20/11/2007 - A new technology on the market electrically activates plain tap water, making it behave like a powerful detergent without any added chemicals, according to its manufacturer.With more environmental regulations limiting the output of waste water and concerns about food safety, processers are on the look out for products that could help them limit the use of abrasive chemical cleaners that could possibly contaminate their products.The Tennant Company claims its Ech2o system, released last month, has significant advantages over chemical cleaners, including lower costs, ease of use, improved operator safety, and an environmentally friendly alternative."Ech2o's cleaning effectiveness is proven to be the same or better than general purpose cleaners, without the negative environmental impact and health issues associated with producing, packaging, transporting, using and disposing of traditional cleaning chemicals," the company stated.The Ech2o process uses water and results in a discharge as water. The system works by unlocking the energy stored in the water molecule H2O though an Ech2o unit installed in a Tennant Company floor-cleaning machine. Inside the unit, two primary steps transform normal tap water into a cleaning liquid. In the first step, water passes through electrified screens in an oxygenation chamber, The process results in highly oxygenated micro-bubbles. In the second step, the oxygenated water is sent through a cell where an electric current is applied. Flowing out of the water cell is highly charged, acidic and alkaline water with all the attributes of a powerful cleaner, Tennant claimed.In the activated state, the water is an effective cleaning agent that poses no harm to the surfaces or finishes it cleans, or to people using the technology, the company stated. "The electrically charged water attacks the dirt, breaks it into smaller particles and suspends it off the floor's surface-enabling the scrubber's pads or brushes to easily remove the soil," the company stated.In about 45 seconds after it was created, the cleaning solution returns to plain H2O. "What is left in the recovery tank is just plain water and dirt," Tennant stated. "In this process, 100 percent of the water used reverts to neutral tap water and can be handled and disposed of safely." The Ech2o technology also cuts down on water use for cleaning by 70 per cent compared to traditional cleaning methods, the company claimed.And since no detergents are added to the Ech2o system, no slippery detergent residue is left on the floor or discharged into water systems. "Further, eliminating the need for chemical additives enhances worker safety and reduces costs for purchasing and disposal of chemicals," the company stated.Tennant claims to be the first in its industry to use the technology on a mobile platform, such as ride-on and walk-behind floor scrubbing machines. Ech2o technology will be available on Tennant and Nobles branded floor scrubbers this fall 2007. The company expects to ramp up sales of Ech2o-equipped machines in the spring of 2008, he stated.
