Trial Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effectiveness of alternatives using heated ultrasonic cleaning.
Date Run:
08/03/2021Experiment Procedure:
Cleaners were prepared to the following concentrations: Citranox 2%, Mirachem 500 20%, Water Works Heavy Duty 7:1, SC Aircraft & Metal 20%, Aquaease 732 5%, Aquavantage 3800 GD 5%. All cleaners and an ultrasonic bath were heated to 110°F. Three stainless steel coupons were obtained and weighed for each of the cleaners being tested. Coupons were then soiled with oil provided by the company and a dirty weight was recorded. Once solutions and the ultrasonic bath reached the proper temperature, coupons were submerged into their respective cleaners and ultrasonic cleaning was conducted for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes had passed, coupons cleaned with SC Aircraft & Metal were rinsed in a deionized water bath, also at 110°F, for 5 minutes. All coupons were allowed to dry in air for 24 hours. Following the drying period, coupons were weighed again and a clean weight was recorded. Effectiveness of the cleaners was determined.
Trial Results:
| Cleaner | Initial wt of cont. | Final wt of cont. | %Cont Removed | % AVG |
| Citranox | 0.0535 | 0.0176 | 67.10 | 78.04 |
| 0.1789 | 0.0227 | 87.31 | ||
| 0.0798 | 0.0162 | 79.70 | ||
| Mirachem 500 | 0.1346 | 0.0093 | 93.09 | 89.34 |
| 0.1261 | 0.0114 | 90.96 | ||
| 0.1442 | 0.0231 | 83.98 | ||
| Water Works | 0.1382 | 0.0087 | 93.70 | 92.97 |
| 0.1546 | 0.0092 | 94.05 | ||
| 0.1529 | 0.0135 | 91.17 | ||
| SC Aircraft & Metal | 0.1247 | 0.0272 | 78.19 | 85.94 |
| 0.1194 | 0.0131 | 89.03 | ||
| 0.1533 | 0.0144 | 90.61 | ||
| Aquaease 732 | 0.1902 | 0.0129 | 93.22 | 88.16 |
| 0.1941 | 0.0153 | 92.12 | ||
| 0.1137 | 0.0237 | 79.16 | ||
| Aquavantage 3800 GD | 0.1914 | 0.0226 | 88.19 | 90.98 |
| 0.1169 | 0.0106 | 90.93 | ||
| 0.2139 | 0.0132 | 93.83 |
Water Works was the most successful cleaner removing an average of 92.97% of the oil from stainless steel substrates. However, all cleaners had decreased performance compared to the stir bar agitation trial. A heated rinse was used for all cleaners in the stir bar trial, and may be necessary to use after ultrasonic cleaning to remove the residue as well. Next steps would be to repeat heated ultrasonic cleaning and incorporating a heated rinse step into the process.
Success Rating:
Results successful using TACT (time, agitation, concentration, and temperature, as well as rinsing and drying) and/or other cleaning chemistries examined.Conclusion:
Upon completion of testing, it was determined that Water Works was the most successful cleaner removing an average of 92.97% oil from stainless steel substrates. However, these removal percentages are lower compared to the stir bar agitation trial. Next steps will be to incorporate a heated rinse into the ultrasonic cleaning process to remove the lingering residue.
