A reliable technology

Cleaning, disinfecting and eliminating pests with steam.

The term vapor is generally used to refer to an aeriform that is at a temperature below the critical temperature. The vapor can be found in equilibrium with the liquid phase, in which case it is called saturated vapor, and the pressure (tension) of the vapor depends solely on the temperature. Let us now observe what happens by heating a saturated vapor in the presence of its liquid, but without reaching or exceeding the critical temperature, the liquid gradually evaporates until a dry saturated vapor is obtained, and this happens when the liquid phase has totally disappeared. By heating the dry saturated vapor further, but still remaining below the critical temperature (for pure or, at least, demineralized water it is just below 374°C), superheated vapor is obtained. In physical chemistry, a critical temperature is when, once exceeded, a substance can no longer exist in the liquid state. Knowing its physical principles becomes a useful professional background, from which we derive the cri- teria for choosing the type of vapor our equipment should have depending on the objective: cleaning, disinfestation or disinfection to arrive, in autoclaves, at sterilization.

Applications

Steam is a type of vapor, and represents an important technical resource, a valuable cleaning, pest control, and disinfection technology to be used to the fullest extent.

Various types of dirt and microorganisms that can be found in the professional field need to be addressed with machines equipped for the purpose of removing dirt and pathogens to achieve the required results. When we talk about professional cleaning by steam, we refer to systems capable of generating steam with certain characteristics according to the environment and the level of cleaning needed. When cleaning walls, floors or furniture, germs, bacteria and viruses can be effectively combated with professional steam cleaners. Steam comes out of the nozzle in very fine droplets and, depending on the type of device, at a temperature around 100°C and a pressure of up to 8 bar. The acceleration is about 170 km/h. Therefore, steam reaches all places where brushes or cloths can hardly reach. The construction of steam machines in the professional field will have to take into account the environments in which they will operate, from small rooms, for example, or stores, to large industrial environments. Steam generation is identical for both domestic and professional machines, the parameters that may vary directing the machine to one application rather than another are the amount of steam and the powers involved. Assuming that dry saturated steam is generally obtained at temperatures above 140°C, let us examine its different aspects. "Heat shock" eliminates most microorganisms with some reservations for some bacterial spores, kills all arthropods present (e.g., mites and insects in all life stages) and is able to "dissolve" dirt making it easily removable from surfaces. Conversely, the danger of burns and poor compatibility with some materials must be considered. Often happens to come across the term "94% dry steam": this term means that a minimal residue of water falls on treated surfaces, which is why this steam is not suitable for cleaning painted parts, wooden objects or paper. Conversely, steam can be used on a very wide range of surfaces; indeed, in some cases, it is irreplaceable where it is inadvisable to use detergents, soaps or chemicals. Another critical point is the requirement that temperatures above 140°C must reach the target entities and be maintained for as long as necessary. In addition, dirt, once dissolved and de-anchored, must be removed and surfaces be dry otherwise the risk of bio-film looms.

Steam vapor in its aeriform state is by far the most widespread vapor in nature and most widely used in practical applications.

-It has no volume of its own.

-It has no shape of its own.

-It occupies all available space and is compressible.

-It has no color and no smell.

-It increases with temperature.