Skip to main content

Pre-treatment of water in industrial processes plays a fundamental role, particularly in improving operations such as parts cleaning and overall equipment efficiency. This process consists of eliminating or reducing the impurities, contaminants and undesirable minerals present in water before it is used in industrial installations. Ensuring water quality not only protects machines and products, but also limits the risk of deposits or corrosion that could affect system performance and increase maintenance costs.

Why is good water pre-treatment crucial before parts cleaning?

Water quality = Cleaning quality
If water contains contaminants such as solid particles, heavy metals or dissolved minerals, it may leave residues on parts, preventing effective cleaning. For example, limescale or scale deposits can form on parts, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

Preventing recontamination

Untreated water can itself become a source of contamination and degradation for the parts to be cleaned. Suspended particles, organic pollutants and minerals, such as limescale, present in the water can settle on parts surfaces, promoting the formation of limescale deposits and biofilms. These deposits not only reduce cleaning efficiency, but also accelerate surface corrosion. Biofilm, in particular, acts as a breeding ground for micro-organisms that further deteriorate parts and can damage industrial systems. Pre-treating water eliminates these potential sources of contamination, deposits and corrosion, ensuring safer cleaning and preserving equipment integrity.

Protecting cleaning equipment
Impurities in the water can not only affect parts, but also damage cleaning equipment, such as nozzles, pumps or internal filtration systems. Mineral deposits or abrasive particles can lead to blockages or premature wear of machines.

Optimizing the action of chemicals
If detergents, solvents or other chemical agents are used in the cleaning process, their effectiveness is strongly influenced by the quality of the water used. Clean, treated water has an optimal chemical composition that favors reactions between cleaning agents and contaminants. For example, in the case of hard water, which is rich in calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions, these cations can interfere significantly with detergents.

When hard water is used, calcium and magnesium ions tend to bind to the surfactant molecules present in detergents. This phenomenon, known as “water hardness”, leads to the formation of insoluble complexes which prevent the surfactants from interacting effectively with the surfaces to be cleaned. As a result, the ability of detergents to reduce the surface tension of water is compromised, limiting their wetting and emulsifying power. This significantly reduces the effectiveness of cleaning agents, which can lead to increased chemical use and wasted resources.

In addition, organic and inorganic contaminants present in untreated water can also react with chemical agents, forming undesirable by-products that can impair cleaning efficiency and even cause harmful chemical reactions. Using pre-treated water, which is free of these unwanted ions and other impurities, not only ensures better interaction between the cleaning agents and the surfaces to be treated, but also optimizes the entire cleaning process, contributing to more satisfactory results and lower chemical costs.

Common pre-treatment techniques before parts cleaning

Here are the most commonly used pre-treatment methods for improving water quality before cleaning industrial parts:

Filtration:
This removes solid particles suspended in the water. This is often done using several levels of filtration to remove particles of different sizes.

Water softening:
Water softening is a chemical process designed to remove the calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions responsible for water hardness. This process, often carried out by ion exchange, involves passing water through an ion exchange resin, where unwanted cations are replaced by sodium ions (Na⁺). By reducing water hardness, softening improves the effectiveness of detergents by allowing surfactants to act without being neutralized by minerals. This helps prevent the formation of limescale deposits on cleaned surfaces, thus optimizing the quality of cleaning operations.

Reverse osmosis:
Reverse osmosis is an advanced filtration technique that uses a semi-permeable membrane to effectively remove dissolved minerals, heavy metals, chemicals, as well as certain bacteria and viruses. This method is particularly popular in sectors requiring very high purity water, such as electronics, optics and medicine, where the cleaning of sensitive, high-precision parts is crucial. By guaranteeing contaminant-free water, reverse osmosis helps maintain high standards of cleanliness and quality in these industries.

Demineralization:
This process removes dissolved salts (such as chlorides, sulfates and carbonates) to obtain virtually pure water. This prevents the formation of mineral deposits on parts after cleaning, which is crucial in industries where parts must be perfectly clean (such as aeronautics or automotive).

Anti-corrosion treatment:
Some pre-treatment methods include chemicals that neutralize the acidity of the water or add corrosion inhibitors. This protects metal parts from oxidation during cleaning, especially when they are in contact with water for extended periods.

Dechlorination and organic matter treatment:
Activated carbon filters play a crucial role in industrial water treatment, effectively removing traces of chlorine and odor-causing organic matter, visible residues after cleaning.

Removing chlorine from industrial water is essential to prevent corrosion and avoid the formation of undesirable by-products, which is particularly critical in demanding sectors such as microelectronics and the manufacture of luxury parts. Removing chlorine prevents reactions with organic compounds, guaranteeing stable, safe cleaning while maintaining the high quality standards required in these high-precision industries.

In conclusion, water pre-treatment prior to parts cleaning is an essential step in guaranteeing quality cleaning, especially in industries where parts cleanliness is critical. By removing contaminants from water before it is used for cleaning, we avoid recontamination of parts, optimize the effectiveness of cleaning products, and protect cleaning equipment. The result is better quality finished products, less scrap and lower maintenance costs.

If you are based in France or Switzerland and need a solution for the treatment of your industrial water, contact our NGL Water Technology teams?

Need more information?