Plant Services - April 2008 - (Page 59)

RELIABILITY Flooring Time and again, we’ve found that the need for our inspections and consulting work is the result of end-user overexpectation of product, lower performance expectations and inadequate product knowledge. With advances in technology, we’ve entered into a more exciting, yet challenging and even frustrating time. Because of the focus on technologies and sustainability, advanced ﬂooring materials are stronger, better, more chemically resistant, biodegradable and recyclable. But there are costs in terms of unforeseen conditions. Complacency combined with status quo can produce naïveté and insuﬃcient knowledge of the subject matter. Epoxy grout explained To understand epoxy grout failure, one must have an appreciation and understanding of that material. A tile or stone ﬂoor covering needs some form of joint ﬁ ller (grout) to protect the tile/stone edges and to provide a protective barrier against dirt and debris. Because of its chemical-resistant characteristics and durability, epoxy grout seems to have become the material of choice, especially in commercial kitchens and industrial areas subject to heavy traﬃc and chemical attack. e Handbook of Ceramic Tile Installation from the Tile Council of North America Inc. (TCA) deﬁnes epoxy grout as, “A grout system employing epoxy resin and hardener portions, often containing coarse silica ﬁller, especially formulated for industrial and commercial installations where chemical resistance is of paramount importance. High temperature and chemical-resistance formulas also are available.” Although designed to be chemical-resistant and durable, we’ve found instances where, for some unknown reason, the epoxy grout degrades (Figure 1). is is particularly so in the food service and preparation environments, where there are concentrations of heavy grease residues. e grout either starts to come out of the joint in thick, even layers, leaving a consistently reduced grout mass, or has been so degraded that it comes out of the joint completely. is failure mode produces trip hazards, a moat ﬁ lled with soiled cleaning water and a place for biological growth to accumulate. ates under-performance issues such as using the ﬂoor before the grout has a chance to cure completely, mixing noncompatible cleaning chemicals, using any type of so-called all-purpose ﬂoor cleaners, improper cleaning solution dilution ratios and inadequate ﬂoor rinsing results in cleaning chemical buildup. To make matters worse, using hot water on epoxy grout can soften the grout, allowing it to be scrubbed out of the joint. Exposure to chemicals that are highly caustic to epoxies (such as certain non-rinse enzyme ﬂoor cleaners) and mixing diﬀerent cleaning chemicals can result in high concentrations of solvents that prematurely degrade epoxy grouts. Because of repeated poor maintenance practices and the damage it causes to the grout, various associated members of the cleaning, maintenance and ﬂoor covering industries continue to study the matter to help solve this problem. The science of enzyme cleaning For both practical and commercial reasons, biotechnology is already being used in North America and Europe. Numerous commercial contract cleaners and plant mangers are now committed users of enzymes and bacterial solutions for general problem cleaning, sanitizing and viral control. As a result, enzymatic cleaning solutions are being used in a large range of industrial and commercial processes because enzymes speed up the natural process of biodegradation. ese biological products clean ﬂoors, walls, ducting and machinery of fats, grease, starch, proteins, lubricating fuel, Just short of a trip hazard Failure mode commonalities In most instances, the common failure mode factor is expectation of product performance that far outweighs individual performance factors. We often hear the comment, “It’s plastic, chemical-resistant and basically bulletproof. Is it not?” It’s chemical-resistant and durable, but epoxy grout must be treated with the same realistic respect as any other material. Believing that turning the mop bucket over to an untrained janitorial staﬀ and the all-purpose handy ﬂoor cleaners stored in the janitor’s closet (Figure 2) isn’t going to aﬀect the grout is unrealistic. at’s why unjustiﬁed product expectations outweigh actual performance. Many maintenance environments, not just food service, abuse the ﬂoor covering system continually, which generA Figure 1. Grout degradation allows foreign materials and bacteria to collect in the joints. .PLANTSERVICES. 59 http://www.plantservices.com

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Plant Services - April 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager Technology Toolbox Cover Story Compressors Motors Flooring Web Hunter In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Energy Expert

Plant Services - April 2008

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