Trial Purpose:
Preliminary evaluation of selected products.
Date Run:
11/26/2001Experiment Procedure:
Eleven cleaning formulations were selected from the laboratories supply. Ten were used at 100% and at room temperature (75 F). A plastic eye dropper was used to place a small amount of the solutions onto the part's surface and allowed to soak for 1 minute. At the end of the soaking, the solution was wiped off using a swab. The part was observed for any signs of cleaning. One product, sodium bicarbonate, was used in a media blasting unit. The part was cleaned for 1 minute at room temperature at a pressure around 100 psi.
Contaminant: White powders (SiO2, NHCl, (NH4)2SiF6, or NH4HF2)
Trial Results:
At first glance, most of the products looked like they cleaned the white powder from the metal part. After the liquids dried, the white powder returned. A couple of products left less white powder than was already there. The media blasting with sodium bicarbonate was very successful in removing the white powder. The blasting also removed the green paint from the side of the part. The following table lists the observations made during the trial.
Table 1. Cleaning Observations
| Multikleen 1568 | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Lifted out dirt and green specks | |
| Shopmaster | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Less white than start-lifts dirt | |
| Inproclean 3800 | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Lifted out dirt and green specks | |
| Amberclean 526L | Smudges powder |
| Lifted out dirt and green specks | |
| Beyond 2001 | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Less white than start-lifts dirt | |
| Coil Bright | Little powder dissolving |
| Valtron SP 2700KB | Smudges powder |
| DS 108 | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Evaporates fast | |
| Uni Clear II | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Bio T Max | Appeared to dissolve powders, after drying part was still white |
| Sodium Bicarbonate | Removes white powder, removes green paint from surface |
Success Rating:
Preliminary compatibility tests on substrate coupons encouraging for at least one cleaning chemistry. More in-depth laboratory testing necessary.Conclusion:
The five cleaners that were more successful will be evaluated at the client's current operating conditions of 20 minutes and 140 F. One part will also be cleaned fully with media blasting.
