CLEANsafe 120

CLEAN safe 120 is a PVC film laminated to pre-treated metal. It is one of the Kingspan CLEAN safe coatings for interior surfaces of controlled-environment panels, a family that also includes CLEAN safe MP, CLEAN safe PVDF and CLEAN safe Stainless Steel 304. The 120 version is the anti-bacterial, phthalate-free rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film option. It is a finish system rather than a complete enclosure, and it is applied to the metal facings of panels used in food-processing, high-humidity and washdown interiors.

The CLEAN safe line is engineered to comply with the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which the FDA implemented in 2011, and is approved by the USDA, FDA, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Panels carrying a CLEAN safe finish form a sealed structure for hygiene requirements where there is secondary food contact and exposure to corrosive cleaning agents.

The standard metal support is continuously hot-dip zinc coated low carbon steel for cold forming, type DX51D (UNI EN 10346, June 2009). Stainless steel (UNI EN 10088-1/97) is also available as a metal support.

The coating build, from the metal outward, is as follows.

• Metallic support with a zinc layer on each side
• Surface treatment on each side
• Back coat primer
• Adhesive
• CLEAN safe 120 rigid PVC film
• Temporary protective film

The PVC film is anti-bacterial and phthalate free. It is suitable for contact with food and substances for personal use under the Ministerial Decree of 21 March 1973 and its later updates, and under European standards 78/142/CEE, 80/766/CEE, 82/711/CEE, 85/572/CEE, 90/128/CEE and 92/39/CEE. The nominal coating thickness is 100 to 200 micrometers, with a tolerance of plus or minus 7 percent.

The film is tested to ECCA and ASTM methods, with these results.

• Adhesion after 6 mm drawing depth (ECCA T6): no film detachment
• Resistance to bending (ECCA T7, 1996): 1/2 T
• Resistance to rapid deformation (ASTM D 2794-93, 2 kg weight dropped from 90 cm): no detachment and no breaking of the film
• Resistance to salt spray fog (ECCA T8:1996 and ASTM B 117-95): 200 hours on a cold-rolled support and 500 hours on a hot-dip zinc support
• Resistance to 100 percent relative humidity (ASTM D 2247-94): 1,000 hours
• Pencil hardness (ECCA T4:1995 and ASTM D 3363-92a): HB
• Artificial light fastness (ASTM G53-96, 55 plus or minus 3 degrees, UV-A 340 lamps, irradiance only): above 6 on the International Blue Scale

The tests were carried out at 23 plus or minus 1 degrees C, which is beyond what the reference norms require.

Stain resistance is rated after 16 hours of contact under ECCA T18 (1995) procedure 5.1 and ASTM D 1308-87. The reagents are butter, margarine, vegetable oil, vinegar, fresh and preserved tomato, strawberries, coffee, tea, a 5 percent sodium hydroxide solution, a 5 percent surface-active agent solution, lubricating oil and grease, 10 percent solutions of citric, lactic and tartaric acid, oleic acid, spinach, lemon juice, mustard, Cif cream, Cif liquid and Lysoform liquid.

The only marks or stains appear on the area in contact with fresh tomato and coffee.

CLEAN safe 120 is produced in several finishings, each with its own gloss and abrasion values. Gloss is measured at 60 degrees under ECCA T2 (1995) and ASTM D 523-89. The gloss value can change with the degree of embossing.

• Finishing SA: gloss 45 plus or minus 5; Taber abrasion index 13 to 14
• Finishing SMA: gloss 25 plus or minus 5; Taber abrasion index 10 to 12
• Finishing GMA: gloss 15 plus or minus 5
• Finishing PVA: gloss 30 plus or minus 5; Taber abrasion index 5 to 8

The Taber abrasion index (ASTM D4060-95) is taken after 1,000 cycles with a CS10 wheel under a 500 g load.

Anti-bacterial activity is tested under ISO 22196:2007, ASTM E 2180-07 and JIS Z 2801. CLEAN safe 120 meets all of the requirements of these norms. Seven bacterial strains are used.

• Escherichia coli, ATCC 8739
• Klebsiella pneumoniae, ATCC 10031
• Staphylococcus aureus, ATCC 15442
• Typhimurium, ATCC 6538
• Listeria monocytogenes, ATCC 13311
• Legionella pneumophila, ATCC 19117
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ATCC 43108

Kingspan matches the CLEAN safe coatings to corrosiveness classes C1 to C5, which depend on the chemicals and microbes in the interior air, the relative humidity, how often surfaces are cleaned, and how aggressive the cleaners, degreasers and sanitizers are. CLEAN safe 120 is listed for the classes below.

• C2, low corrosiveness, inspected annually: storage, sorting and packing of fruit and vegetables, and storage of packaged meat and dairy products
• C3, medium, inspected every 6 months: food production and preparation areas, dry process, ice cream and butter production, breweries, dairies, wine cellars, processing of precooked foods and baking facilities
• C4, high, inspected every 3 months: wet-process industrial kitchens and cooking, storage of unpacked fish, cheese, meat cutting, scalding and evisceration

CLEAN safe 120 is also used in class C1, very low corrosiveness, which covers dry packaged cold storage, docks, locker rooms, toilets, offices and shops. Class C5, very high, which covers primary live rooms, rendering, picking, cooking and preparation of marine products, is assigned to CLEAN safe Stainless Steel 304 only.

Routine cleaning uses soft water and a neutral detergent, careful rinsing and drying with a soft cloth. Abrasive products and abrasive tools such as steel wool and stiff brushes scratch the PVC film. Small stains come off with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. Stains from absorbed substances such as nail varnish, lipstick, shoe polish, ink and tar do not come out. Acetone, toluene, ethyl acetate, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene act aggressively on the PVC film and are not to be left on the surface.

Repair or painting starts with cleaning using diluted neutral detergent or denatured alcohol, then a soft water rinse and careful drying. Water-based acrylic enamels are used for repairing or painting, and two-component polyurethane enamels with volatile solvents are used for repairing. Repair or painting can reduce the anti-bacterial action of the film.

Pre-coated sheets and coils are stored in a dry place without sudden temperature changes, to prevent condensation. Material under the temporary adhesive protective film is kept away from heat sources and sunlight. The pre-coated steel is processed within 6 months of shipment, and not at temperatures below 18 degrees C (about 64 degrees F), so that roll forming and bending do not abrade or break the film.

CLEAN safe 120 is offered as a coating on controlled-environment wall and ceiling panels such as QuadCore KS Flat, where it is an option for corrosion protection and for exposure to secondary food contact and corrosive cleaning agents. Those panels are a type of insulated metal panel used in cold storage and food-processing buildings.