Industrial lubricant removal using an ultrasonically activated water stream, with potential application for Coronavirus decontamination and infection prevention for SARS-CoV-2
Industrial lubricant removal using an ultrasonically activated water stream, with potential application for Coronavirus decontamination and infection prevention for SARS-CoV-2
Industrial processes routinely require the removal of lubricant from processed materials. This cleaning can be energy intensive and environmentally costly owing to the temperatures and the solvent load that are used. It is required throughout many industrial processes, notably surface finishing. This paper tests a novel technology that removes the need to heat the water, and reduces the need for additives, through use of a novel nozzle that uses just mains water and electricity to generate an ‘Ultrasonically Activated Stream’ (UAS). The UAS nozzle passes ultrasound down a stream of unheated water, and tests its ability to remove a variety of lubricants, from stainless steel, with and without the addition of degreaser, comparing it to the ability of the same water supply (when not ultrasonically activated) to remove the lubricant (with and without degreaser). Removal of the need to heat water by use of this UAS nozzle would reduce heating costs and allow areas of a plant or manufacturer that lack access to hot water to have enhanced cleaning. Reduction in the need to use additives reduces costs and is a requirement for surfaces that may be damaged by them. However, the implications extend further. If, in the current COVID-19 crisis, supply chains for solvents are broken, or additives and heating become difficult to access (for example to decontaminate PPE or an ambulance in the field), the ability to remove lubricant without heating (and, if necessary, additives such as detergents) is crucial, since the SARS-CoV-2 virus resides in respiratory secretions that are composed mainly of mucin glycoproteins, surfactant and intercellular fluid.
bubble, cleaning, coronavirus, COVID-19, grease, lubricant, oil, Ultrasonic cleaning
258-270
Malakoutikhah, M.
95dc3705-9751-4811-a981-51e49fcff1cb
Dolder, C. N.
b08350be-fd09-4049-95bd-06a9c157a8bc
Secker, T. J.
16b0a878-984f-4272-bfaa-667c7c63023a
Zhu, M.
9d8b4ce1-35b9-414c-8eb1-9fc40f2417f6
Harling, C. C.
5aa04b75-8f5d-4754-a999-e11c84831f64
Keevil, C. W.
cb7de0a7-ce33-4cfa-af52-07f99e5650eb
Leighton, T. G.
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
September 2020
Malakoutikhah, M.
95dc3705-9751-4811-a981-51e49fcff1cb
Dolder, C. N.
b08350be-fd09-4049-95bd-06a9c157a8bc
Secker, T. J.
16b0a878-984f-4272-bfaa-667c7c63023a
Zhu, M.
9d8b4ce1-35b9-414c-8eb1-9fc40f2417f6
Harling, C. C.
5aa04b75-8f5d-4754-a999-e11c84831f64
Keevil, C. W.
cb7de0a7-ce33-4cfa-af52-07f99e5650eb
Leighton, T. G.
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Malakoutikhah, M., Dolder, C. N., Secker, T. J., Zhu, M., Harling, C. C., Keevil, C. W. and Leighton, T. G.
(2020)
Industrial lubricant removal using an ultrasonically activated water stream, with potential application for Coronavirus decontamination and infection prevention for SARS-CoV-2.
Transactions of the Institute of Metal Finishing, 98 (5), .
(doi:10.1080/00202967.2020.1805221).
Abstract
Industrial processes routinely require the removal of lubricant from processed materials. This cleaning can be energy intensive and environmentally costly owing to the temperatures and the solvent load that are used. It is required throughout many industrial processes, notably surface finishing. This paper tests a novel technology that removes the need to heat the water, and reduces the need for additives, through use of a novel nozzle that uses just mains water and electricity to generate an ‘Ultrasonically Activated Stream’ (UAS). The UAS nozzle passes ultrasound down a stream of unheated water, and tests its ability to remove a variety of lubricants, from stainless steel, with and without the addition of degreaser, comparing it to the ability of the same water supply (when not ultrasonically activated) to remove the lubricant (with and without degreaser). Removal of the need to heat water by use of this UAS nozzle would reduce heating costs and allow areas of a plant or manufacturer that lack access to hot water to have enhanced cleaning. Reduction in the need to use additives reduces costs and is a requirement for surfaces that may be damaged by them. However, the implications extend further. If, in the current COVID-19 crisis, supply chains for solvents are broken, or additives and heating become difficult to access (for example to decontaminate PPE or an ambulance in the field), the ability to remove lubricant without heating (and, if necessary, additives such as detergents) is crucial, since the SARS-CoV-2 virus resides in respiratory secretions that are composed mainly of mucin glycoproteins, surfactant and intercellular fluid.
Text
Lubricant and virus - Leighton Post-review (July 2020) v150
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 3 July 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 14 September 2020
Published date: September 2020
Additional Information:
AM requested
Keywords:
bubble, cleaning, coronavirus, COVID-19, grease, lubricant, oil, Ultrasonic cleaning
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 442250
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/442250
ISSN: 0020-2967
PURE UUID: afc3f523-d4c0-4d87-ba0f-fe9f7e4d9c1b
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Date deposited: 10 Jul 2020 16:30
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 05:26
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Author:
M. Zhu
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