Skip to main content

CIP Cleaning

Restore Your Equipment Efficiency Safely.

Sierra Chemicals has several methods for meeting your cleaning needs to help avoid costly downtime and putting personnel in dangerous confined space entries.

Just a 1/8-inch buildup on some heat exchangers can reduce heat exchanger efficiency by as much as 25 percent. However, many facilities face problems with internal fouling of an unknown origin and makeup.

Our team will tailor a solution to your specific issues. First, we will lab test the fouling samples, then we’ll implement a cleaning strategy with turnkey solutions using our contaminate-specific chemical package or high-pressure waterjet cleaning.

Before work begins our team will conduct job-site walks to verify connection points and ensure a proper cleaning approach. We’ll also conduct a pre-job call to review the scope of work, schedule, work package documentation, safety and environmental applications, and your expectations. We resolve any potential planning, mobilization, execution and post-cleaning issues.

Throughout the execution of the job, Sierra Chemicals will communicate all refinery chemical cleaning steps, processes and any changes with you, and after completion, we’ll conduct a post-job review to evaluate results.

Benefits of Chemical Circulations

  • Equipment is clean down to the metal.
  • Chemical circulations involve a shorter downtime, lowering cost and lost production time.
  • Cleaning is cost-effective.
  • Chemical circulations improve EHS work situations, putting fewer workers at risk.
  • You can choose waterless chemical packages.

Equipment We Can Internally and Externally Circulate

INTERNAL CIP
  • Complete Dehydration Systems
  • Complete Amine Systems
  • Condensate Stabilizers
  • Engine Circulations
  • Contactors
  • Reboilers
  • Plate and Frame Exchangers
  • Plate Fin Exchangers
  • Tube-in-Shell Exchangers
  • Vessel Purging for Entry
External CIP
  • Fin Fan Exchanger

Testing

Sierra Chemicals can test fouling and debris at our in-house or third-party laboratories to find the ideal cleaning solution. We will mimic field conditions to achieve optimal results, then formulate a specific chemical package for your fouling problems.

Three main factors determine the effectiveness of a clean in place chemical circulation: chemistry, flow and heat. We work to maximize all aspects of the job.

Explore Our Recent Projects

Hear From A Customer

“Being that every location was different, Sierra did a fantastic job understanding all needs of the project. They took care of providing access to elevated areas, providing access to a fresh water source and the containment and disposal of the spent fluid. Sierra conducted pre and post-service calls with us to make sure all portions of the project were handled properly and came in under budget. We were proud to nominate them as a supplier of the year in result of their performance.”

– Major Gas Plant Operations Marcellus/Utica

Our Chemical Circulations Packages

Amine Systems

Iron magnetite, iron sulfide (can refer to a range of chemical compound composed of iron and sulfur), hydrocarbons, H2S, degraded amine

  • Iron Chemical Package: This is designed to remove iron-based scales.
  • Paraffin Chemical Package: Our organic solvent with a high flashpoint (safer) removes paraffin and heavy organic deposits.
  • Caustic Chemical Package: This package works well on some oil-based solids and hydrocarbons.
  • Scaling Chemical Package: This solvent is effective on scaling (excluding iron magnetite).
  • Purge C: This reduces explosive gases (LEL) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
Glycol Systems

Broken-down glycol, paraffins (flammable, whitish, translucent, waxy solids) consisting of a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons, obtained by distillation from petroleum or shale and in rare cases iron sulfide (FeS)

  • Caustic Chemical Package: This package works well on some oil-based solids and hydrocarbons.
  • Paraffin Chemical Package: This is an organic solvent with a high flashpoint (safer) for paraffin and heavy organic deposits.
  • React 104 Acid Package: This is effective on scaling (excluding iron magnetite).
Cryogenic System (CRYO)

Molecular sieve (mole-sieve a crystalline substance), iron sulfide (can refer to a range of chemical compound composed of iron and sulfur) and hydrocarbons

  • Ultrasolv Chemical Package (Waterless): This solvent is for paraffin and heavy organic deposits, followed up with a methanol flush.
  • Paraffin Chemical Package: This solvent is ideal for paraffin and heavy organic deposits.
  • Caustic Chemical Package: This package works well on some oil-based solids and hydrocarbons.
  • Purge C: This decreases explosive gases (LEL) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
Traditional Clean-In-Place Chemical Circulations
  • Minimal work required to prep vessel for cleaning
  • Large array of chemical solutions
  • Sample collection to determine optimum chemical package
    • Solutions available to target hydrocarbons, burnt glycol, scale, and other fouling
  • 10 micron filters to remove small particulates while cleaning
  • Uses: amine and dehydration systems, contact towers, reboilers and other types of heat exchangers
Boil-Out Chemical Circulations
  • Uses a combination of steam and chemical package
  • Often used for de-gasing a system or vessel
  • Available chemical packages can target LELs and H2S
  • Provides a safe atmosphere for entry/inspection