Detergents: Liquid VS Powder – Which is best?

This is a question we are often asked ”Is the Liquid detergent as good as the Powder detergent for my parts washing?”
The answer depends on a number of preferences you have regarding your operations. The pros and cons of each form of chemical detergents is listed below:

Liquid Detergents:

1. Can be formulated in a concentrated form that can be diluted by the you to your desired strength.
   
   
2. Mixes easier & dissolves better than powder.
   
   
3. Safer because of Less Exothermic Reaction possibility
   
   
4. Liquid can be used straight from the container on heavily soiled parts areas.
   
   
5. Liquid broadens the choice of surfactants available because they do not have to be available in powder form
   
   
6. Less dust , easier to dose , can be pumped into the washer bath

Powder Detergents:

1. High efficiency because the high concentration of builder salts – to formulate the same level of builders into liquid requires an even higher level of surfactant.  This can result in higher foaming.
   
   
2. All other factors being equal – soiling, water hardness, temperature and washing energy- cleaning performance is a function of concentration and type of active ingredients that are delivered into the cleaning bath.  Almost by definition, the liquid form involves a dilution of the active ingredients, that is, a given volume of a powdered detergent can generally deliver more active ingredients than an equal volume of a liquid detergent.
   
   
3. Less storage worries regarding a leak or puncture of the container.