Tag: Clean Steam

Tag Archive: Clean Steam

1. The Different Types of Steam in Industrial Steam Generation

   January 17, 2024 4:03 pm Leave a Comment

   Industrial facilities rely on different types of steam to manage tasks ranging from consistent heating and processing to managing sanitation. There are many steam types available, and choosing the right one for a given application is essential. At Electro-Steam, we provide steam generation systems suitable for a wide variety of industrial steam needs. This guide will break down the different types of steam frequently used in industrial contexts to help you find the type you need for your facility.

   Types of Steam

   Learn more about the different benefits and applications of these common types of industrial steam.

   Dry Steam

   Dry steam is a type of steam with no lingering liquid in the fluid. All of the liquid has been changed to a vapor. Superheated steam, for example, has been heated to the point where no liquid remains. Other steams can act as dry steam, provided there’s a built-in method to capture the liquid before it reaches an application surface.

   Saturated Steam

   Saturated steam is a specialized type of dry steam. While there may be some liquid remaining in the vapor, it can be easily trapped and contained. In saturated steam, the steam is at boiling point (212 °F) at atmospheric pressure or higher at increased pressure levels. Because of the relationship between pressure and temperature, steam equipment can increase the boiling point by increasing the pressure.

   Saturated steam is commonly used in pharmaceutical production applications because it can provide rapid but even heating and has a high heat transfer coefficient. Operators can also fine-tune the temperature through pressure controls.

   

   Superheated Steam

   Containing less than 1% moisture, superheated steam is another type of dry steam that is hotter than its boiling point at atmospheric pressure. Superheated steam can reach higher temperatures and lower densities compared to saturated steam at the same pressure point. It can also be cooled without returning to liquid form or producing condensate.

   This resistance to becoming liquid makes it an ideal choice for applications like powering the movement of turbines. The steam can move through the nozzles and push the turbine blades, spinning the shaft that generates power, all without presenting the risk of returning to liquid and causing corrosion. It stays ultra-dry throughout its use.

   However, there are some drawbacks to superheated steam. It can have varying temperatures even at a steady pressure and has a lower heat transfer coefficient than other steams. Superheated steam won’t release latent energy until it reaches the right level of saturation. Also, because it does reach such high temperatures, it requires specialized equipment that can handle it.

   Utility Steam

   Utility steam is a type of saturated steam. Most industrial steam processes use utility steam, which contains both latent and sensible energy. Unlike Electro-Steam’s equipment, traditional boilers usually treat feed water with additives that prevent it from corroding boilers or other equipment. This steam is usually classified by low, medium, or high pressure levels. In traditional boilers, utility steam also needs to run through a filter to remove rust, condensate, and other particulates that can contaminate the steam. Even then, utility steam is usually not used in direct contact with products or food but is a means to transfer energy to the relevant process.

   While utility steam is used for boilers and a wide range of industrial applications, it’s not clean enough for culinary, medical, or pharmaceutical needs.

   Culinary Steam

   Culinary steam is regulated by the FDA to ensure any chemical additives designed to prevent rust comply with applicable health and safety regulations. It’s commonly used to sterilize surfaces used in food processing and preparation operations. Along with meeting FDA standards, culinary steam must comply with 3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. (SSI) Accepted Practice 3A-609-03, meet other company-specific policies, and use filtering systems.

   Filtered Steam

   Filtered steam undergoes a filtering process to remove additives or contaminants so it can be more safely used in sterilization applications.

   Clean Steam or Pure Steam

   Clean/Pure steam doesn’t have additives and is produced from heating purified water (RO), highly purified water (DI), or water for injection (WFI). Clean/Pure steam can be used in pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical contexts.

   Clean steam is generated by systems that use saturated steam, and the resulting condensate can be classified as water for injection, such as saline solutions. Clean steam itself can be used in other various processes such as humidification and sanitation in which contamination cannot be present. Clean steam systems are made from high-grade stainless steel components, piping, and other non-porous materials.

   Choose the Right Steam System for Your Facility

   Different types of steam have very different characteristics, can be used in specific applications, and meet the requirements of various health and industry standards. Now that you know the distinctions between various types of dry steam vs. wet steam, you’re ready to begin selecting the right steam system for your facility. Electro-Steam provides 100% American-made steam generators for food processing, cleanroom, medical processing, sterilization, and other industrial applications.

   Contact the team at Electro-Steam to find the right steam generation system for your needs.

2. The Use of Steam Sanitation in Hospitals

   June 12, 2020 4:43 pm Leave a Comment

   Vapor steam cleaning is becoming an increasingly common cleaning and sanitizing method for a broad range of industries, from healthcare facilities to food and beverage processing and commercial cleaning. As a safe, environmentally friendly method, it can be used to thoroughly clean materials without the use of harsh or harmful solvents and detergents.

   An experienced manufacturer of high quality steam cleaning equipment, Electro-Steam is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art steam cleaning solutions to our customers in the hospital and healthcare industry worldwide. We understand that the current high-traffic environment in these facilities creates an enhanced high-risk situation for patients and healthcare workers alike. The right steam sanitizer can help you disinfect a variety of surfaces and materials quickly and efficiently, thereby reducing the risk of infection or cross-contamination caused by microbes, allergens, and dirt.

   Advantages of Using Steam Sanitation

   Steam sanitation offers an extensive range of advantages over traditional cleaning solutions, including:

   Reduced Water Usage

   Rather than using copious amounts of water to dilute or rinse chemical cleaners, steam cleaners simply use a small amount of contained, high-temperature steam.

   Minimized Water Runoff or Overspray

   With a steam cleaner, you don’t have to worry about excessive water usage or polluting runoff.

   Ability to Clean Sensitive Surfaces and Equipment

   Steam cleaners use high-temperature steam without excessive pressure, so you can use it on your heat- and water-sensitive components and materials.

   

   Capability to Clean Hard-to-Reach Areas

   Unlike manual cleaning with detergents, steam can reach into corners and cracks. It can also be used on fabric surfaces that are unable to be cleaned with standard chemical methods.

   Cleans Without Harmful and Harsh Chemicals

   Steam cleaning uses 100% heated water, thereby reducing worker and patient exposure to harsh and irritating detergents, solvents, and other cleaning chemicals.

   Easily Removes Stains and Microbial Contaminants

   Steam has been proven to kill 99.99% of microbial contaminants such as bacteria, mold, yeast, protozoa, and fungi. It can also be used to reduce odors and clean grease, oils, and stains.

   Can Be Used Anywhere Without Breaching Clean Water Act Regulations

   Since there are no harmful chemicals to rinse off, using steam cleaners helps you to operate within Clean Water Act regulations. In fact, with zero runoff, there is no need to worry about the Clean Water Act at all when you use a steam cleaner.

   Highly Versatile Process

   Steam sanitation can be used on a variety of surfaces and sensitive equipment that cannot be cleaned using traditional chemical methods.

   Eco-Friendly Cleaning

   Because steam cleaning only uses superheated water, no polluting chemicals are released into the environment. In addition, steam equipment uses significantly less water than other cleaning methods.

   3 Reasons to Use Steam Cleaning in Hospitals

   Steam cleaning is particularly useful for hospital and medical sanitation. It is highly effective against microbes without contributing to the growing issue of microbial resistance, and it is environmentally safe and eco-friendly.

   Steam Cleaning Is Seriously Effective

   Whether you are cleaning a waiting room or an operating room, steam cleaning is a highly effective sanitation method that removes up to 99.99% of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and other microbes from a wide range of surfaces. It is highly versatile, which makes it ideal for use in disinfecting rooms, operating rooms, and examination rooms. It can also be used to clean sensitive medical equipment and devices to ensure sanitary conditions across the board.

   Steam Cleaning Helps in the Fight Against Anti-Microbial Resistance

   As bacteria and other microbes are exposed to detergents, solvents, antibiotics, and other agents meant to kill them, many are evolving high levels of resistance. Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) are becoming increasingly common, and the methods used to prevent these infections may be making the problem worse. Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is caused by this microbial evolution and can result in untreatable medical conditions and even death in patients who are exposed.

   Fortunately, steam sanitization does not have the same effect on microbial growth. By using only heated water, steam can break down bacteria and other microorganisms and prevent replication without contributing to anti-microbial resistance, creating a healthier and safer environment for patients and workers alike.

   Steam Cleaning Is More Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly

   Since steam cleaning does not use harsh chemicals, it is more environmentally friendly than more traditional cleaning methods. In addition, steam cleaners use less water overall than standard cleaning solutions, thereby eliminating runoff and conserving water.

   Electro-Steam’s Dry Steam Cleaners in Healthcare Facilities

   Electro-Steam Generator Corp. is pleased to offer a wide range of steam sanitizing solutions engineered specifically for use in medical, hospital, biotech, and pharmaceutical facilities. We have extensive experience with the stringent requirements and regulations of health-related industries, and we are pleased to custom design and build the best steam cleaning equipment for your heating, humidification, and sanitation needs. To learn more about our steam cleaning solutions, contact our experts today.

3. How Do Clean Steam Generators Benefit the Pharmaceutical Industry?

   January 8, 2020 8:43 pm Leave a Comment

   In the pharmaceutical industry, clean steam finds use in a variety of pharmaceutical applications, such as the sterilization and sanitation of equipment and materials, creation of chemical compounds, and the dilution of IV drugs. The following blog post outlines typical applications of clean steam in the pharmaceutical industry and the benefits of using it.

   Clean Steam in the Pharmaceutical Industry

   The use of clean steam in the pharmaceutical industry ranges from sanitization to inclusion in pharmaceutical products. Typical applications include:

   Sterilize-in-Place (SIP)

   The pharmaceutical industry frequently employs clean steam to sterilize equipment, avoid the cross-contamination of ingredients in consecutive batches of pharmaceutical products, and prevent the growth of biological contaminants. A sterilize-in-place or steam-in-place (SIP) system is typically installed in pharmaceutical facilities to further clean equipment between production cycles after the completion of the clean-in-place (CIP) process.

   SIP systems employ superheated water purified to USP standards for sterilization operations. According to ISO 13405:2006, they must heat manufacturing equipment for sterile healthcare products to a temperature of 250° F for a minimum of 30 minutes. The systems monitor the temperature and times of the sterilization process to ensure it complies with the process requirements.

   Generating the clean steam needed for sterilize-in-place and other pharmaceutical applications necessitates the use of one of two types of equipment: clean steam generators or water purification systems. Clean steam generators create superheated purified steam for the sanitization of equipment and surfaces. Water purification systems generally consist of a larger purification network that often incorporates a clean steam generator.

   Compound Distillation and Extraction

   Clean steam plays a role in a variety of pharmaceutical compound manufacturing processes, including:

   • Steam distillation to isolate fatty acids
   • Extraction and purification of organic compounds
   • Heat generation for distillation, extraction, and formula creation

   As these processes often produce compounds intended for human use, they require high-purity steam. This requirement demands the use of a clean steam generator.

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   Benefits of Clean Steam Generators

   Clean steam generators offer a number of benefits for users in the pharmaceutical industry, such as:

   Reduced Corrosion Potential

   Due to the purification process, clean steam is less corrosive than standard utility steam, which must often be treated with corrosion-inhibiting chemicals to avoid corroding system components. Clean steam does not have the same corrosive effect, thereby allowing equipment to last longer and produce higher purity products.

   Prevention of Microbial Growth

   Clean steam is maintained at temperatures that are sufficiently high enough to ensure the prevention of microbial growth in the system. Clean steam generators must be specifically designed to prevent the collection of condensed water in any part of the system where microbes and endotoxins may be exposed to the steam and contaminate the product.

   Stainless Steel Clean Steam Generators From Electro-Steam

   At Electro-Steam Generator Corp., we offer a wide range of clean steam systems, including:

   • LG Models with power ratings of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40 kW
   • LB Models with power ratings of 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, and 240–480 kW
   • Indirect Models with power ratings of 30 kW to 240 kW (based on utility input)
   • Models with pressure capacities from 0–100 psi and pressures over 100 psi

   For additional information on our steam generator offerings and the role they play in pharmaceutical applications, view our eBook or contact us today.