Precision and Protection: Titan’s 800 Series Flowmeters Power Peracetic Acid Dispensing Systems

In modern medical, pharmaceutical, and hygiene applications, peracetic acid (PAA) has become one of the most trusted and effective liquid disinfectants available. As a powerful oxidizing agent with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, PAA is valued for its ability to rapidly eliminate bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores - even at relatively low temperatures. Its fast action, short contact times, and environmentally friendly by-products (primarily acetic acid, oxygen, and water) make it a cornerstone of safety and sterilisation protocols across healthcare, food and industrial settings.

However, the same characteristics that make PAA so effective also make it demanding to handle. Its potency is only fully realised when the concentration is precisely controlled. Too low a dose can render disinfection or sterilisation ineffective, putting patients, staff, and equipment at risk. Too high a dose, on the other hand, can lead to equipment corrosion, degradation of sensitive materials, and unnecessary chemical exposure. Achieving and maintaining this balance requires accurate, reliable, and chemically resistant flow measurement technology - qualities that define Titan Enterprises’ NSF-Approved 800 Series flowmeters.

The Role of PAA in Critical Hygiene Environments

Peracetic acid is used widely because it fills several important roles in medical decontamination workflows:

1. High-Level Disinfection of Medical Instruments

PAA is used extensively in automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) and other washer-disinfectors that handle flexible endoscopes, surgical instruments, and various heat-sensitive medical devices. These systems rely on precision dosing to ensure that PAA is delivered at exactly the right concentration to guarantee high-level disinfection without damaging delicate components.

2. Surface Disinfection in Clinical Facilities

Many hospitals and laboratories deploy PAA as a diluted spray or mist to disinfect operating rooms, isolation areas, and critical patient-care surfaces. To maintain consistent efficacy, the dilution process must be carefully controlled to avoid under- or over-concentration.

3. Low-Temperature Chemical Sterilisation Systems

For instruments that cannot undergo steam autoclaving - due to heat sensitivity, embedded electronics, or specialised coatings - liquid PAA sterilisation provides a reliable alternative. These systems depend on repeatable flow and dosing control to ensure sterilisation cycles are both safe and effective.

4. Pharmaceutical, Bioprocessing & Food Processing Applications

Beyond healthcare, PAA is frequently used in clean-in-place (CIP) and sterilise-in-place (SIP) systems within pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, biotechnology labs, and food production environments. Its strong oxidising properties make PAA ideal for fruit and vegetable washing, meat and poultry processing, and packaging line sanitation, providing reliable microbial control without leaving chemical residues. Here again, Titan’s NSF-Approved flowmeters provide precise flow monitoring, essential to maintain high hygiene standards and meet stringent regulatory standards.

Engineering Flowmeters for Chemical Resistance and Precision

To meet these diverse and demanding application requirements, Titan’s 800 Series flowmeters are built from materials carefully selected for their robustness and compatibility with aggressive chemicals like peracetic acid. Approved under the NSF standard 169 as ‘Special Purpose Food Equipment and Devices’, the meters incorporate PVDF, seal materials and sapphire, each chosen for specific performance advantages:

• PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride): Offers excellent resistance to acids and oxidizing agents, making it ideal for long-term contact with PAA.
• A variety of seal options including Viton™, EPDM and Kalrez®, chosen for their specific chemical compatibility.
• Sapphire Bearings: Provide extremely low friction and high wear resistance, ensuring long operating life even under continuous use.

One of the unique engineering strengths of the NSF-Approved 800 Series is Titan’s proprietary turbine flowmeter design, which utilises fully encapsulated magnetic components. In typical turbine flowmeters, exposed magnets or metallic elements can degrade when exposed to aggressive chemicals. Titan’s design eliminates this failure mode entirely, offering a reliable, contamination-free solution for PAA dosing systems – while maintaining the flowmeter’s competitive low cost.

Delivering Accuracy at Low Flow Rates

Peracetic acid is often used in dosing regimes that require fine control at low flow rates - whether in compact portable dispense systems, automated sterilisation units, or integrated CIP loops. The 800 Series excels in these situations due to its:

• High sensitivity to low flow velocities 
• Fast pulse output for precise electronic monitoring
• Consistent and repeatable measurement performance

These characteristics enable operators and automated systems to maintain tight dosing control, ensuring that every millilitre of PAA is dispensed accurately.

Benefits for Safety, Efficiency, and Equipment Longevity

Accurate flow measurement is not merely a technical convenience - it is a safety and performance requirement in environments where sterilisation quality has direct consequences for patient care, laboratory integrity, and equipment protection. By delivering consistent, verifiable flow data, Titan’s 800 Series meters support:

• Safe sterilisation outcomes, ensuring proper PAA concentrations throughout each cycle.
• Reduced chemical waste, as precise dosing avoids unnecessary overconsumption. 
• Extended equipment life, preventing corrosion or material degradation resulting from over-concentrated acid.
• Regulatory compliance, aiding documentation and verification efforts for sterilisation processes.

Whether integrated into hospital sterilisation equipment, spray disinfection systems, automated dosing units, or pharmaceutical CIP/SIP installations, Titan’s NSF-Approved 800 Series flowmeters help maintain high hygiene standards while improving operational efficiency.

Supporting the Future of Medical and Industrial Hygiene

As healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, high-purity laboratories and food processing continue to operate under increasingly stringent contamination control requirements, the need for precise chemical dosing grows in parallel. The 800-Series flowmeters are designed not just to meet current demands but to provide durable, dependable performance in the evolving landscape of hygiene and sterilisation technologies.

From compact benchtop systems to industrial-scale sterilisation pipelines, Titan’s NSF-Approved 800-Series flowmeters ensure that peracetic acid - one of the most important disinfectants of the modern era - is dispensed with the accuracy, consistency, and reliability that critical environments demand. In doing so, they provide a cost-effective solution to help safeguard equipment, protect personnel, and uphold the highest standards of cleanliness and safety.

More information can be found at www.flowmeters.co.uk 

About Titan Enterprises

With over four decades of expertise in liquid flow measuring solutions, Titan Enterprises designs and manufactures high-performance flowmeters for OEMs, industrial and laboratory applications. Known for innovation, reliability, and a collaborative engineering approach, Titan supports customers worldwide in precision flow measurement challenges.