The Technology

The science
of clean.

Alkaline chemistry. High performance. Designed for commercial environments where standards are non-negotiable.

12.7
Pureworx starts where chemistry is most powerful — and most misunderstood.

Most commercial cleaning relies on a combination of surfactants, solvents and acids assembled from petrochemical derivatives. They work. But they carry costs — to the environment, to your team's safety, and to your procurement complexity.

Pureworx takes a different path. Beginning with purified water and a food-safe mineral compound, the technology builds to commercial cleaning performance through physics and precise chemistry — not a catalogue of products.

01
Purification

Everything starts with water.

Pureworx begins with reverse osmosis — a pressure-driven membrane process that removes dissolved solids, minerals, chlorine and microbial contaminants from the water supply. The result is ultrapure water with no competing chemistry.

This matters because mineral content in tap water interferes with the formulation's performance. A pure base ensures the potassium carbonate works exactly as designed — every time.

Technical detail
Reverse osmosis removes >99% of dissolved solids through a semi-permeable membrane under applied pressure, producing water with <10 ppm total dissolved solids.
01
Purification
Ultrapure water. No dissolved solids.
< 10 ppm total dissolved solids after reverse osmosis
02
Formulation

One compound. Food-safe. Precisely measured.

Potassium carbonate (K2CO3) is introduced into the purified water in precise ratios. A naturally occurring mineral compound used in food production for centuries, it is non-toxic, non-flammable, and carries no reactive storage requirements.

The formulation is not complex. Its effectiveness comes from the purity of the base, the precision of the ratio, and what happens next — not from a long list of chemical ingredients.

Compound profile
Potassium carbonate — food additive E501. Freely soluble in water. Non-flammable, non-reactive with standard commercial surfaces. Safe for food-contact applications at working concentrations.
02
Formulation
K2CO3
Potassium carbonate — food-safe, precisely introduced
03
High Performance

pH 12.7. The number that does the work.

The Pureworx solution reaches approximately pH 12.7 — highly alkaline. At this pH, the chemistry attacks fats and oils through saponification: breaking their molecular bonds without abrasion, without corrosive acid chemistry, and without the harsh odour profile of conventional alkaline cleaners.

For context: pH 12.7 is more alkaline than bleach — but through a fundamentally different mechanism, and with a dramatically safer residue and storage profile.

Why alkalinity works
Fat molecules are esters — chains that alkaline solutions cleave through hydrolysis. At pH 12.7, this reaction occurs rapidly across contaminated commercial surfaces without mechanical scrubbing.
03
High Performance
pH 12.7
0 Acid7 Neutral14 Alkali
More alkaline than bleach — different mechanism, safer profile
04
Activation

Atomisation multiplies effectiveness.

The delivery mechanism is as important as the chemistry. Spraying the Pureworx solution atomises it into micro-droplets — dramatically increasing the surface area of solution in contact with the contaminated surface at any given moment.

Think of it this way: a sponge absorbs water slowly because contact is limited. Atomised into a fine mist across a contaminated surface, every molecule of solution is in immediate, direct contact with the contaminant.

The physics
Surface area scales with the inverse square of droplet radius. Atomisation to 50-micron droplets increases effective surface contact area by orders of magnitude compared to a wiped-on liquid film.
04
Activation
Atomisation into micro-droplets — exponential surface contact increase
05
Cleaning

Molecular breakdown without mechanical force.

The Pureworx solution breaks down fats, grease and organic soils at the molecular level — through saponification of fats and emulsification of soils. Contaminants lift from the surface without hard scrubbing, without abrasive chemistry, and without the residue that conventional cleaners leave behind.

The same chemistry that makes soap work — scaled to commercial performance standards, at a precision that conventional soap chemistry cannot reach.

What it cleans
Commercial grease and fat deposits, food soils, biological residue, general surface contamination. Effective on stainless steel, glass, sealed floors, food-contact surfaces, and most commercial materials.
05
Cleaning
Molecular breakdown of fats, grease and organic soils
No abrasive chemistry. No harsh residue. No corrosive action on surfaces.
06
Return

The solution that started as water returns to water.

After application, Pureworx residue on a surface gradually migrates back toward neutral pH — through interaction with carbon dioxide in the air and the surface materials it contacts. No persistent alkaline residue remains.

This is the environmental closing argument: a technology that begins with water, performs through chemistry, and returns toward water. No harmful chemical runoff. No persistent soil contamination from cleaning product residue.

The return mechanism
Atmospheric CO2 reacts with residual potassium carbonate solution to form potassium bicarbonate and ultimately carbonic acid — progressively neutralising the alkalinity over time toward ambient pH.
06
Return
?
pH 12.7 ? pH 7
The solution naturally reverts toward water. No persistent residue.
The case

Pureworx vs conventional cleaning chemistry

Category Conventional cleaners Pureworx
Active ingredient Surfactants, solvents, acids, bleach — varies by product Potassium carbonate in purified water
pH Variable 2–13 depending on product Consistent ~12.7
Toxicity profile Varies — several products require PPE and ventilation Food-safe compound. No PPE required for standard use.
Storage Multiple products, separation requirements, ventilation Single system. No reactive storage requirements.
Environmental impact Petrochemical derivatives. Chemical waste in runoff. Alkaline chemistry. Naturally reverts to neutral pH.
Surface residue Surfactant film, solvent residue, chemical odour Neutralises over time. No persistent chemical residue.
Product count 8–20+ products for commercial compliance One system across multiple applications
Food contact surfaces Requires specific food-safe products and rinsing Food-safe chemistry throughout
Training complexity Product-specific for each cleaner in the inventory Single system — train once
Technical questions

Common questions about the technology

Is Pureworx safe to use around food?
+
Yes. Potassium carbonate is classified as a food additive (E501) and is used in food production. The Pureworx formulation is appropriate for food-contact surface applications when used as directed. This makes it particularly well-suited to commercial kitchen, childcare and food service environments.
pH 12.7 sounds harsh — is it safe for surfaces?
+
High pH does not automatically mean corrosive. Corrosivity depends on the specific chemical mechanism, not pH alone — concentrated sodium hydroxide (drain cleaner) at the same pH causes severe surface damage; potassium carbonate solution does not. Pureworx is appropriate for stainless steel, glass, sealed floors, most plastics and food-contact surfaces.
Does it need to be rinsed off?
+
In most commercial applications, Pureworx does not require rinsing. The solution neutralises over time through contact with atmospheric CO2. For food-contact surfaces in regulated environments, wiping to dryness after application is recommended as standard practice.
How does it compare to enzymatic cleaners?
+
Enzymatic cleaners work through biological catalysts that break down specific organic compounds — effective but slow, temperature-sensitive, and with a narrower application range. Pureworx works through alkaline chemistry — faster acting, effective at ambient temperature, and not substrate-specific. The two approaches are complementary rather than directly competitive.
Can it replace every cleaning product in our inventory?
+
Pureworx is designed to replace the majority of general-purpose cleaning products in a commercial inventory — degreasers, surface cleaners, glass cleaners, and multi-purpose products. Specialist products (acid descalers, sanitisers for regulated environments) may still be required as specific-application tools, but the day-to-day product count is dramatically reduced in most operations.

See it in your environment

See Pureworx demonstrated in your industry.

The technology is most persuasive when you see it work in an environment like yours. Talk to us about arranging a demonstration or trial.

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