What liquid is used in cleaning products?
- Apr 24
- 4 min read
Summary
The Liquid in Detergents
Industrial Cleaning
In industrial cleaning, the carrier liquid is the true driving force behind the cleaning process. FIPROKIM's challenge is to find the perfect chemical balance for each specific dirt, ensuring effectiveness, safety, and respect for materials: from this research, the FIPRO DET detergent line was born.
Hidden Costs and Sustainable Evolution
Choosing the wrong carrier can create imperfections, delays, and failures: a liquid that's too aggressive can cause immediate corrosion (flash rust), dull paint, or degrade seals. Conversely, a product that's too mild extends cleaning times and compromises subsequent processes, such as painting. To avoid these risks, the Fiprokim research and development laboratory tests technological carriers that attack dirt while protecting surfaces, maintaining a low risk index by focusing on green solutions.
While in the past, the industry relied on toxic solvents like trichloroethylene, today innovation and regulations require safer solutions. In this article, we'll discover which liquids are used in cleaning products and how the complex aqueous matrices and two-phase systems of the FIPRO DET range solve extreme cleaning challenges, combining exceptional performance with protection for the environment and operators.
The chemistry of detergents
How do detergents work?
To choose the right cleaning fluid, you need to understand dirt adhesion at the molecular level. Oils and fats are hydrophobic and nonpolar substances, while water is polar; according to the principle of "like dissolves like," pure water repels grease rather than dissolving it. Historically, the industry has used organic (nonpolar) solvents to dissolve grease directly, but their toxicity has limited their use. The modern challenge is therefore to make the aqueous matrix capable of interacting with grease to remove it.
Activated Water: The Role of Surfactants
In modern formulations, water is transformed into an "intelligent matrix" thanks to surfactants. Featuring a hydrophilic head and a lipophilic tail, these molecules act on two fronts:
Wetting Action: They reduce surface tension, allowing the liquid to penetrate the surface pores instead of sliding away.
Micelle Formation: The lipophilic tails absorb and fragment the oil, trapping it in microspheres (micelles) that remain suspended in the water, ready for rinsing.
This emulsifying power is the basis of highly efficient water-based detergents like FIPRO DET 668, designed to handle heavy soiling.
The Power of Co-solvents: The Perfect Hybrid
When faced with dried inks, resins, or charred grease, micelles alone are not enough. This is where cosolvents (water-soluble alcohols or glycols that are similar to fats) come into play. The cosolvent chemically "swells" and softens the dirt matrix, making it permeable to surfactants. This approach, which combines the operational safety of water with the power of the solvent, is the secret to the versatility and effectiveness of FIPRO DET 651 and FIPRO DET 652.
Two-Phase Technology: Two Liquids Are Better Than One
To remove extreme dirt, such as bitumen mixed with smog, you need both the power of a solvent and the action of an alkaline detergent. Since these elements naturally tend to separate, Fiprokim has transformed this limitation into a technological advantage by creating two-phase detergents:
Upper phase (solvent): Instantly dissolves heavy grease, glue, and tar.
Lower phase (aqueous): Rich in alkaline salts and sequestering agents, it attacks inorganic dirt (dust, limescale) and smog.
Shaking the product before use creates a powerful temporary emulsion. This synergistic "double impact," impossible to achieve in a stable single-layer formula, is the secret that makes FIPRO DET 653 unbeatable on layered and complex dirt.
Fiprokim solutions: FIPRO DET
Fiprokim has translated these technologies into a range of specific products, each designed with a "liquid" tailored to the target application. Let's take a closer look at the four flagship solutions that exemplify the different carrier technologies.
These are the main products of the FIPRO DET line:
FIPRO DET 651: Multi-surface Balance
Technology: Single-phase aqueous solution with co-solvents and surfactants.
The challenge and the solution: Clean commercial vehicles and mixed surfaces without damaging paint, aluminum, seals, or decals. FIPRO DET 651 solves this problem with a water-based solution enriched with gentle co-solvents: it penetrates road grime (traffic film) and fuel residues while respecting the materials.
Application versatility: A true all-rounder, it can be used neat (a safe replacement for cold degreasing solvents) or diluted up to 1:50 for general maintenance. Ideal for plastic interiors, tarpaulins, and floors, preserving their original shine.
Sustainability: It replaces old solvents, reducing VOC emissions and ensuring a healthier work environment.
FIPRO DET 652: The Alkaline Powerhouse for Industry
Technology: Aqueous alkaline solution with amines, alcohols, and cosolvents.
The challenge and the solution: In the metalworking industry, removing oils and inks from iron and steel while preventing flash rust is crucial. FIPRO DET 652 addresses this challenge with a targeted blend: amines raise the pH to saponify greases and act as corrosion inhibitors, while alcohols and cosolvents effectively dissolve pigments and inks.
Thermal action: Its stability allows for use in hot spray systems (40°-70°C), dramatically accelerating the degreasing of complex parts without generating excessive foam. Ideal for workshops, printing shops, and mold maintenance.
FIPRO DET 653: The Two-Phase Cleaner for Extreme Dirt
Technology: Heterogeneous two-phase system (organic solvent in an alkaline aqueous phase).
The challenge and the solution: For heavy-duty vehicles and construction machinery covered in extreme layers of smog, grease, and bitumen, a traditional detergent or a single solvent is not enough. FIPRO DET 653 is the "powerful" answer. It combines two distinct phases: a solvent (to instantly dissolve tar and adhesives) and an aqueous phase (rich in alkalis and sequestrants to break down smog and inorganic dirt).
Result: Shaking the product creates an emulsion that attacks dirt on both sides. Its power is such that it often allows for touchless washing (without brushing), preserving equipment and drastically reducing labor.
FIPRO DET 668: The Industrial Emulsifier
Technology: A highly concentrated alkaline aqueous solution of soaps and emulsifying surfactants.
The challenge and the solution: In industrial maintenance, the key challenge is preventing removed oil from redepositing on washed surfaces. FIPRO DET 668 addresses this challenge with its powerful "emulsifying action." By creating extremely robust micelles, it physically dislodges dirt and keeps it in stable suspension in the wash bath.
Effectiveness and safety: This oil-binding ability makes it crucial for immersion tanks or recirculation systems, where the liquid remains effective for a long time even when loaded with dirt. Free of chlorinated components, it is an environmentally friendly option that guarantees a healthy work environment, free of harmful fumes, and with extremely high degreasing power.
