Vapor-phase degreasing, cleaning, passivating, and/or descaling of processing equipment

Abstract

A method comprising: prior to commissioning of a processing equipment into service, cleaning and/or passivating a contact surface of the processing equipment with a vapor comprising a chemistry and a carrier, wherein cleaning comprises removing one or more contaminants from the contact surface and wherein passivating comprises creating a passive film on the contact surface. A method of vapor phase descaling is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 prior to commissioning of a processing equipment into service, cleaning and/or passivating a contact surface of the processing equipment with a vapor comprising a chemistry and a carrier, wherein cleaning comprises removing one or more contaminants from the contact surface and wherein passivating comprises creating a passive film on the contact surface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cleaning comprises:
 (a) degreasing;   (b) pickling; or   (c) a combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  comprising (a) degreasing, wherein the one or more contaminants comprise milling oil, cutting oil, grease, lubricant, corrosion inhibitor, hydrocarbon film, rust preventative compound, or a combination of one or more thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the chemistry is selected from surfactants, organic solvents, alkaline detergents, water, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising (b) pickling, wherein the one or more contaminants comprise mill scale, welding slag, rust, sand, corrosion products, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the chemistry is selected from acids, chelants, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  comprising passivating, wherein passivating comprises creating the passive film on the contact surface of the processing equipment to prevent flash rusting and/or otherwise preserve the processing equipment until commissioning thereof into service. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the chemistry is selected from nitrite based chemistry, phosphate based chemistry, another chemistry that creates a steel grey passive film, a vapor phase corrosion inhibitor (VpCI), chemistry that creates a polymer coating, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more contaminants comprise one or more components present on the contact surface inherently as a result of manufacturing of the processing equipment or post-manufacturing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cleaning comprises removing substantially all of the one or more contaminants. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing equipment is in human-entry condition prior to and after the cleaning and/or passivating. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein vapor phase cleaning and/or passivating comprises contacting the contact surface of the processing equipment with the chemistry in the vapor phase such that the one or more contaminants are removed from the contact surface and/or the passive film is created on the contact surface, respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising assessing a degree:
 (i) of cleaning by: semi-continuously, continuously, or intermittently performing an analysis of a condensed vapor sample and comparing a result of the analysis at a current sampling time with a result of one or more condensed vapor samples at one or more prior times; and/or 
 (ii) of passivating by: visual observation. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising determining the cleaning is complete when no further change in the analysis result is seen in multiple consecutive samples and/or when an amount of each of the one or more contaminants in the sample is substantially zero. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning does not comprise decontamination to make ready for human-entry. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 providing a processing equipment prior to commissioning;   utilizing vapor phase cleaning to remove one or more contaminants from a contact surface of the processing equipment, and/or utilizing vapor phase passivating to create a passive film on the contact surface of the processing equipment; and   commissioning the processing equipment into service.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the processing equipment as provided and before the vapor phase cleaning and/or passivating is suitable for human-entry. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 performing maintenance cleaning of a processing equipment by removing scale from a contact surface of the processing equipment via vapor phase cleaning.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the processing equipment is in human-entry condition prior to and after the removing of the scale. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the vapor phase comprises a vapor comprising a chemistry and a carrier, wherein the chemistry is selected from acids, chelants, or a combination thereof.