Klarion ECA Systems
Electrochemical Activated Solutions (ECA) use water, table salt, and electricity to create two solutions, one for cleaning and one for sanitizing. The solutions are cheaper and more effective than traditional chemicals but are also non-toxic and non-thermal.
The two solutions produced are NaOH, an alkaline anti-oxidizing detergent that lifts dirt and emulsifies grease, and HClO, a non-corrosive acid that is safe enough to kill microbes in medical environments.
How Does It Work
Electricity is applied to a solution of water and table salt, splitting the molecules into two new solutions.
Sodium hydroxide is an alkaline detergent that lifts dirt and emulsifies grease.
Hydrochloric acid is non-corrosive and safe, commonly used to sanitize medical environments.
Benefits for Tulare
Drought Resilience
This method reduces water consumption by up to 60% for cleaning and disinfecting cycles. Klarion cleaner and sanitizer are compatible, meaning that they can be used in succession without need for an intermediate rinse. In addition, the sanitizer does not require a post rinse in some situations.
Supports Electric Reliability
It can reduce electric consumption (kWh) by 98%. ECA chemicals can be used at ambient temperatures, reducing the energy required for cleaning. Typical clean in place systems require hot water for effective sanitation.
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Cleaning chemicals are delivered to the facility in the form of table salt (NaCl). This reduces the volume and mass of cleaning chemicals to be transported, which reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of delivering chemicals to the facility. Traditional chemicals also require heating, which can involve the combustion of natural gas to produce heat or electricity. ECA chemicals operate at ambient temperatures, which eliminates this source of emissions.
Reduces Regulatory and Environmental Risks
Both chemicals are skin-safe and ECA sanitizer can be applied to food products without affecting their appearance, taste, or smell. The generated waste can be recycled or disposed of with no effect on downstream effluent environment which results in substantial reduction of toxic effluent due to traditional caustic cleaning chemicals.
Reduces Ratepayer Costs
Klarion leases their equipment to industrial users. They charge a usage fee that is typically less than the amount they previously spent on chemicals, and maintenance is included in this contract. Clean in Place times can be reduced up to 70% due to shorter contact time required for effective cleaning and disinfecting.
