Patent ID: 6425955
Filing Date: 2002-07-30
Classification: C11D,C23G

Abstract:
A process for reducing foaming of a cleaning composition for cleaning of metal intermediate length carboxylate salt(s) from a surface of a solid, water-resistant substrate, said process comprising the following operations:(I) providing a volume of an aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition for dissolving said metal intermediate length carboxylate salt(s); (II) contacting the aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition with the surface of the solid, water-resistant substrate to be cleaned to dissolve at least a part of said metal intermediate length carboxylate salt(s) from said surface of the solid, water-resistant substrate into said aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition, thereby converting the aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition to a used, aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition and converting said surface of said solid, water-resistant substrate to a cleaned and at least initially wet surface of said solid, water-resistant substrate; and (III) reducing the foaming of said aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition by adding to at least a part of said used, aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition precipitating cations to cause, within a time of not more than one hour after said adding of the precipitating cations, a solid phase that comprises at least part of said precipitating cations and at least part of anions of the metal intermediate length carboxylate salt(s) dissolved in said used, aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition to separate from said used, aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition and form a regenerated, aqueous, liquid, alkaline, cleaning composition with reduced foaming tendencies.