Cleaning
Cleaning is a process that includes the removal of substances from surfaces. It is a process that we meet in our daily life when we for example wash our floors, dishes, cars, clothes, and also ourselves.
Since the result can be immediately observed it is particularly important that the cleaning formulation is efficient. In industry the cleanliness of surfaces can also be important for hygienic reasons, for the production of high-quality protective coatings and in the microelectronic industry.
Environmental impact
The environmental impact and the current and future legislation need to be considered when developing new cleaning formulations, with often complex mixtures of surfactants, polymers and other additives to obtain the desired cleaning efficiency. A trend today is to shift towards more environmentally friendly cleaning processes using for example more environmentally friendly surfactants, lower temperatures, reduced amount of water and surfactant free systems. Certain criteria also need to be fulfilled if the intention is to mark the cleaning formulation with an environmental label, such as the Nordic Ecolabel.
Within surface cleaning YKI performs research in the following areas:
- Hard surface cleaning
- Laundry
- De-inking
- Surface modifications for facilitate next-time cleaning
- Antifouling