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Industries | Industrial

Industrial-strength cleaning, without industrial-strength corrosion.

PureTech Scientific supplies glycolic acid for metal finishing, water treatment, construction, transportation cleaning, data center cooling and process chemistry. It is strong on scale and rust and easy on metal and equipment, backed by the only continuous, single-step glycolic acid process in the industry.

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Not detected
Chloride and DCA in Glycolic Acid 70% Technical Solution*
0.009% vs 55.51%
Aluminum weight loss vs hydrochloric acid**
89.6%
Biodegradable in 7 days (OECD 301D)
24/7
Continuous U.S. production

How it works

Glycolic acid's acid group dissolves carbonate and oxides, and its alcohol group chelates iron, calcium, magnesium and manganese into water-soluble salts. Unlike phosphoric acid, it leaves no phosphate residue. Unlike oxalic acid, it does not form insoluble calcium salts. With chloride not detected, it avoids adding the chlorides that raise stress corrosion cracking risk in stainless steel.
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Product solutions

The right grade for the job.

tech grade

Technical Grade

Versatile 70% glycolic acid solution for industrial use.
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Glyclean D70e

Glycolic Acid 70E

EU-stocked 70% grade for non-disinfecting industrial use.
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Glyclean 70

Glyclean® 70

Cleaning-only 70% grade with tight sulfate and turbidity limits.
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Glyclean AN-1

Glyclean® AN

Replaces acetic acid in acrylonitrile purification.
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Custom manu

Contract & toll manufacturing

Your chemistry, our Dayton, TN site, from lab scale to commercial.
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Applications

One acid, every tough cleaning job

General cleaning & care

Hard surface cleaners, descalers, laundry sours and dairy equipment cleaners

Building & construction

Concrete removers for ready-mix trucks, tools and equipment

Transportation cleaning & care

Truck washes and automotive and wheel cleaners

Water treatment

Boiler descaling, well rehabilitation and cooling towers

Metal finishing & cleaning

Rust and mill scale removal, pickling, plating and electropolishing

Data center cooling systems

Pre-commissioning cleaning and descaling for stainless cooling loops

Leather care

Leather tanning and processing

Aerospace

Surface treatment chemicals for aerospace parts

Process chemistry

Acrylonitrile purification with Glyclean® AN

Data center cooling

Clean the loop before the glycol goes in.

Liquid-cooled data centers depend on clean stainless piping, manifolds and heat exchangers. Cooling loops are typically cleaned and flushed before they are charged, because fabrication residue, free iron and scale can foul narrow cold-plate channels.

PureTech glycolic acid dissolves mineral scale, rust and free iron and holds the iron in solution so it rinses away, with chloride not detected and without the handling profile of stronger mineral acids. PureTech is a member of ASTM subcommittee A01.14, which oversees ASTM A967, the standard for chemical passivation of stainless steel.

Grades: Glycolic Acid 70% Technical Solution or Glyclean® 70. Our team will help you choose

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Data spotlight

Less metal lost. More scale removed.

Weight loss after 48 hours at 23 °C in 10% acid.
Metal Glycolic Phosphoric Hydrochloric
1018 carbon steel

0.17%

 0.64% 2.03%
1100 aluminum

0.009%

 1.39% 55.51%
304 stainless steel

0.008%

 0.011% 0.53%
316 stainless steel 0.002% 0.002% 0.94%
In a modified ASTM D5343 rust removal test, 10% glycolic acid removed 34% of the stain, compared with 28% for phosphoric, 19% for citric and 19% for sulfamic acid.
Why PureTech

What industrial buyers need from a glycolic acid supplier, built in.

Industrial cleaning has to remove scale and rust fast without damaging the metal, the equipment or the schedule.

Supply you can plan around

Our dedicated glycolic acid facility runs 24/7 with on-site rail and barge access, and locally stocked inventory keeps product close to customers overseas.

Specs that don't drift

Our continuous, single-step process keeps every lot to the same documented specification, with chloride and DCA tracked to non-detect thresholds.

The right grade for every job

Our team helps you match grade, concentration and format to the application, and our Dayton, TN site can scale your own chemistry from lab to commercial production.

Secure your supply. Scale your chemistry.

Tell us your application, volumes and delivery format. We'll match you with the right grade, send the specification and a sample, and set up reliable supply wherever you are. 
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Frequently asked questions

How corrosive is glycolic acid compared with mineral acids?
In 48-hour testing at 23 °C with 10% acid, glycolic acid caused a fraction of the weight loss of hydrochloric acid on carbon steel, aluminum and stainless steel. See the data above.
Does your technical grade contain chloride?
Chloride is not detected in Glycolic Acid 70% Technical Solution (LOQ 1 ppm), and every lot is reported for chloride and DCA.
Can glycolic acid replace phosphoric acid?
In many descaling and cleaning uses, yes. It is phosphate-free and leaves a lower residue.
Can glycolic acid be used to clean data center cooling loops?
Yes, as a pre-clean and descaling step for stainless heat-transfer systems before passivation and before the loop is charged with glycol. ASTM A967 allows alternative passivation solutions when parts pass its tests. Our team can help you plan the cleaning step and compatibility checks for your wetted materials.
How is it packaged?
250 kg drums, 1,250 kg IBCs, bulk tankers, ISO tanks and rail cars, with a global supply chain.
Is it biodegradable?
Yes. Readily biodegradable: 89.6% in 7 days (OECD 301D).

*Chloride LOQ 1 ppm; DCA LOQ 5.40 ppb. **10% acid, 48 hours, 23 °C.