PH is an abbreviation of a French term. The English equivalent is "power of hydrogen", which is the official definition. This is the official definition of PH. PH is the negative logarithm of the number of hydrogen ions in a litre of solution (base 10).
It is not necessary to fully understand the official definition of PH to understand how it affects cleaning. However, some of you are asking yourselves. "What does this mean?"
Ions are molecules that gain or lose electrons. As such, they are no longer electrically balanced. They are either negatively charged (extra electrons) or positively charged (missing an electron).
A water molecule (H2O) consists of two hydrogen atoms (H) and one oxygen atom (O). Very few of these molecules separate into H+ ions and OH- ions. In pure water, there will be an equal number of each. There will be 0000001 H+ ions (10-7) molecules per litre of water. The PH of pure water is 7, which is the negative number to calculate the 10th power of these ions.
When a substance is dissolved in water, the number of hydrogen ions may increase or decrease. If the result is fewer H+ ions, the solution is alkaline. If there are more H+ ions, the solution is acidic.
PH ranges from 0 to 14. numbers below 7 are acidic. Numbers greater than 7 are basic. The further away from 7, the more acidic or basic it is. Each whole number difference represents a tenfold change.
Pure water is neutral - PH 7. However, almost anything dissolved in water, no matter how much, affects the PH. Freshly distilled water will quickly absorb carbon dioxide from the air and reach a PH of 5.5 in a very short time. Other substances dissolved in water may have a more dramatic effect. Depending on their chemical properties, it can raise or lower the PH. Thus, the PH of any solution depends on the type and amount of substances dissolved in the water.
Each number on the PH scale actually represents a 10-fold difference. Thus, a PH 4 solution is ten times more acidic than a PH 5 solution. a PH 3 solution is ten times stronger than a PH 4 solution and 100 times more acidic than a PH 5 solution. This PH range of 0 to 14 is derived from the chemistry of water and the PH range cannot be used in the absence of water.
To help visualise the rate of change in intensity, think of PH 7 as the thickness of a sheet of paper. 10 has a PH of 7" and is about as tall as a water glass. Moving to 11 is the height of an average person, about 5' 10".A PH of 14 would be a mile higher.
Remember, PH is only one part of the equation. Other factors affect whether or not a chemical reaction will occur and how strong it will be. PH does not indicate the reactivity or concentration of a chemical. PH charts do not tell us if a chemical will maintain that PH or if it will change easily in the presence of other chemicals.
Total alkalinity indicates how well a compound will maintain its PH. To visualise this concept, imagine soldiers marching in formation. Let the PH indicate how many columns of soldiers are in the formation. The further away from 7, the greater the number of columns. Alkalinity indicates the depth of the base.
If something tries to change the PH, how much power is there to maintain it? Some materials tend to stabilise a solution so that it maintains a specific PH. Buffer solutions tend to resist changes in PH when an acid or base is added. A cleaning solution that maintains PH in the presence of dirt and other chemicals is called a buffer solution.
Ingredients in cleaning products that add to the total alkalinity are known as detergent aids. Auxiliaries can be added to buffer the product. Auxiliaries also help to counteract the effects of hard water.
The natural PH of most carpet fibres is close to neutral (7). For wool, the natural PH will be between 5.5 and 7. To prolong the life of the fibres and to prevent attracting dirt, we should keep the fibres as close to their natural PH as possible after we have finished cleaning.
Now that we know what PH is, let's see how we can apply this information to our cleaning.
Most dirt is acidic, averaging between 4 and 5. When dirt is neutral, it will be easier to remove. When alkalis mix with fats, oils and grease they form soap. Our ancestors would mix beef or tallow (fat) with lye (sodium or potassium hydroxide) to form lye soap. So the most effective cleaners are alkaline.
The American Society of Textile Chemists and Stain Removers recommends that nylon and most synthetic fibres have a PH of no greater than 10.0. cleaners with a higher PH can be used on olefins.
After cleaning, we try to keep the PH of the fibres near 7. Treating the fibres with an acid rinse or spray acid will do this. As the homeowner's wife may not like spraying acid on the carpet.
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