Electrochemically Activated Catholyte Solutions in Sanitization

Electrochemical activation of water or mineralized salts produces a neutral or acidic solution (anolyte) in the anode chamber and an alkaline solution (catholyte) in the cathode chamber. Yet the prospects of catholyte as an alkaline detergent remain understudied. This research featured such physicochemical properties of catholyte as pH, alkalinity, specific electrical conductivity, mineralization, water contact angle, and surface tension in distilled and tap water with different concentrations of sodium chloride during electrochemical activation. The alkalinity index of the catholyte in the tap water sample was by 7-10% higher than in the distilled water sample. A similar correlation was detected in the electrochemical activation of sodium chloride solutions in tap water. The pH, alkalinity, and specific electrical conductivity of the catholyte did not depend on the sodium chloride concentration. The alkalinity of the catholyte increased together the electrochemical activation time (60 min). The water contact angle proved to be an important indicator for prospective detergents. In this study, different substances with complexing and wetting properties made it possible to reduce the water contact angle of the catholyte solutions by 50-60% and their surface tension by 15-20%. Catholytes mixed with substances with complexing and wetting abilities demonstrated good prospects as detergents for dairy processing equipment, except for heat exchange devices.