ABRASIVE CLEANING OF FLUID DELIVERY SYSTEMS

摘要

A method of cleaning interior surfaces of fluid delivery systems. The method comprises (a) passing through the system an abrasive cleaner composition comprising at least one liquid carrier containing solubilizable abrasive particles, at least some of which are in non-solubilized form, effective to abrade the material to be removed from the interior surfaces, and (b) rinsing the system with at least one fluid effective to (i) displace the carrier and (ii) remove the abrasive particles, at least partially by such chemical means as dissolution or decomposition or neutralization. Optionally, the method can include a first step of contacting the inside surfaces of the fluid delivery system with a pretreatment fluid capable of softening or loosening the material that is to be cleaned from the internal surfaces of the delivery system for a time sufficient to soften or loosen unwanted material. Also, an abrasive cleaning kit capable of cleaning unwanted deposited materials from interior surfaces of fluid delivery systems. The kit is comprised of: (A) an abrasive cleaner composition comprising a liquid carrier containing solubilizable but having non-solubilized abrasive particles effective to abrade the unwanted material; and (B) at least one rinsing fluid effective to (i) displace said carrier and (ii) remove said abrasive particles at least partially by such chemical means as dissolution, decomposition, or neutralization, comprising water and at least one material chosen from the group consisting of organic solvents, acids, amines, and mixtures thereof effective for such chemical removal. Optionally, included is (C) a pretreatment fluid comprising a liquid capable of softening the unwanted material that is to be cleaned from the interior surfaces of the fluid delivery system. Also compositions of (A) and (C) with and without surfactants and/or acids are provided. Additionally, cleaner compositions made from abrasive cleaner composition (A) and pretreatment fluid composition (C) of the above abrasive cleaning kit are provided.