biofouling science
 Welcome to Ethox STS Biofouling Science:
your outsourcing solution
Manufacturing processes involving liquids require process cleaning. Ethox STS offers consulting and customized measurements in process cleaning science, with a focus on biofouling and biofilm problem solving.
Let us help you understand and control biofouling
in your liquid-transfer equipment
Marrying the disciplines of analytical chemistry, microbiology and surface science, the Biofouling Science team offers the wide-ranging ability to work with:
- Food and beverage manufacturing systems
- Water systems: ultrapure and industrial process water
- Pharmaceutical processes
- Paper and pulp manufacturing
- Biofuel manufacturing
- Energy generation
7-day growth of
Enterobacter sakazakii (125X)
Filmed by Patrick Polito, MS
Ethox STS Microbiologist
Problems caused by biofouling and process contamination:
 Cross contamination between products- Physical waste (spots and streaks on coatings, cloudy or turbid solutions, changes in product viscosity and/or surface tension)
- Chemical waste (chemical contamination of final product (metals and/or ionic species), degradation of product, appearance of biosurfactants, degradation of product biocides, etc.)
- Increased changeover time between products
- Loss of product flow through the system
- Increased production runs to allow for inefficient process
our focus
- Process cleaning and contamination problem solving
- Biofouling detection, characterization, and control
- Process cleaning optimization and monitoring
Methods and tools used in Biofouling Science:
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) by Specular Reflectance
- Epifluorescence optical microscopy
- Viable and total bacteria and fungi, planktonic and sessile populations
- UV/VIS Spectrophotometry
- Atomic Absorption (AA) spectroscopy
- A broad array of sanitary, robust fouling cells and witness plates for use in any manufacturing process
- Staff with 20+ years of process cleaning and biofouling control research in a Fortune 500 company
our services
 Consulting: Process design
1) Identify potential cleaning problems in the blueprint stage of system design
2)
Evaluate design and function of existing processes, including equipment, water flush and chemical cleaning parameters
Measurement:
1) Swab testing of internal process surfaces for microorganisms and metals
2)
Effluent testing of water flush to determine optimum water flush engineering parameters
3)
Fouling cell and witness plate testing to detect and characterize wall fouling and biofouling
Lab Modeling:
1) Lab modeling of the fouling process, to preclude using the manufacturing process as the test system
2) leaning process exploration and optimization
Process Improvement and Verification:
1) Assist in implementation of optimized cleaning recommendations
2) Re-evaluate process to determine that optimized cleaning process is functioning properly
Problem Solving:
Assistance using all of these tools and methods, if necessary, in times of manufacturing emergencies
To learn more call Mark Fornalik at 1.800.836.4850 ext 423 or e-mail us |
