How Does Omnixol FX100 Work?

Omnixol FX100 was developed for the deep cleaning of oil-contaminated porous mineral building materials. These include in particular concrete, screed, masonry and plaster.

Unlike purely surface-level cleaning, the working solution must act where heating oil, diesel or mineral oil is actually located: within the pores and capillaries of the building material.

This page explains in simplified terms how wetting, mobilization, dispersion, emulsification and the transport of oil components out of the building material work together.

Go directly to: 1. Oil in the Building Material 2. Deep Penetration 3. Mobilization 4. Transport to the Surface 5. Remove Residues 6. Drying 7. BX Post-Treatment 8. Result
Heating oil within the pores and capillaries of a porous mineral building material

1. Heating oil is not only present on the surface

Porous mineral building materials have a network of pores, cavities and fine capillaries. When heating oil comes into contact with such materials, it can penetrate into this pore structure.

As a result, contamination may extend significantly deeper than the externally visible stain would suggest.

Particularly in older heating oil contamination, oil components may remain within the building material for long periods and continue to release odors into the surrounding air.

Omnixol FX100 penetrates the pore and capillary structure of a mineral building material

2. FX100 wets the substrate and penetrates the pore structure

Omnixol FX100 is mixed with water to create the working solution and then applied generously to the contaminated substrate.

The surfactant components improve the wetting of the mineral substrate. This allows the working solution to spread and penetrate into accessible pores and capillaries.

This is precisely why thorough saturation is essential for deep-seated contamination. Light surface wetting does not sufficiently reach deeper areas.

Mobilization, dispersion and emulsification of oil components by Omnixol FX100

3. Adhering oil components are mobilized

Within the building material, oil components may be present as continuous films on the pore walls or as accumulations within larger cavities.

The surfactants in the FX100 working solution position themselves at the interface between water and oil. This allows adhering oil components to be detached from mineral surfaces and distributed into smaller droplets.

The breaking up of continuous oil phases into smaller dispersed droplets is referred to as dispersion. When these oil components are distributed within the aqueous phase, an emulsion is formed.

In simple terms: A continuous oil film is broken down into smaller oil droplets distributed throughout the cleaning solution. This mobilizes the oil components and allows them to be transported out of the accessible pore structure.
Simplified operating principle of the surfactants in Omnixol FX100 at the oil-water interface

How do the surfactants in FX100 work?

In simplified terms, surfactants have two different regions:

  • a hydrophilic region, which preferentially interacts with the aqueous phase
  • a lipophilic region, which preferentially associates with oil and grease components

At the oil-water interface, surfactant molecules can arrange themselves around small oil droplets. This helps distribute and stabilize the oil components within the aqueous phase.

This mechanism supports mobilization of the contamination and makes it more difficult for the detached oil components to immediately recombine into a continuous oil film.

Transport of mobilized oil components through the capillary structure toward the surface

4. Mobilized residues move toward the surface

After mobilization, the oil components are no longer attached exclusively to the pore walls, but are partly dispersed within the aqueous working solution.

Liquid can move within the pore and capillary structure. At the same time, water evaporates from the surface during the contact and drying phases.

This can transport mobilized and emulsified components from deeper, accessible areas of the building material toward the surface.

Removing mobilized and emulsified oil residues after treatment with Omnixol FX100

5. Mobilized residues are removed

During or after the FX100 treatment, milky-white, partially oily residues may become visible on the surface.

These consist of components of the aqueous working solution together with mobilized and emulsified components of the original oil contamination.

The amount and appearance may vary depending on the substrate, severity of contamination and penetration depth.

The residues that emerge are removed using, for example, a wet vacuum, absorbent cloths or other suitable absorbent material.

In cases of very heavy or deep-seated contamination, a second FX100 treatment may be necessary after the result has been assessed.

Drying a mineral building material treated with Omnixol FX100

6. The building material must dry completely

After deep cleaning, water from the FX100 working solution remains within the pore structure. This must subsequently dry out completely.

Good ventilation, a sufficiently high room temperature and low relative humidity support this process.

As a general guideline, we recommend a room temperature of at least approximately 20 °C and relative humidity preferably below 50 %.

Only after complete drying can it be reliably assessed whether any relevant oil or odor contamination remains.

Any subsequent coating, replastering or sealing should also only be carried out after complete drying and once the original odor contamination has been eliminated.

Post-treatment of remaining odors with Omnixol BX Odor Neutralizer

7. Omnixol BX forms the second step

FX100 and BX perform two different functions within the remediation process.

FX100 first treats the actual oil contamination within the mineral building material.

After cleaning has been completed and the substrate has fully dried, small amounts of residual odor or organic odor-causing substances may still remain.

For this second step, Omnixol BX Odor Neutralizer is used.

BX is applied as a fine spray and works according to a bioactive or microbial principle. Remaining accessible organic odor-causing substances are further broken down biologically.

Important: BX does not replace deep cleaning with FX100. As long as relevant heating oil or mineral oil contamination remains within the building material, the actual source of contamination must be treated first.
Result after deep cleaning an oil-contaminated building material with Omnixol FX100 and subsequent odor treatment

8. Result after cleaning and post-treatment

After successful FX100 treatment, removal of the mobilized residues and complete drying, the accessible area of the building material has been significantly reduced in mobilizable oil components.

If necessary, remaining odor-causing substances can then be treated with Omnixol BX.

Only when the substrate is completely dry and free from the original odor contamination should further construction, repainting or sealing be considered.

What does this mean in practical application?

The operating principle leads to several important rules for using Omnixol FX100:

  • The contaminated substrate must be accessible.
    Dense paints and coatings may prevent the FX100 working solution from penetrating into the building material.
  • The surface must be thoroughly saturated.
    Light surface wetting is not sufficient for deep-seated contamination.
  • A stronger mixture is used for heavy contamination.
    Typical mixing ratios range from approximately 1:10 for heavy or deep-seated contamination to approximately 1:20 for normal contamination.
  • The contact time must be observed.
    FX100 should be allowed to act within the treated building material for approximately 24 hours.
  • Residues that emerge must be removed.
    The mobilized contamination should not remain on the surface.
  • The building material must then dry completely.
  • BX is used only after the actual oil cleaning has been completed.
  • Sealing is carried out only after successful cleaning, complete drying and elimination of the original odor contamination.

Questions About Using FX100?

With older heating oil contamination, unknown substrates or very deeply embedded contamination, the correct approach depends strongly on the structure of the affected building component.

For a more detailed assessment, you can send us a short description of the damage, the approximate dimensions of the affected areas and, if possible, a few photos.