Mineral Buildup on Production Equipment Conduits

Why it pays to keep the acid cycle

Certain food & beverage production activities create mineral buildup. For example, this buildup can be regularly found in production circuits involving products with high calcium content such as milk products and by-products. Other equipment such as pasteurizers, evaporators and beer tanks are also subject to significant buildup of limescale and other minerals. This problem is further compounded by processes that require heating the product.

Removing mineral buildup is crucial to avoid several serious problems.

Mineral buildup:

• Significantly reduces heat transfer (1 mm of minerals reduces a system’s energy efficiency by about 9%)
• Causes detection and reading problems for level, temperature and conductivity probes
• Makes it easier for microorganisms to attach to surfaces, increasing the risk of contamination and the development of biofilms

To prevent such problems, it is essential to keep surfaces mineral-free.