Method for determining and controlling the concentration of active substances included for cleaning and disinfection in aqueous cleaning and disinfecting solutions

摘要

The invention concerns a method of determining the concentration of an iodine-iodide-containing active substance in aqueous solutions intended for use in the cleaning or disinfection of containers such as bottles, drums, kegs, cases and tanks and/or pipe lines in the food-processing industry, as well as for industrial scale cleaning in continuous washing plants, the concentration of the active substances in the solution being measured by determining the iodine/iodide content of the solution. The invention provides a rapid, reliable and accurate method which is not prone to interference and can be used on a continuous basis. In addition, it makes it possible to automate the process by which the active substance is kept at the required concentration. In particular, the method proposed can be employed in an integrated cleaning-in-place system. These advantages are achieved by the invention by virtue of the fact that the iodide ion concentration in the solution is measured potentiometrically using electrodes which behave selectively toward iodide ions, and the concentration of the active substance calculated from the measurement results obtained, the iodine/iodide concentration lying between 0.1 and 1000 ppm, in particular between 1 and 20 ppm.