Processing Applications

Industrial Molding, Food & Meat Processing, Cooling Towers
Dairy Processing, Wineries & Breweries, Bottled Water Packaging
Paper Processing, Pharmaceutical Manufacture, Poultry & Fish Processing
Chemical Processing, Clean Room Maintenance, Plastic Injection Molding

High-Temperature Calcium Fouling

Temperature and pressure changes are the primary causes of calcium precipitation. This applies in both high and low temperature conditions. Either will cause calcium to come out of suspension in the water and attach itself to piping, containment vessels, water jackets, heat exchangers, and boilers. Steam boilers with temperatures up to 500 degrees and pressures in excess of several hundred pounds can foul equipment in a very short time. Maintenance using traditional methods such as acid washes is expensive in terms of production lost and labor. In addition, the methods only offer temporary relief and are not a permanent solution to the problem.

Physical Water Chemistry

Water transformed by digital treatment is a better solvent, due to the increased space created between molecular structures. The treated water has a reduced surface tension and is "wetter" and a better solvent. The increased solubility gives the treated water the ability to dissolve existing hard calcite deposits in the system and prevent them from reforming.

The physical changes created by the Soo-Soft® system can effect a permanent change to all process applications that use water at high pressures and temperatures up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The changes in crystallization of calcium from the Soo-Soft® treatment forms a stable suspension of smaller (2-4-Micron) particles and prevents their return to calcite at temperatures lower than 700 degrees. The hard calcite form is no longer precipitated from the water. A softer aragonite form is precipitated in its place. The aragonite form is not "sticky" and will flush from the system without the use of chemicals.

Bacterial Killing

Millions of times a second, the Soo-Soft® computer shapes a repeating waveform that constantly changes in polarity and frequency. This has a powerful effect on many forms of bacteria, protozoa, algae, and viruses in the water passing through the inductor coil. Cell walls are ripped from positive to negative polarities at frequencies from 1 to12 thousand times per second at a 6000 milliamps of induced current. This acts to rupture cell walls and traumatize genetic material. Circular bacterial colonies that are resistant have their reproductive capacity greatly diminished.

At the same time, this process breaks down the hard calcite structures in the water, which reduces the overall surface tension of the water. This creates an increase in the ability of solvents and disinfectants to enter cell walls and kill organisms.

Bio-Films

Bacteria and algae require suitable places to grow and colonize. Hard calcite scale offers the perfect breeding ground to grow bio-films, which support bacterial life. These same breeding grounds also occur both in plumbing components and on other surfaces where calcium builds up into an accumulation referred to as lime scale. As the lime scale is dissolved by the Soo-Soft® system, bacteria are left without a surface to feed on and bio-films have difficulty forming. In addition, algae and bacteria must obtain nourishment through their cell walls. Water can easily penetrate, but cells are prevented from absorbing mineral nourishment. The altered form of crystallized mineral shapes created by the Soo-Soft® system cannot easily penetrate cell walls of bacteria. The end result is starvation.

Washing and Sanitizing

Steam Cleaning and high pressure washing for clean in place and clean out of place applications are improved by treated water. Reduced surface tension of the water makes detergents and chemical sanitizers such as chlorine more effective as well as making rinse water more effective. This important in both food and dairy processing as fats, proteins, and "milkstone" residues are more easily emulsified by the enhanced wetness of the water.

Electric Process Heaters

In an electrical heating element, calcium builds up on the outside of the element and traps heat. The element is then forced to work at a much higher internal temperature than its design parameters. It then fails long before its time. Studies of water heaters indicate that ¼ inch of scale can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40%. In cases where the scale builds up to 1 inch, there is a 95% reduction in heat transfer. In areas where water contains high calcium levels, heating elements can build an inch of scale in months.

Process Valves & Sensors

Temperature sensors with calcium deposits are prone to malfunction. The sensor is thermally insulated from the water, masking the actual water temperature. This causes the control system to demand more heat from the element. Many sensors have a heating element included with a sensor. Calcium deposits causes these elements and the heating elements they control to fail quickly. The Soo-Soft® treatment softens the calcium deposits on these sensors and they wash away.

Corrosion

Calcium deposits are also a major factor in corrosion. The corrosive contaminates become trapped by the calcium and allow them to dissolve pipes, tanks, valves, heat exchangers, boilers and water jackets of process equipment. This corrosion further reduces the life expectancy of all components and vessels that use water. As the Soo-Soft® system dissolves these deposits, the corrosive elements will wash away with the deposits.

Plumbing & Pumps

Lime scale also collects inside of pipes, pumps and vessels, causing a greater resistance to the flow of water through the system. This added resistance forces the pump to work harder in order to maintain water flow. The end result is higher consumption of energy and a shortened life span for the pump.

Meat & Food Processing

Creates large-scale reduction of algae, fungus, and bacteria colonization in wash water
Breaks down mineral deposits and keeps them in solution improving heat transfer
Extends life of plumbing – heat exchangers – pumps – steam cleaning equipment
Increased wetness of water improves bacterial killing ability of sanitizers
Reduced surface tension breaks bonds between surfaces and contaminates
Improved emulsification of sanitizers aid in attacking fat and protein residues
Better rinsing of sanitizers from wetter water with reduced surface tension
Can be used on milk lines to dissolve milk-stone deposits
Easier cleaning & sanitizing = Reduced labor costs

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Reactors, Fermenters, Neutralizers
Heat Exchangers, Steam Boilers, Centrifuges
Extends life of plumbing – heat exchangers – pumps – steam cleaning equipment
Kettles, Mixers, Washers
Extruders, Distillation, Dryers

Wineries & Breweries

Creates large-scale reduction of algae- fungus – bacteria colonization in water systems
Extends life of plumbing – heat exchangers – pumps – steam cleaning equipment
Eliminates scale build-up in cooling jackets, vats, boilers and heat exchangers
Extends life of R.O. and filter membranes-Softer calcium flushes off easily
Improves action of sanitizers via reduced surface tension of water
Increased energy savings from improved heat transfer
Dissolves scale in both steam and hot water boilers
Prevents return of scale deposits in system