Trial Purpose:
To test the efficacy of aqueous cleaners, solvents, alternative solvents, and modified alcohols in removing Drawell Heavy Machining Oil from brass coupons.
Date Run:
07/15/2026Experiment Procedure:
Preparation:
Brass coupons were used for the testing of several cleaning chemistries to remove a Drawell Heavy Machining Oil. Three coupons were used per each cleaning chemistry. Each coupon was weighed using a gravimetric balance and had their initial weights recorded. Drawell Heavy Machining Oil was applied to each coupon by swiping a swab across the bottom third of each coupon (avg ~0.15 grams of oil). Each coupon was then re-weighed and had their dirty weights recorded.
Cleaning Procedure:
Each coupon was cleaned via the method of manual wiping with a Wypall, with each Wypall having 2.5ml of cleaning solution applied. A new Wypall was used for each coupon. Each coupon was wiped down five times with a saturated Wypall. After cleaning, the coupons were re-weighed and had their clean weights recorded.
Trial Results:
| Cleaner | Initial wt of cont. | Final wt of cont. | %Cont Removed | % AVG |
| Dimethyl Glutarate (Solvent) | 0.2009 | 0.0012 | 99.40 | 98.72 |
| 0.1401 | 0.0018 | 98.72 | ||
| 0.2334 | 0.0046 | 98.03 | ||
| Micro 90 2% solution | 0.1125 | 0.0107 | 90.49 | 92.66 |
| 0.1861 | 0.0078 | 95.81 | ||
| 0.1479 | 0.0123 | 91.68 | ||
| Crystal Simple Green 10% solution | 0.1119 | 0.0058 | 94.82 | 96.69 |
| 0.1552 | 0.0026 | 98.32 | ||
| 0.1503 | 0.0046 | 96.94 | ||
| Metalnox M6386 (mod. alc.) | 0.0837 | 0.0003 | 99.64 | 99.65 |
| 0.0921 | 0.0002 | 99.78 | ||
| 0.0848 | 0.0004 | 99.53 |
No visible or tactile residue of the Drawell Heavy Machining Oil present after cleaning
No visible or tactile residue of any of the cleaning solutions present after cleaning
EHS:
| Zep ID Red | Safety Kleen Premium Solvent | Dimethyl Glutarate | Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser | Metalnox M6386 (modified alcohol) | |
| Acute Human Effects | 8 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Chronic Human Effects | 10 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Ecological Hazards | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Environmental Fate & Transport | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| Atmospheric Hazard | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Physical Properties | 9 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Process Factors | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Life Cycle Factors | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Overall Hazard Score | 7.3 | 7.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
Success Rating:
Results successful using TACT (time, agitation, concentration, and temperature, as well as rinsing and drying) and/or other cleaning chemistries examined.Conclusion:
The Metalnox M6386 (modified alcohol) was the most effective in removing the machining oil. The modified alcohol can be used as a short-term solution using manual wiping and can be transitioned into a long-term solution using vacuum vapor degreasing or a closed ultrasonics system.
The Crystal Simple Green was also effective and can be used as a short term solution. Although its performance shows a slightly lower removal percentage than the Metalnox M6386, there was no visible or tactile difference between the coupons cleaned these chemistries. Crystal Simple Green is priced at a lower price point than the currently used Zep ID Red.
The Dimethyl Glutarate (solvent) was also highly effective but can be quite expensive. Future testing can focus on StaSol, a commercial (less costly) form of Dimethyl Glutarate.
