Chemical Cleaning

Industrial Chemical Cleaning Services

Industrial chemical cleaning services can remove numerous contaminants such as oxides, mill scale, varnish, mineral deposits, and oils that can be damaging to your process and equipment. The term chemical cleaning encompasses a wide variety of different industrial cleaning processes used during both pre-commissioning and turnaround cleaning. The application of an appropriate chemical cleaning service will remove the unwanted contamination and leave the system ready for operation. Our certified plant technicians offer turnkey pre-and post-operational cleaning for your piping, HRSGs, boilers, and other equipment.

Our services remove unwanted contaminates, reduce system downtime, eliminate unnecessary flushes, and save you time and money. Unlike some other chemical cleaning companies, we bring our own equipment for pre-commissioning and maintenance, ensuring adequate flow rates and measuring contaminate removal with independent lab verification upon job completion.

Get a Quote for Chemical Cleaning Services

800-770-4510 (Domestic)
+1 281-339-5751 (International)

Example Projects

Koch Fertilizer

Fort Dodge, IA, Beatrice, NE., Enid, OK, and Dodge City, KS.   Provided emergency response and scheduled turnaround services including chemical cleaning and high velocity oil flushing.

Husky

Husky Lima OH – New Hydro Plant. Performed chemical cleaning on the reformer, air blowing of the process lines, and continuous steam blows of the header and users.

Refinery Reservoir Chemical Cleaning with HVOF

A lube oil system for a gas compressor at a major refinery had not been cleaned in over 30 years. The unit was down for major maintenance program which created the perfect opportunity to address the ISO cleanliness of the oil system. System was chemically cleaned prior to oil flushing to restore the system to peak operational performance.

Chemical Cleaning Services

The term chemical cleaning can refer to a wide variety of industrial cleaning processes. Below is a listing of the common chemical cleaning services RIG provides.

  • Boiler chemical cleaning (pre-operational and maintenance cleaning)
  • Tank and reservoir chemical cleaning
  • Pipe chemical cleaning
  • Full system degreasing
  • Iron oxide removal (pickling)
  • Varnish removal
  • System passivation
  • Pre-commissioning cleaning
  • Decommissioning cleaning
  • Vapor phase chemical cleaning
  • Vapor phase degassing

 

Typical Pre-Operational Chemical Cleaning Procedure

The following gives an example of a chemical cleaning procedure designed degrease, remove free iron, and passivate new piping and equipment internals. Our team of engineers will develop a custom solution for your situation.

  1. The system to be cleaned will be identified on the P&IDs and circulation paths marked. Injection points, drain points, valve positions, and equipment to be removed will be detailed on the drawings.
  2. The system will be prepared by connecting the temporary chemical cleaning equipment to the specified connection points.
  3. The system will be filled with clean water and pressure tested to ensure there are no leaks.
  4. The temperature of the water will be raised, and a surfactant added to degrease the system.
  5. The concentration and temperature of the solution will closely monitored, and the velocity of the fluid circulation will be controlled.
  6. Once the degreasing stage is complete, acid and an inhibitor will be added to the circulating solution. This acid stage will remove free iron from the steel surfaces.
  7. Careful monitoring of the chemical solution via laboratory testing will ensure there is sufficient acid present and will show when the acid stage is complete.
  8. After the completion of the acid stage the solution will be neutralized and a passivation agent added. The passivation agent will create an inert surface on the newly cleaned bare metal to help prevent flash rust from forming.
  9. Finally, the system will be drained and rinsed and the temporary equipment removed. At this point the system will be ready for startup. If startup will be delayed it is recommended to dry the system and pressurize it with a nitrogen blanket for best preservation results.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does chemical cleaning normally take?

Three days is the typical length of performing the chemical cleaning procedure. Job planning, procurement of special items, equipment setup, and system preparation are critical to the success of the cleaning and are additional activities which should be accounted for. If other services such as High Velocity Oil Flushing (HVOF), steam blowing or air blowing are also being performed, the entire process usually takes between 7-10 days.

What chemicals are used for this process?

RIG employs a wide range of chemistry depending on the chemical cleaning application and target contaminants. Degreasers, surfactants, and organic acids are commonly used in the cleaning processes. Often there is more than one approach to perform a chemical cleaning. RIG’s chemical cleaning experts can advise you on the best method for your situation.

When should chemical cleaning be used?

Chemical cleaning is appropriate for both pre-commissioning and plant reliability maintenance. It is often used in conjunction with steam blowing, air blowing, or high velocity oil flushing services. Chemical cleaning should be used prior to new system startup to ensure all contaminants are removed. It should also be employed to clean water scale deposits and hydrocarbon-based fouling as part of regular maintenance procedures.

What is chemical cleaning?

Chemical cleaning uses chemicals to dissolve or loosen scale, debris, and organic materials from pipe and process equipment during the commissioning phase of new plant equipment or during reliability service maintenance. Specific processes will vary based on equipment types, the commissioning process, and operational use cases.

What is the difference between Chemical Cleaning and Hydrolazing?

Hydrolazing is an alternative to chemical cleaning. Both remove debris from piping internals. Chemical cleaning uses chemicals to remove mill scale, rust and other contaminants. Hydrolazing uses high pressure water jets to remove the same debris.

Access points to the piping system will impact the decision on which method to use. Hydrolazing requires frequent access points to the piping to allow for the insertion of the water jet nozzle. Costs will also vary depending on a multitude of factors. System configurations, lengths, and pipe diameters will all present different challenges for each method. Speak to a RIG chemical cleaning expert to get guidance on which process to use for your specific case.

Example Projects

Koch Fertilizer

Fort Dodge, IA, Beatrice, NE., Enid, OK, and Dodge City, KS.   Provided emergency response and scheduled turnaround services including industrial chemical cleaning services and high velocity oil flushing.

Husky

Husky Lima OH – New Hydro Plant. Performed chemical cleaning on the reformer, air blowing of the process lines, and continuous steam blows of the header and users.

Refinery Reservoir Chemical Cleaning with HVOF

A lube oil system for a gas compressor at a major refinery had not been cleaned in over 30 years. The unit was down for major maintenance program which created the perfect opportunity to address the ISO cleanliness of the oil system. System was chemically cleaned prior to oil flushing to restore the system to peak operational performance.

Chemical Cleaning Services

The term chemical cleaning can refer to a wide variety of industrial cleaning processes. Below is a listing of the common chemical cleaning services RIG provides.

  • Boiler chemical cleaning (pre-operational and maintenance cleaning)
  • Tank and reservoir chemical cleaning
  • Pipe chemical cleaning
  • Full system degreasing
  • Iron oxide removal (pickling)
  • Varnish removal
  • System passivation
  • Pre-commissioning cleaning
  • Decommissioning cleaning
  • Vapor phase chemical cleaning
  • Vapor phase degassing

 

Typical Pre-Operational Chemical Cleaning Procedure

The following gives an example of a chemical cleaning procedure designed degrease, remove free iron, and passivate new piping and equipment internals. Our team of engineers will develop a custom solution for your situation.

  1. The system to be cleaned will be identified on the P&IDs and circulation paths marked. Injection points, drain points, valve positions, and equipment to be removed will be detailed on the drawings.
  2. The system will be prepared by connecting the temporary chemical cleaning equipment to the specified connection points.
  3. The system will be filled with clean water and pressure tested to ensure there are no leaks.
  4. The temperature of the water will be raised, and a surfactant added to degrease the system.
  5. The concentration and temperature of the solution will closely monitored, and the velocity of the fluid circulation will be controlled.
  6. Once the degreasing stage is complete, acid and an inhibitor will be added to the circulating solution. This acid stage will remove free iron from the steel surfaces.
  7. Careful monitoring of the chemical solution via laboratory testing will ensure there is sufficient acid present and will show when the acid stage is complete.
  8. After the completion of the acid stage the solution will be neutralized and a passivation agent added. The passivation agent will create an inert surface on the newly cleaned bare metal to help prevent flash rust from forming.
  9. Finally, the system will be drained and rinsed and the temporary equipment removed. At this point the system will be ready for startup. If startup will be delayed it is recommended to dry the system and pressurize it with a nitrogen blanket for best preservation results.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does chemical cleaning normally take?

Three days is the typical length of performing the chemical cleaning procedure. Job planning, procurement of special items, equipment setup, and system preparation are critical to the success of the cleaning and are additional activities which should be accounted for. If other services such as High Velocity Oil Flushing (HVOF), steam blowing or air blowing are also being performed, the entire process usually takes between 7-10 days.

What chemicals are used for this process?

RIG employs a wide range of chemistry depending on the chemical cleaning application and target contaminants. Degreasers, surfactants, and organic acids are commonly used in the cleaning processes. Often there is more than one approach to perform a chemical cleaning. RIG’s chemical cleaning experts can advise you on the best method for your situation.

When should chemical cleaning be used?

Chemical cleaning is appropriate for both pre-commissioning and plant reliability maintenance. It is often used in conjunction with steam blowing, air blowing, or high velocity oil flushing services. Chemical cleaning should be used prior to new system startup to ensure all contaminants are removed. It should also be employed to clean water scale deposits and hydrocarbon-based fouling as part of regular maintenance procedures.

What is chemical cleaning?

Chemical cleaning uses chemicals to dissolve or loosen scale, debris, and organic materials from pipe and process equipment during the commissioning phase of new plant equipment or during reliability service maintenance. Specific processes will vary based on equipment types, the commissioning process, and operational use cases.

What is the difference between Chemical Cleaning and Hydrolazing?

Hydrolazing is an alternative to chemical cleaning. Both remove debris from piping internals. Chemical cleaning uses chemicals to remove mill scale, rust and other contaminants. Hydrolazing uses high pressure water jets to remove the same debris.

Access points to the piping system will impact the decision on which method to use. Hydrolazing requires frequent access points to the piping to allow for the insertion of the water jet nozzle. Costs will also vary depending on a multitude of factors. System configurations, lengths, and pipe diameters will all present different challenges for each method. Speak to a RIG chemical cleaning expert to get guidance on which process to use for your specific case.