BE1027371B1 - METHOD FOR CLEANING AND / OR DECONTAMINATION OF TECHNICAL TEXTILE AND CLEANROOM FACILITY FOR THE APPLICATION OF SUCH METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, in particular technical textiles such as, for example, firefighting suits, into which toxic substances end up during use in the field. The invention also related to a clean room facility for applying such a cleaning and / or decontamination method. Automation and computerization of the cleaning and / or decontamination process are also included in the invention.

Description

METHOD FOR CLEANING AND / OR DECONTAMINATION OF TECHNICAL TEXTILE AND CLEANROOM FACILITY FOR THE APPLICATION OF SUCH A METHOD Technical field The invention relates to a method for cleaning and / or decontaminating substances, in particular technical textiles such as, for example, firefighting suits in which toxic substances end up in the field during use.

The invention also related to a clean room facility for applying such a cleaning and / or decontamination method.

Automation and computerization of the cleaning and / or decontamination process are also included in the invention.

Background of the Invention

The prior art contains documents pertaining to cleaning methods, washing, but not the decontamination of fabrics.

CN104017238 A is for example dust-free cloths; in particular, a method is described for recycling non-dusty fabrics.

CN106988078 A discusses the issue of reducing water use.

Both references EP3399090 A1 and CN110344205 A refer to equipment that can be used within a cleaning facility, although they themselves do not describe suitable facilities.

In addition, CN110344205 A discusses the need for health and environmentally safe approaches.

EP0679753 A2 relates to the dry cleaning of garments under agitation with liquid carbon dioxide as cleaning medium, whereby garments cleaned with carbon dioxide are made odor-free, whereby drying is not necessary.

While reference is made to the optional use of process improvers, such as surfactants, to become loaded with contaminants so that they can be removed from garments or fabrics, no real decontamination process is involved.

ES1139990 U specifically describes the use of a separate bag to put clothes in, where the use of a separate bag allows users to separate their clothes from other people's clothes.

Summary of the invention In a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for the processing of substances.

Processing is mainly related to cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric.

The method can be semi- or quasi-automatic, where more automation means, for example, that the user or operator in the work environment is assisted in taking actions and / or decisions as recommended by a user interface and an integrated software system with the full cleaning and / or integrated decontamination processing tree.

Automation means can for instance comprise robots, but can also refer to, for instance, predetermined settings given by a computer.

The fabric to which the method is applied is, for example, a protective cloth or so-called technical textile, i.e. not fashionable and usually consisting of several layers.

In one embodiment, the substance may have a layered structure with, for example, a certain number of layers and a certain pore size, and more particularly, the substance (as part of the layered structure) may have one or more filters, for filtering, for example, unwanted particles. .

Depending on the amount of filters, certain steps of the processing and / or processing parameters can be adjusted or remain unchanged.

Possible limitations on the equipment used for such a method are for example the maximum temperature (eg less than 40 degrees) and / or the flow time (eg less than 48 hours). Furthermore, for example, the typical amount of dust, the size of the cleanroom and the processing machines and equipment, and for example the internal size of the decontamination machine and / or drying chamber must be taken into account.

The method consists in a first step of classifying substances, as received, in a multitude of classes.

The classifying step can be semi- or quasi-automatic.

The substances are classified on the one hand based on the nature of the contamination and on the other, taking into account the type of textile that must be cleaned and / or decontaminated.

The substance is received, for example, at a cleaning and / or decontamination installation in a closed box.

In a second step of the method, according to or depending on the class to which a substance belongs (as known from the first step of the method), either a decontamination step is carried out (directly) on the substance, or a drying step is done beforehand on the substance before the decontamination step takes place.

Decontamination means removing very small particles, and can be interpreted, for example, as removing nanoparticles stuck in the textile membrane, while the drying step removes slightly larger but still small particles, i.e. earlier microparticles are removed.

In particular, the drying step has in any case been adapted to (completely) remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), such as benzene, from the substance.

In one embodiment, the decontamination step is based on the use of carbon dioxide (CO2), more specifically liquid CO2. The method can comprise a subsequent step, in which, in accordance with the class to which a substance belongs, a (local) treatment or a so-called pre-treatment of (part of) the substance is carried out, with the aim of removing visible dirt (for example by means of cleaning the surface) of the fabric.

This further step is usually carried out after the first step of classifying the substance, and before decontamination or drying, followed by the decontamination step.

In particular for the pre-treatment and the decontamination step, the type of textile (which also determines the class to which a substance belongs) is an important parameter, while it is less important for the drying step, for example.

The pretreatment step can be semi- or quasi-automatic.

Pre-treatment can be understood to mean removing macro particles, i.e. larger than the microparticles removed during drying, and much larger than the nanoparticles removed during the decontamination step.

Moreover, especially during the pre-treatment, heavy dirt stains are removed, and thus biological dirt earlier, while the other (drying and decontamination) steps are more related to the removal of chemical dirt.

The (local) treatment step can consist of (local) dosing of a liquid, such as, for example, a detergent in the form of a liquid.

Furthermore, the method may consist of the step of receiving different substances and subsequently performing the classification based on one or more of the following aspects: visual inspection of the substance, and / or (database) information about the former (up to now) use of the substance.

The visual inspection can be (partly) automated by means of camera systems, for example, and mainly relates to the surface or visible parts of the fabric.

With (partly) automated visual inspection, the classification step is (partly)

automated. For example, the information regarding the former use is stored in a database. Former use can refer to recent data, for example the fire classification of the last fire, but also to data dating from a long time ago and, for example, the complete cleaning and / or decontamination history. While the variety of different fabrics is concerned, the different fabrics may differ in the type of fabric, referring, for example, to the amount of layers and / or the type of filter for a particular purpose, e.g. protection or safety.

The method can also comprise the step of adapting the process parameters of the decontamination step and / or the drying step and / or the (local) treatment step to the classification step. This adjustment can be (partially) automated. Process parameters are, for example, rotational speed, temperature and pressure.

The method may comprise a subsequent step, in which, according to the class to which a substance belongs, the substance is put in a separate bag, for example of (synthetic) textile, for the (entire) duration of the processing in order to thus remove (certain) particles. to collect (such as to be removed during processing, e.g. by centrifugal forces) in the bag. The particles to be removed that must be collected in a container such as the separate bag are, for example, asbestos particles. In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a clean room facility adapted to perform the method of cleaning and / or decontamination of the substance in accordance with the first aspect. In one embodiment, the classification step is performed in a first chamber, and the decontamination step in a third chamber, which is (physically) separated from that first chamber, and with a separate air flow and pressure, by means of a second chamber, in which parts or substances are allowed to pass through and optionally the drying step is carried out. It concerns objects such as for example helmets or boots (eg in connection with a firefighting suit) also referred to as "hard" material as opposed to "soft" textile. If the drying step is not performed, the second space can be seen or interpreted as a buffer before entering the (third) space for performing the decontamination step.

The drying and / or decontamination step can be carried out with equipment placed just outside the cleanroom facility, in a fourth room, also called a technical room, which is however connected to the second and third room.

The second space can be adapted to receive parts or substances from the first space and deliver parts or substances to the third space, receiving and / or delivery being made possible by means of a door, hatch or other type of means of access.

The (local) treatment step is carried out in the first chamber in one embodiment.

The third space may consist of an enclosed fabric portion for decontamination of fabrics, and an enclosed non-fabric (ozone) area for decontamination of non-fabric accessories, such as helmets or boots.

In one embodiment, the first chamber is pressurized, and the second and third chambers are overpressure.

In a third aspect of the invention there is provided a product of a computer program consisting of a computer readable code, which, when running on a computer environment, allows the implementation of the method of cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric according to the first aspect. supports, in particular one or more of the following steps.

A first step, to classify the substance as received in different classes; a second step, visually inspecting the substance to support classification; a third step, saving or loading from the database information related to the previous (up to now) use of the substance; a fourth step, adjusting the process parameters of the decontamination step and / or the drying step and / or the (local) treatment step in accordance with the classification; and a fifth step, examining the substance after the decontamination step, checking the status of the substance in terms of quality, performance and / or functionality.

It should be noted that some of these steps, such as classifying, visually inspecting and adjusting process parameters, can be semi or quasi-automatic or even fully automated.

For example, examining the substance, as described in the fifth step, may be to check if there are any errors or defects in the substance that affect its effectiveness.

Eg. protective clothing that has been perforated or burned in places due to practical use (eg when extinguishing a fire) will no longer provide protection.

In addition, the invention provides a database suitable for use in a computer environment, containing information for each piece of fabric to be treated by the method of cleaning and / or decontaminating substances in accordance with the first aspect, regarding the former ( so far) use of the substance.

Further provided with the invention is a database suitable for use in a computer environment, containing information, for each type of substance, to be treated by the method of cleaning and / or decontamination of substances in accordance with the first aspect, and for each class therein, the required treatment steps and the required process parameters for each of the required treatment steps.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of calibrating the method of cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric comprising the following steps. In a first step, a control sample is attached to or on the substance, and this with a view to calibrating or testing the substance after the cleaning and / or decontamination method has been carried out, which is therefore a measure of the performance of this cleaning and / or decontamination method. The control sample can be removed from the calibrated or tested substance. A second step involves regular checking of the control sample off-line, for example in a lab, after removal of the substance, and this in connection with the cleaning and / or decontamination performance of the method on the substance. In a third step, the process parameters are adjusted in the database with information about the previous (so far) use of the substance. Such a control sample is, for example, a small piece of fabric that is tested in a test laboratory. In a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an identification arrangement for cleaning and / or decontamination of the substance in a cleaning and / or decontamination facility. The aim is to provide the fabric with identification labels, for example based on wireless communication such as RFID tags. The regulation also implies that the cleaning and / or decontamination facility is provided with means (e.g. wireless communication) for monitoring the movement of the substance through the various processing steps provided in the cleaning and / or decontamination facility, such as described in the method of cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

A scanning system for logistical purposes, for example scanning received substances that need to be cleaned and / or decontaminated at the beginning of the processing chain, is hereby described.

In addition, when a closed box that needs to be cleaned and / or decontaminated inside it arrives at the cleaning and / or decontamination facility, it is also sufficient to scan close to the outside of the box to identify the RFID label. read or register the substance contained in the box.

In other words, the fabric is, for example, provided with an RFID tag that can be read upon arrival in the cleaning and / or decontamination area without having to open the box in which the fabric is stored.

In a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided a quality control system for the cleaning and / or decontamination of processed materials.

The system includes means for dosing liquid (e.g. water) on the processed substance.

The system also includes camera means for detecting color changes due to the delivery of the liquid.

The system further comprises arithmetic means for deriving quality parameters from such color changes.

Alternatively, in accordance with the invention, a system is provided for quality control of cleaning and / or decontamination of processed materials.

The system provides means for blowing heated gas (e.g. air) into the processed substance.

The system also provides thermal cameras for detecting (local) defects.

The system further comprises arithmetic means for deriving quality parameters from such detected (local) defects.

A quality control system for measuring the condition or status of cleaned and / or decontaminated substances, at the end of the processing chain, is hereby described.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 illustrates a flowchart embodiment of the method of cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric, comprising classification and decontamination, and optionally also drying, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates another flowchart of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, consisting of classification and decontamination, and optionally also performing local treatment and drying, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a flowchart embodiment of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, consisting of classification and decontamination, and optionally also drying, indicating the different areas or spaces in which the method is carried out, in accordance with the invention .

Figure 4 illustrates another flowchart embodiment of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, comprising classifying and decontamination, and optionally also performing topical treatment and drying, identifying different areas or areas where the method is performed. indicated, in accordance with the invention. Figure 5 illustrates a flow diagram of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, consisting of classification and decontamination, and optionally also drying, including automation using a separate database system for respective substance history and processing parameters, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 illustrates another flowchart embodiment of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, classifying and decontamination, and optionally also performing topical treatment and drying, including automating using a single database system for both substance history and the processing parameters, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment in perspective top view of the environment, consisting of various rooms and areas in which the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances, including incorporation and quality control, is carried out in accordance with the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention is now further described with reference to the drawings set.

Illustrated in Figure 1 is a flowchart embodiment of the method 100 for cleaning and / or decontaminating fabrics, in accordance with the invention. This flowchart indicates that the method 100 may include either the grading 101 and decontamination 102 steps, or the method 100 includes the grading 101, drying 103, and decontamination 102 steps. In the latter case, drying 103 is performed on the fabric before it is decontaminated 102, as indicated by arrow 13. Also for this latter case, after classifying 101, drying 103 is performed, as illustrated by arrow 12. After the substance has been classified, dried and decontaminated, it can be made available for inspection (not shown) as indicated by arrow 15. Drying or fumigation of the substance is not always necessary.

When this happens, the substance can be decontaminated immediately after classification 101, as illustrated by arrow 11. After decontamination, the substance can be returned for inspection (not shown), as indicated by arrow 14. Classification 101 of substances means that the substance is classified and sorted in boxes based on the type of contamination and taking into account the type of textile of the substance that has to be cleaned and / or decontaminated.

The drying 103 of substances is accompanied by the removal of microparticles from the fabric, while the decontamination 102 by means of liquid CO2 focuses on the nanoparticles to be removed.

In both steps 102 and 103, very small invisible particles are removed.

Figure 2 illustrates another flowchart embodiment of the method 200 for cleaning and / or decontaminating fabrics, in accordance with the invention.

Here, in addition to the possible step of drying 203, performed before decontamination 202 and after classifying 201, a step of performing local treatment 204 can be performed.

Typically, macro particles are removed from the fabric during this local treatment 204.

Such macro particles are considered visible and appear, for example, as heavy dirty spots on the fabric.

In other words, the local treatment 204, also called pre-treatment, is more likely to remove biological soil, while the other steps 202, 203 are more concerned with the removal of chemical soil particles.

In addition, during the topical treatment 204, a liquid such as a cleaning agent can be used, particularly applied to the fabric, to improve the removal of local soil particles.

The arrows 21 and 27 indicate the course of the method comprising the steps of classification 201 and decontamination 02.

On the other hand, arrows 22, 26 and 28 indicate the course of the method comprising the steps of grading 201, drying 203 and decontamination 202.

Furthermore, the arrows 23, 24, 25 and 29 indicate the course of the method consisting of the steps of classification 201, performing the local treatment 204, drying 203 and decontamination 202.

Figure 3 shows a flowchart of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric, together with the indication of the various areas or spaces in which the method is performed, in accordance with the invention.

Again, as in Figure 1, method 300 may include either the steps of classifying 301 and decontamination 302, according to the flow rate given by arrows 31 and 34.

In other instances, method 300 consists of the steps of classifying, drying 303 and decontamination 302, with arrows 32, 33 and 35 indicating the flow rate.

With the illustration of Figure 3, it becomes clear that each of the different steps 301, 302, 303 are performed in a different room.

The classification step is carried out in a first chamber 306. In addition, for one of the drying steps 302 and the decontamination 303, two spaces are used each time, namely a space 307, 308 for access into or where the operator or robot transfers the substance for the purpose. performing one processing step after another, and a room 309 for the equipment or machines that are stored, also called the technical room.

The technical room for the drying and decontamination equipment 302 can be shared, as is the case in the illustration of Figure 3.

Thus, a second chamber 307 is used for access to the drying space 303 and transfer of the fabric.

After drying 303, the substance is further transferred to a third chamber 308 where the substance is received for decontamination 302. A fourth chamber 309 is used in which the equipment is accessible through second 307 and third chamber 308 for the substance to be dried and decontaminated.

The drying 303 is thus performed in the premises 307, 309 for the access (a) to the substance and the storage equipment (b), respectively. Likewise, decontamination 302 is performed in spaces 308, 309 for access a) to the substance and storage of the equipment b) respectively. The combination of rooms 306, 307, 308 is also called the cleanroom area 305.

After the substance has been decontaminated, according to the flow of arrows 34, 35, it can be delivered to the quality control zone 310 for inspection. In Figure 4, the flowchart embodiment of Figure 3 is expanded to include the possible local treatment step 404, to be performed before drying 403 and after grading 401, in accordance with the invention.

In the embodiment, the local treatment 404 is performed in a first room 406, in which the partition 401 also takes place.

As shown in Figure 4, method 400 may include the steps of classifying 401 and decontamination 402 according to the flow rate given by arrows 41 and 47.

Alternatively, the method 400 consists of the steps of classifying 401, drying 403 and decontamination 402, with arrows 42, 46 and 48 indicating the flow rate.

Furthermore, the method 400 may include the steps of classifying 401, performing topical treatment 404, drying 403, and decontamination 402, with arrows 43, 44, 45 and 49 indicating the flow rate.

According to Figure 4, a second chamber 407 is used for accessing the drying space 403 and transferring the fabric.

After drying 403, the fabric is further transferred to a third chamber 408 where the fabric is received for decontamination 402. A fourth chamber 409 is used in which the equipment accessed through second 407 and third chamber 408 for drying and cleaning. decontaminate the substance.

Drying 403 and decontamination 402 is performed in room 407, 408 for the access (a) of substances and in room 409 for storage of equipment (b), respectively. The cleanroom area 405 combines the chambers 406, 407, 408. After the substances have been decontaminated, and after the flow of arrows 47, 48, 49, they can be delivered for inspection to the quality control zone 410. In figure 5 we see the illustration again. of Figure 1 showing the flowchart embodiment of the method for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances in accordance with the invention.

The method 500 may consist of the grading 501 and decontamination steps 502 depending on the flow rate indicated by arrows 51 and 54.

Or alternatively, method 500 consists of the steps of grading, drying 503, and decontamination 502, with arrows 52, 53 and 55 indicating the flow rate.

Figure 5 also makes a connection with the history of the substance to be cleaned and / or decontaminated.

The history of a substance is stored and continuously updated in a database and can be retrieved at any time.

This history may include, for example, any previous cleaning and / or decontamination work performed on it, certain dirt particles found on the fabric, the specialty cleaning agents used, the defects found during the quality control, and subsequent repairs performed.

The relationship or link to the substance history computer system 511 or database, is indicated by arrow 514 which moves back and forth, indicating that data can be stored, retrieved and updated.

In addition, as shown in Figure 5, a connection is made with the processing parameters for cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric as it is received, made from a particular textile and contaminated with a particular type of contamination as identified during the classification step.

With these processing parameters, the process flow and conditions are stored and retrieved, and possibly also updated, in order to clean and / or decontaminate a particular substance.

The processing parameters are, for example, the pressure under which decontamination takes place, the rotational speed of the drying and / or decontamination drum, the temperature used for drying and / or decontamination, and the liquid used during the topical treatment.

The relationship or link to the process flow / condition computing system 512 - or database, is indicated by arrow 513 that goes back and forth, thus also indicating that the data can be stored, retrieved and updated.

In addition, the one-way arrows 515, 516 indicate the delivery of processing parameter data for the decontamination steps 502 and the drying steps 503, so that the decontamination and drying is performed under the correct conditions, with the correct parameters and the correct process flow for the classified substance.

In Figure 6, the flowchart embodiment of Figure 5 is expanded to include the possible local treatment step 604 to be performed before drying 603 and after scheduling 601, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 further illustrates the relationship with the history of the fabric to be cleaned and / or decontaminated, and with the processing parameters for cleaning and / or decontamination of the fabric as received, made from a particular textile and with a particular type of contamination. as identified during the classification step, using a single computer system 612 or database for both substance history and processing parameters.

The relationship, or links, to this computer system 612, or database, is indicated by arrow 613 that goes back and forth, indicating that data can be stored, retrieved, and updated.

Furthermore, the one-way arrows 615, 616, 617 indicate the delivery of the processing parameter data for decontamination 602, drying 603 and performing local treatment steps 604 so that the decontamination, drying and topical treatment are performed under the correct conditions, with the correct parameters and process flow for the classified substance.

In Figure 7, an embodiment is illustrated in perspective top view of the cleaning and / or decontamination environment, consisting of various chambers and spaces, including dust pick-up or reception and quality control before returning the processed substance, in accordance with the invention.

We recognize a first room 706 for classifying and possibly performing the local treatment of the substance, a second room 707 for access to the drying equipment, a third room 708 for access to the decontamination equipment and a fourth room 709 for the storage of the drying and decontamination equipment, also known as the technical area.

The third chamber 708 has two compartments: one compartment for the textile to be decontaminated (soft material or software) in the machine as stored in the fourth chamber 709, and a specialized ozone compartment for the accessories (hard material or hardware) such as helmets and boots. that must be decontaminated.

Claims (25)

Conclusions 1. A method for cleaning and / or decontamination of technical textile fabric, consisting of: i) classifying the substance into a plurality of classes to determine the required treatment steps and the required process parameters for each of the required treatment steps ; (ii) according to the class to which the substance belongs, or (a) carry out a decontamination step as a treatment step on the substance; or b} perform a drying step as a treatment step on the fabric before the decontamination step. The method of claim 1, wherein said drying step is at least adapted to remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from said substance. The method according to claim 1, wherein depending on the class to which the substance belongs, c) a (local) treatment of (a part of) the substance is carried out to remove visible dirt from the substance before decontamination and / or to dry. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of (local) treatment consists of (topically) administering a liquid, more in particular a liquid detergent. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said decontamination step is based on the use of CO2, more in particular liquid CO2. The method of any preceding claim, comprising: (iii) receiving a variety of different substances; (iv) perform classification based on one or more of the following: (1) visual inspection of the substance; and / or (2) information on the previous use of the substance. The method according to any of the preceding claims, consisting of the step of adjusting the process parameters of said decontamination step, preferably at a temperature lower than 40 ° C, and / or said drying step and / or said (local ) treatment step in accordance with the mentioned classification. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein according to the class to which the substance belongs, d) such substance is placed in a separate bag during cleaning and / or decontamination, so that the particles to be removed are collected in said bag. . The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fabric has a layered structure. The method of claim 9, wherein the fabric has one or more filters. The method of claim 6, wherein the different fabric further varies in the type of fabric. A clean room facility adapted to perform the method of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 11. The clean-room facility of claim 12, wherein said classifying is performed in a first space, and wherein said decontamination step is performed in a third space, which is (physically) separated from said first space by means of a second space in which dust particles are passed and the optionally mentioned drying step is carried out. The clean room facility according to claim 13, wherein said drying and / or said decontamination is performed by equipment placed just outside said clean room facility, in a fourth room, albeit connected to said second and third space. The clean-room facility according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said second space is adapted to receive parts or dust from said first space and deliver parts or dust to said third space, wherein said reception and / or delivery is performed. made possible by means of a door, shutter or other type of access means in general. The clean-room facility according to claims 13 to 15, wherein said step of (local) treatment is performed in said first room. The clean-room facility according to claims 13 to 16, wherein said third space consists of an enclosed dust space for decontamination of substances, and an enclosed non-dust (ozone) space for decontamination of non-dust accessories such as helmets for example. or boots. The clean-room facility according to claims 13 to 17, wherein said first space is in negative pressure, and said second and third space is in positive pressure. A computer program product containing computer readable coding, which, when running on a computer environment, supports the implementation of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, in particular one or more of the following steps: (i) classifying matter in a multitude of classes; (ii) visual inspection of the substance to aid classification; (iii) storing or loading information from a database on the previous use of the substance; (iv) adjusting the process parameters of the decontamination step and / or the drying step and / or the (local) treatment step in accordance with the classification; (v) examination of the substance after the decontamination step, checking the status of the substance in terms of quality, performance and / or functionality. A database, suitable for use in a computer environment, containing information for each piece of fabric to be treated by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, on the previous use of this fabric. A database, suitable for use in a computer environment, containing information, for each type of substance to be treated by the method of any one of claims 1 to 11, and for each class therein, the required treatment steps and the required process parameters for any of those required treatment steps. A method of calibrating the method of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: i) placing a control sample on said substance; (ii) regularly checking that control sample off-line for the decontamination performance of that method on this substance; and iii) adjusting the process parameters in the database according to claim 21 accordingly. 23. An identification scheme for cleaning and / or decontamination of substances in a cleaning and / or decontamination facility, consisting of: ii) providing the relevant substances with identification tags; (ii) providing the cleaning and / or decontamination facility with means to monitor the movements of the substance during the various processing steps carried out in the cleaning and / or decontamination facility. 24. A quality control system for the cleaning and / or decontamination of treated fabric, comprising: a) means for applying fluid to the treated fabric; b) cameras for detecting color changes due to the application of said liquid; and c) calculation means for deriving quality parameters from such color changes. 25. A quality control system for cleaning and / or decontamination of treated substances, comprising: a) means for blowing heated gas into said treated substance; b) a thermal camera for detecting defects and c) calculation means for deriving quality parameters from such detected defects.