Bio-degreasing

01Overview and value chain

Markers: [EC: REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 & Solvent Emissions Directive | OECD: Industrial biotechnology | Regulator: EPA (US), ECHA (EU), MARA (China)]

Bio-degreasing replaces chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene) and petroleum-based degreasing agents with lipase enzymes and living microbial cultures that hydrolyze or metabolize oil and grease directly, cutting the volatile organic compound emissions, worker toxicity exposure and hazardous-waste disposal costs of traditional parts washing and industrial cleaning. The core biochemistry is enzymatic hydrolysis: lipases cleave triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol, which are either water-soluble enough to rinse away or, in the most advanced systems, continuously consumed by a living bacterial culture housed inside the wash-fluid reservoir itself — eliminating the need to ever replace the solvent. ChemFree’s SmartWasher bioremediating parts washer keeps a proprietary bacterial culture (branded OzzyJuice) actively digesting grease inside the machine between uses, while Christeyns supplies a dedicated enzymatic cleaning-chemistry range and biological (“Biotic”) solutions line for industrial and institutional degreasing applications.

The key directions of bio-degreasing are:

1. Lipase-based enzymatic degreasing: lipase enzymes hydrolyze triglyceride fats and oils on metal, textile or food-processing equipment surfaces into water-soluble free fatty acids and glycerol, replacing solvent-based degreasing baths.
2. Bioremediating parts washers: self-contained cleaning systems housing a living bacterial culture in the wash-fluid reservoir that continuously digests dissolved oil and grease, extending fluid life indefinitely instead of requiring solvent disposal and replacement.
3. Biosurfactant-assisted cleaning: microbially produced surfactants (rhamnolipids, sophorolipids) that emulsify grease and oil for easier mechanical removal, replacing petrochemical surfactants in industrial degreasing formulations.
4. Enzyme-formulated industrial cleaning chemistry: blended enzymatic cleaning products combining lipases, proteases and biosurfactants tuned for specific industrial substrates (metal parts, textile machinery, food-processing lines).

Sectoral value chain

[Enzyme/microbial strain selection] ──> [Formulation into cleaning chemistry or living wash system] ──> [Application to soiled parts/surfaces]
                                                                                                              │
                     [Rinse & wastewater discharge (low toxicity)] <─── [Enzymatic/microbial grease breakdown] <┘

Value chain levels

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Lipase enzyme hydrolysis: enzymes that cleave the ester bonds in triglyceride fats and oils, producing free fatty acids and glycerol that are far more water-soluble and biodegradable than the parent grease.
• Living bioremediating wash systems: self-contained parts washers that maintain an active bacterial culture inside the wash-fluid reservoir, continuously metabolizing dissolved oil and grease so the fluid never needs replacement.
• Microbial biosurfactants: rhamnolipids and sophorolipids produced by fermentation that emulsify oil and grease, replacing petrochemical surfactants in degreasing formulations while remaining readily biodegradable.

02US

The United States is the commercial home of the bioremediating parts washer category, replacing chlorinated-solvent parts cleaning across automotive repair and light manufacturing with self-contained biological systems.

ChemFree’s SmartWasher bioremediating system, EPA solvent-emission compliance drivers

• ChemFree’s SmartWasher and OzzyJuice culture: the SmartWasher bioremediating parts washer maintains a proprietary bacterial culture (marketed as OzzyJuice) inside its wash-fluid reservoir, continuously digesting dissolved oil and grease between uses so the cleaning fluid never needs to be replaced or disposed of as hazardous waste, distributed through automotive and industrial channels including a dedicated European operation.
• EPA-driven solvent substitution: federal and state volatile-organic-compound emission limits on chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene have pushed automotive repair shops and light manufacturers toward enzymatic and bioremediating alternatives that avoid hazardous-air-pollutant classification entirely.
• Distributed retail and industrial channels: bioremediating parts washers are sold through general industrial-supply and automotive-tool retail channels rather than direct enterprise contracts, reflecting the technology’s adoption at the workshop and small-manufacturer scale as much as at large industrial plants.

03CN

China’s industrial enzyme sector, anchored by large listed producers serving food, detergent and textile industries, is extending its lipase manufacturing base toward industrial degreasing and cleaning applications.

Sunson Industry Group’s industrial lipase and enzyme portfolio, textile and equipment cleaning demand

• Sunson Industry Group’s enzyme manufacturing base: the Guangdong-based, Shenzhen-listed company (300381.SZ) is one of China’s largest industrial enzyme producers, with an active R&D pipeline spanning food-grade amylases to recycling-grade PET-degrading enzymes, reflecting a manufacturing base broad enough to supply industrial lipases for degreasing and cleaning formulations alongside its established product lines.
• Textile and food-processing equipment cleaning demand: Chinese industrial cleaning-product distributors market high-efficiency industrial lipase products specifically for removing grease residues from textile machinery and food-service equipment, a demand base that domestic enzyme manufacturers are positioned to supply directly rather than relying on imported formulations.
• MARA and environmental discharge pressure: wastewater discharge standards administered under China’s environmental authorities are pushing textile and metal-parts manufacturers away from solvent-based degreasing baths and toward lower-toxicity enzymatic alternatives that ease compliance with chemical-oxygen-demand discharge limits.

04EU

The European Union’s REACH restrictions on chlorinated solvents and hazardous surfactants have made enzymatic and biological degreasing chemistry a mainstream product line for established industrial-cleaning-chemical suppliers.

Christeyns’ enzymatic and Biotic cleaning ranges, REACH-driven solvent restriction, ASA Spezialenzyme’s lipase products

• Christeyns’ enzymatic cleaning range: the Belgian industrial and institutional cleaning-chemical supplier markets a dedicated enzymatic product range alongside a “Biotic” biological-solutions line, positioning enzyme- and microbe-based chemistry as a core part of its degreasing and cleaning portfolio rather than a niche add-on.
• ASA Spezialenzyme’s industrial lipase products: the German specialty-enzyme manufacturer supplies dedicated industrial lipase products (its Lipase FE-01 line) alongside protease products, serving as an enzyme-supply specialist to formulators building degreasing and detergent chemistry rather than selling finished cleaning products directly.
• REACH-driven solvent restriction: the EU’s REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 and its restrictions on chlorinated solvents and certain surfactant classes (such as nonylphenol ethoxylates) have made enzymatic and biosurfactant-based degreasing chemistry the default compliance path for industrial cleaning-product formulators selling into the EU market.

05Leading companies and research institutes

06Tech stack and innovations

1. Molecular stack and biological agents

• Lipase enzyme variants: microbial lipases (from Candida, Pseudomonas and related genera) selected or engineered for activity across a range of temperatures and pH conditions matching specific industrial cleaning applications.
• Living bacterial degreasing cultures: proprietary bacterial consortia maintained in a wash-fluid reservoir, metabolizing dissolved hydrocarbons and fatty acids continuously rather than in a single-pass treatment.
• Microbial biosurfactants: rhamnolipids and sophorolipids that reduce interfacial tension between oil and water, emulsifying grease for easier rinse removal.

2. Instrument stack and analytical equipment

• Bioremediating parts washers: self-contained benchtop or mobile units housing the wash-fluid reservoir, an air-sparging system to keep the bacterial culture aerobic, and a brush/sink assembly for manual parts cleaning.
• Enzyme formulation and stabilization equipment: blending and stabilization lines that combine enzymes with surfactants and buffering agents into shelf-stable liquid or powder cleaning products.
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) testing: wastewater-discharge testing used by industrial users to verify that enzymatic degreasing effluent meets local discharge standards.

07Value chains and production pipelines

Industrial pipeline for bioremediating parts-washer degreasing

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Fill reservoir with     │ ───> │ 2. Inoculate with          │
│    water-based wash fluid  │      │    bacterial culture        │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                 │
                                                 ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Air-sparge reservoir to │ <─── │ 3. Immerse/brush-clean     │
│    keep culture aerobic     │      │    grease-soiled parts      │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
              │
              ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Bacteria metabolize     │ ───> │ 6. Reuse fluid indefinitely │
│    dissolved oil/grease     │      │    without disposal          │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Reservoir fill

The parts washer’s reservoir is filled with a water-based, low-toxicity wash fluid designed to support both cleaning action and a living bacterial culture.

Stage 2: Bacterial culture inoculation

A proprietary bacterial culture concentrate is added to the reservoir, establishing the population that will continuously metabolize dissolved oil and grease.

Stage 3: Parts cleaning

Grease-soiled metal or equipment parts are immersed in or brushed with the circulating wash fluid, transferring oil and grease into the reservoir.

Stage 4: Aeration to sustain the culture

An air-sparging system continuously aerates the reservoir, keeping the bacterial culture in an active aerobic metabolic state.

Stage 5: Continuous biological breakdown

The bacterial culture metabolizes the dissolved oil and grease into water and carbon dioxide, preventing the fluid from becoming saturated with contaminants.

Stage 6: Indefinite fluid reuse

Because the culture continuously clears dissolved grease, the same wash fluid can be reused indefinitely rather than being disposed of as hazardous waste and replaced, the central economic and environmental advantage over solvent-based parts washing.