Pharma - CIP - Cleaning In Place
CIP, the well-known cleaning process in the pharmaceutical industry and beyond. It goes without saying that pharmaceutical installations must be cleaned. CIP is widely used, in various forms. In general, this means that the installation is first rinsed with water, then with an alkaline cleaning product at a higher temperature and then rinsed again with water. Sometimes a further cleaning step with acid is added.
Of course, it’s important to follow the CIP cycle. After all, you want to be sure that the cleaning product has the right concentration and that sufficient rinsing with water has taken place. The right measuring instrument will help.
Refractometry
When it comes to measuring concentration in liquids, refractometry, or measuring the refractive index, is always a good choice. An inline refractometer determines the production of the correct concentration of the (alkaline) cleaning product. This measurement technique is also successfully used to determine the phase separation between medium/water/cleaning product and to determine whether sufficient rinsing with water has taken place.
Conductivity measurement
This simple and reliable measurement technique is also used for concentration measurement of the alkaline cleaning product. It’s best to choose a toroidal or inductive sensor for this purpose. A 2-electrode sensor is recommended for checking the rinsing water, especially when using (ultra) pure water. Be sure to go for a digital variant if the highest accuracy is required.
TOC
A TOC analyser is always used in a CIP installation in combination with a conductivity measurement. If the conductivity is low enough, the TOC analyser determines whether all organic products have been flushed away and the water is pure.
pH measurement
The cleaning product has a major influence on the acidity throughout the CIP process. It’s logical that a pH sensor is used to monitor this. Make sure that you use an electrode that is suitable for strongly alkaline media and high temperature.
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