A stainless steel surface was modified using nanoparticles

Scientists have successfully used nanotechnology to create a contaminant-resistant surface for stainless steel, which they claim can increase production efficiency and productivity and safeguard food safety.

The innovation is important because surface contamination reduces operating efficiency, shortens run times and increases the likelihood of biofilm contamination, according to the researchers.

Such fouling will result in decreased heat transfer rates, pressure fluctuations and an overall loss of product quality, the paper states.

Operating costs are further increased by frequent shutdowns for cleaning and the corresponding use of chemical detergents and sanitisers, which also increases the environmental load and impact.

Raw milk

The coating was tested on the surface of 316L stainless steel heat exchanger plates, on which raw milk can be processed and which are subject to significant contamination, or fouling, of protein and minerals.

An electroless nickel plating process was used to co-deposit fluorinated nanoparticles on to these plates. The ability to resist fouling was demonstrated on a pilot plant scale heat exchanger.

The nanoparticle-modified steel surface slashed contamination by 97%, the researchers claimed in an article just published online in the journal Food & Bioproducts Processing.

Link:

Nanotechnology delivers anti-fouling surface for food factories