surface by at least about 5%.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 0.25 wt% to about 10 wt% of the acidic detergent.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acidic detergent comprises at least one of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, hydroxyacetic acid, glutamic acid, glutaric acid, and citric acid.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acidic detergent comprises a combination of nitric acid, and phosphoric acid.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scale comprises a water insoluble calcium salt.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the water insoluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, calcium apatite, and mixtures thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition increases the solubility of the scale present on the surface by at least about 15%.