Buffersol

Characteristics, Advantages & Applications

• Effectively removes lead, hydrocarbon, chloride and sulfide deposits from zinc-silicate coated tanks and articles.
• Prevents, maintains and protects from corrosion.
• Acts quickly and thoroughly.
• No known effect on rubber and plastic compounds.
• Non-flammable, non-corrosive and non-toxic.
• A water soluble product that may be used with a wide range of other products.
• May be safely used on all common metal surfaces and their alloys, whether painted, varnished or not.
• pH buffered, thus acting as a neutralizing agent in acidic or alkaline environments.
• Cost effective, easy to handle and apply.

During 1996, chemical tankers were only permitted to use tank cleaning agents, which had been approved and evaluated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). BUFFERSOL was evaluated through IMO’s Working Group on the Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals (ESPH Working Group) and found to meet the requirements of paragraph 1.8.2 of the P&A Standards.

Physical Properties

BUFFERSOL is an aqueous concentrated liquid solution consisting of a specific blend of acids and corrosion inhibitors, pH buffered.

Application and Use

A. Dosing Procedure

The quantity of BUFFERSOL to be used is proportional to the degree of contamination, the surface area to be treated, the desired degree for cleaning and the available downtime.

In small systems, most frequently, BUFFERSOL is used undiluted.

In larger systems, where the circulation method is required and contamination is normal, a 10% solution of BUFFERSOL with water is adequate, and should be enough in volume to fill the tank up to 1% of its capacity. If the contamination is heavy, higher concentrated solutions with BUFFERSOL must be made. Furthermore, more of the system’s capacity must be filled, so that greater quantities will be circulated.

B. Cleaning Procedure

In small tanks and small surface areas, BUFFERSOL may be applied by conventional methods with a brush, sponge or a mop.

Once applied, BUFFERSOL must be left for a period long enough, for it to act effectively, whilst enabling us to wash it off, before it dries out. The application must be repeated two more times and finally rinsing with large quantities of water (preferably a high-pressure water supply), for one hour, is accomplished. Then, the treated surface should be left to dry.

With Butterworth tank-washing systems, for large cargo tanks, a 10% solution of BUFFERSOL with water must be used in order to fill 1% of the tank’s volume capacity, which then is circulated for 2-6 hours at 20-70°C by the feeding pump, found below the tank’s bottom, to the heater and then to the tank’s sprinkler system. Thus, the solution is re-circulated, resulting in thorough cleaning.

Also note that if the solution is still adequate, and contamination is not heavy, it can be used for washing 2-3 tanks. For this, the bottom valve of the treated tank may be shut, allowing access of the solution through the system to the second tank. Likely, the same cleaning procedure is followed for the rest of the tanks.

For optimum results, especially in cases of heavy contamination, fresh BUFFERSOL solution may be used separately for each tank.

In all cases, after completion of the application, the solution must be discarded and the system must be washed with fresh water for at least one hour.

Note that when desired, BUFFERSOL may only be used diluted by making a solution with fresh, de-ionized or distilled water. In all cases, avoid the use of river or sea water.

Safety and Handling

Read the Material Safety Data Sheet before using this product.

For detailed information on safety and health, please refer to Material Safety Data Sheet and/or Product Label.