Trial Purpose:
To evaluate the effectiveness of aqueous cleaners in removing mineral oil, buffing compound, and machining coolant from stainless steel.
Date Run:
08/14/2024Experiment Procedure:
Three stainless steel coupons were used for each soil per cleaner, for a total of eighteen coupons. The coupons had their initial weights recorded and their initial fluorescence levels recorded in order to have a baseline for cleanliness. Each coupon was then soiled with the correct soil type. The coolant and mineral oil were applied to the bottom third of the coupons by using a swab. The buffing compound was applied by heating the coupon with a heat gun and rubbing the buffing compound on the coupons, allowing the heat to melt and adhere the buffing compound to the metal. The dirty weights and fluorescence levels of each coupon were then recorded. Each coupon was then subjected to 15 minutes of heated ultrasonics at 120F in their respective cleaners. After removal from the ultrasonics machine, the coupons were allowed to air dry for three hours before having their clean weights and fluorescence recorded.
Unwanted, filmic contamination such as oils, greases, cooling lubricants and release agents are measured by determining the fluorescence intensity. Percent detergency demonstrates the amount of restoration to the original that has occurred after the cleaning test has been performed. A higher average percent detergency indicates that the cleaner has been effective and has restored the dirty substrate and cleaned it so that it now is much closer to how it originally was measured.
Cleanospector data can be calculated as percent detergency in the following equation:
% DET = R(cleaned) - R(soiled) / R(unsoiled) - R(soiled) X 100
Trial Results:
Gravimetric
| Cleaner | Soil | Initial wt of cont. | Final wt of cont. | %Cont Removed | % AVG | % Overall |
| BG Clean 402 10% | Coolant | 0.0091 | 0.0015 | 83.5 | 83.2 | 88.5 |
| 0.0059 | 0.0015 | 74.6 | ||||
| 0.0250 | 0.0021 | 91.6 | ||||
| Dlyte Mineral oil | 0.0335 | 0.0018 | 94.6 | 97.0 | ||
| 0.0724 | 0.0022 | 97.0 | ||||
| 0.2217 | 0.0014 | 99.4 | ||||
| Buffing Compound | 0.0161 | 0.0027 | 83.2 | 85.4 | ||
| 0.0125 | 0.0022 | 82.4 | ||||
| 0.0303 | 0.0029 | 90.4 | ||||
| Micro 90 2% | Coolant | 0.0448 | 0.0010 | 97.8 | 94.6 | 93.5 |
| 0.0182 | 0.0008 | 95.6 | ||||
| 0.0095 | 0.0009 | 90.5 | ||||
| Dlyte Mineral oil | 0.1825 | 0.0017 | 99.1 | 97.6 | ||
| 0.0684 | 0.0016 | 97.7 | ||||
| 0.1134 | 0.0045 | 96.0 | ||||
| Buffing Compound | 0.0031 | 0.0007 | 77.4 | 88.4 | ||
| 0.0086 | 0.0009 | 89.5 | ||||
| 0.0582 | 0.0010 | 98.3 |
Cleanospectr
| Cleaner | Soil | Initial RFU | Dirty RFU | Clean RFU | % DET | %AVG | % Overall |
| BG Clean 402 10% | Coolant | 8.2 | 2775.4 | 11.1 | 99.9 | 100.0 | 97.0 |
| 6.2 | 2695 | 6.2 | 100 | ||||
| 5 | 2698 | 5 | 100 | ||||
| Dlyte Mineral oil | 4.7 | 161.9 | 4.9 | 99.9 | 100.1 | ||
| 6.8 | 236.9 | 6.8 | 100 | ||||
| 5.9 | 536.2 | 4.3 | 100.3 | ||||
| Buffing Compound | 6 | 15.9 | 8 | 79.8 | 91.1 | ||
| 4.8 | 21.7 | 5.3 | 97 | ||||
| 5 | 27.4 | 5.8 | 96.4 | ||||
| Micro 90 2% | Coolant | 5.8 | 2188.6 | 7.7 | 99.9 | 100.0 | 86.4 |
| 9.1 | 2629 | 9.6 | 100 | ||||
| 6.3 | 2718 | 6.4 | 100 | ||||
| Dlyte Mineral oil | 9.1 | 850.3 | 8.2 | 100.1 | 98.3 | ||
| 7 | 29.6 | 8.2 | 94.7 | ||||
| 6.4 | 309.2 | 6.3 | 100 | ||||
| Buffing Compound | 5.6 | 11 | 8.5 | 46.3 | 61.0 | ||
| 5.6 | 10.9 | 6.5 | 83 | ||||
| 25.1 | 51.8 | 37.5 | 53.6 |
Success Rating:
Results successful using TACT (time, agitation, concentration, and temperature, as well as rinsing and drying) and/or other cleaning chemistries examined.Conclusion:
Both the BG Clean 402 10% and the Micro 90 2% were highly effective and consistent in removing mineral oil, the soil that has been the most trouble to remove. Additionally, the micro 90 2% was also successful in removing the coolant as well. Both cleaners were somewhat effective in removing the buffing compound, but did not perform consistently.
