Chemical manufacturing processes contamination prevention

Most food powders are not directly consumed by humans and animals, they are usually mixed with water and other liquids to produce wet formulations, which are further processed to produce products that are directly consumed. As a result of being ultimately consumed by humans and animals, prevention of contamination of the powders with microorganisms, viruses and undesirable chemical components is a huge issue for food powder manufacturers and the food industry in general. One major case of food poisoning linked to a contaminated powder can be very detrimental to a producer. 

Exposure of all products used in foods and food processing to foreign material contamination must be prevented. If objectionable impurities from any source, other than those covered by FCC requirements, are suspected to be present, good manufacturing practice requires the manufacturer to ensure that the substance is suitable for its intended applications as a food chemical by applying additional tests and limits. Current analytical technology should be applied wherever possible. 

In Europe, in the 1970s one major chemical accident in particular prompted the adaption of legislation aimed at the prevention and control of major accidents in the chemical process industry. The Seveso accident in northern Italy in 1976 occurred at a chemical plant manufacturing pesticides and herbicides. A dense vapor cloud containing dioxin was released due to an uncontrolled exothermic reaction. The poisonous and carcinogenic dioxin is lethal in microgram quantities and contaminated ten square miles, and more than 2,000 people were treated for exposure. Luckly, there were no immediate fatalities. 

Analyses of process fluid composition, determination of particulate and bacterial levels and other laboratory procedures are the critical steps in semiconductor manufacture. Fluid chemistries must be analyzed and kept on specification to maintain yields. For accuracy and repeatability, labware and equipment must not react with or contaminate the samples being studied. Reagents for analytical work as well as the process fluids are held in containers of PFA for protection against contamination. Because PFA is unaffected by virtually all chemicals and solvents, containers may be reused multiple times. Apparatus for wet analytical analyses may be interconnected with tubing made from PFA [23]. Laboratory apparatus including beakers and other lab equipment may also be made from PFA to help maintain chemical purity and prevent inaccurate analyses. 

In the chemical process industry (CPI), much manufacturing is carried out with chemically aggressive fluids. Fluoropolymers have major applications in chemical processing equipment to prevent corrosion and product contamination. 

Applications of such tri-blends include semiconductor devices, including microchips, flat panel displays, and the hke. In the manufacture of such apparatus, such blends can be used as components of the vapor deposition chamber, process housing components, and materials holding fixtures or molds, in order to be inert to the vapor deposition environment and to prevent off-gas contamination. These blends may also be used in components of semiconductor etching, ashing, wafer transportation, and as hard-disc media cassettes where support components may function as a seal, insulator, holding or transportation device which must endure exposure to the harsh processing environments. Further applications for such blends can be found in various industrial, chemical, and petrochemical processes where the temperature resistance in chemical environments extends the life cycle of parts used in such fabrication processes. 

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