Rouge formation can cause corrosion problems
Stainless steel is widely used in pharmaceutical applications. The cleaning of this stainless steel is very important because hygiene is a very high priority in the pharmaceutical industry.
One of the phenomena that occur with stainless steel, almost exclusively within the pharmaceutical industry, is rouging. Rouging is a red-brown film of iron oxides and iron hydroxides and is found in systems that come into contact with ultra pure water.
Conventional pickling can not be used
Conventional pickling will dissolve the passive layer and thus remove rouge, creating a clean surface. A disadvantage of this is that this process etches the surface, making it rougher and giving the finish a matte finish.
Why not?
Ra-critical components are destroyed in this way or need at least a further polishing treatment to obtain the correct surface roughness. Pickled surfaces will become rougher and therefore more susceptible to further rouging and fouling of other (process) contaminations.
Vecom has the right solution
Vecom has developed a cleaning procedure that removes the affected passive layer and removes the rouging without adverse effects (roughening of the surface and matte finish).
After this cleaning procedure (or any other), the system must be completely chemically passivated.
Especially in the pharmaceutical industry, hygiene has a very high priority