Formulation and Use of Scale Solvent: An Overview

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A scale solvent is a solvent whose active properties are measured using official scales that predict the performance of the solvent in crucial areas. For example, it is common to “scale” a solvent using the following eight performance indicators, among others:

  • Boiling point
  • Melting point
  • Density
  • Solubility in water
  • Relative polarity
  • Eluant strength
  • Threshold limits
  • Vapor pressure

A scale solvent is typically quantified in one of two capacities: as a solvent whose characteristics compare to other solvents in the same class, or as a solvent whose traits compare to other classes of solvents.

When comparing solvents in the same “class”, the classification may be quite broad (e.g., aqueous solvents) or highly specific (e.g., dielectric cleaners for circuit boards). In either case, the goal is to show whether the solvent’s formulation is scaled to the needs of the user.

Scale Solvent vs. Custom Solvent

When companies and organizations set out to buy a solvent, they have two basic options: Purchase stock solvents that are already formulated and ready for shipment, or invest in a custom solvent that is formulated to meet the requirements of a single user.

Because custom solvents tend to cost a bit more and take slightly longer to deliver than stock solvents, most users look for a stock solvent instead of immediately targeting a custom formulation. Due to the precise measurement of one or more of its scalable qualities, a scale solvent provides a solution that’s shown to work in a highly specific manner, much like a custom solvent would.

There are also cases when a scale solvent is a custom solvent. The solvent’s scalable qualities are formulated to a precise degree to guarantee precise results. When a solvent supplier advertises scale solvents, it’s a good idea to ask which kind of scale solvents are available for purchase: stock products, custom formulations, or both.

In addition to potentially removing the need for custom solvents, readymade scale solvents can eliminate the need to dilute solvents to achieve specific mixture ratios. You receive a product that’s ready to “drop in” your solvent applications from the moment the shipment arrives.

In the Market for a Scale Solvent?

Due to the precision performance data that scale solvents entail, they allow users to buy with great confidence, knowing the solvent will work in a precise way.

If you need an environmentally preferred scale solvent, Ecolink is here to help. We offer a wide array of eco friendly stock solvents, as well as custom solvents that are designed for the unique needs of a single customer. Choose the solvent you need in the form that you need it: aerosol, hand wipes, pump spray, etc. You also have the option to order in various quantities.

To get started on selecting an environmentally preferred solvent that’s a perfect match for your solvent operations, give us a call today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to helping you select a solvent that is scaled to your needs!       

IPA Electronic Cleaning: An Overview

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Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a popular cleaning solution in the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. In each case, the compound is commonly used to clean electronics, ranging from computer components, to display screens, to parts in sound equipment.

There’s a difference between IPA you get from a local pharmacy and IPA you acquire from an industrial-grade supplier of cleaners for electronics. The small bottles you find on pharmacy shelves have roughly 80 percent purity; IPA dispersed in sanitary wipes often has slightly less. Industrial grade IPA, on the other hand, commonly has a purity of over 99%.

IPA Electronic Cleaning

No all electronic cleaning operations require a solution of nearly 100% IPA. To achieve the right IPA density, users can conveniently dilute the isopropyl alcohol with water, achieving a mixture perfect for the application. IPA electronic cleaning applies to the following electronic apparatuses components, among others:

? Contact pins (e.g., ROM cartridges)
? Magnetic tape
? Disk heads (e.g., legacy floppy disk drives)
? Optical disc drive lasers (e.g., CD and DVD)
? IC packages (e.g., CPUs)

IPA excels at removing oil, grease, and other handling soils from electronics. It also serves well as a remover of ionic salts from PCBs and excels at dissolving organic acids from rosin-based solder flux. However, IPA electronic cleaning can also have some potential drawbacks.

IPA’s polar nature makes it an undesirable option for cleaning non-polar oil and grease. This is significant, because the polar ionic contaminants and nonpolar grease and oil are frequently encountered in the cleaning operation. In this situation, polar IPA can be combined with a nonpolar solvent. If we don’t stock an IPA combo solution that addresses your needs, we’ll create a custom solvent for IPA electronic cleaning that addresses your specific needs.

Other Crucial Considerations

Because high-purity IPA is inexpensive compared to many electronic cleaning solvents — and because it possesses a wide range of applications — even solutions combining IPA and non-polar solvent can be quite affordable, making them popular options for upgrading to a more affordable solution without compromising the efficacy of the solvent.

Another crucial consideration is the high flammability of IPA. With an open cup flashpoint of 11.7°C (53.1°F; 284.8 K) and a closed cup flashpoint of 13°C (55°F), the compound should not be used for IPA electronic cleaning without safety measures in place, particularly flame-retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) and storing the solvent in an area lacking combustibles and ignition sources. The high evaporation of high-purity IPA that is beneficial for cleaning electronics causes the solution to combust quickly and burn fast.

Use IPA Electronic Cleaning

As long as you choose the right solution and follow safety precautions, an IPA electronic cleaning solvent is an effective, affordable way to address a variety of commercial and industrial grade electronic cleaning applications. When you make us your source, you have the option of using a stock solution or a custom solution specifically formulated to match your needs.

To get started on selecting an IPA electronic cleaning agent, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to supplying IPA electronic cleaning solutions!

Precision Cleaning of Parts: Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Precision cleaning is a refined cleaning process that removes super-micrometre particles and residues that are thinner than a monolayer. The maximum amount of dirt allowed on parts that undergo precision cleaning is ? 50 mg / m² (1).

Precision cleaning delivers a deeper level of cleaning than “intermediate cleaning” and “final cleaning”, but not as deep as “critical cleaning”, which is performed in a cleanroom environment to remove sub-micrometre particles and non-volatile residue. The maximum amount of allowable dirt for critical cleaning is ? 5 mg / m² (1).

Precision Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid

Precision cleaning of parts is the gold standard for cleaning most types of industrial parts, with precision cleaning being reserved for parts such as medical instruments and certain aerospace components — two classes of parts whose use has the least tolerance for accumulated soils.

Precision cleaning of parts isn’t a difficult process when performed using an parts washing machine. However, there are four mistakes newcomers to precision cleaning commonly make. Avoiding the mistakes below adds integrity to the parts cleaning process, helps protect parts, can cut parts cleaning costs.

  1. Failing to Define Precision Cleaning

The definition of precision cleaning above should define the parameters of your precision parts cleaning process. Too often, the process is ill-defined and conforms to the standards for intermediate cleaning or final cleaning. This can lead to poor parts performance and equipment failure.

  1. Not Considering all Part Materials

Modern precision parts often contain more than one material and more than one type of the same material. For example, a motor part may feature high-grade plastic, as well as steel and copper. Each material must be considered when choosing a solvent for precision cleaning of parts. Otherwise, a solvent that isn’t compatible with all the materials could cause damage.

  1. Not Performing Solvent Recycling

Not every parts washer has a solvent recycling system, but ones that do can significantly reduce solvent costs. For example, using a vapor degreaser in a washing system that recycles solvent separates used solvent from the soils it removed, returning the recycled degreaser to the solvent basin in the washing chamber, where it can be used for the next wash cycle.

  1. Using Wrong Solvent for the Job

There are several ways to use the wrong solvent for precision cleaning of parts; specifically, using the wrong solvent for the parts washing system, using a solvent that has a poor environmental safety profile, and using a solvent that doesn’t offer the best efficacy for removing certain soils. Ecolink will help you choose the most efficacious solvent.

Need a Precision Parts Cleaner?

If so, contact us today, and one of our solvent specialists will help you select the best precision parts cleaner for your needs. If a stock solution isn’t the best fit, we’ll formulate a custom solvent that’s designed for your unique requirements. To get started on selecting a solvent for precision cleaning of parts, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form.

Aqueous Based Cleaners: 4 Cost Saving Strategies

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Aqueous based cleaners are often a good choice for the environment and workers who perform cleaning operations. The water base is friendlier to leaf and limb than many solvent based cleaners. In many cases, this is due to an absence or low volume of volatile organic compounds in the cleaner, which become known as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) when they evaporate.

Regardless of why an aqueous cleaner is right for your needs, there are at least four cost saving strategies you can use to minimize your investment. Let’s take a brief look at what they are.

1. Purchase in Bulk

When the seller offers a low price for bulk orders, the buyer essentially receives a lower cost for each unit that comprises the large order. Bulk orders are great for big companies and organizations that consistently use a large supply of aqueous based cleaners. They also work for smaller outfits that want to get a great price and store away most of the order to use it as-needed.

2. Buy As-Needed

Speaking of the “as-needed” supply model, it operates quite simply. A stock or custom solvent is matched with the customer’s needs, the customer’s product information (e.g., data for a custom cleaner formulation) is stored, and the customer can then order the product in practically any amount, on practically any schedule.

3. Use a Custom Cleaner

Having a cleaner custom formulated for your unique needs often involves more upfront expense than buying a stock cleaner. However, if a stock solution poses problems to workers’ health and the environment, using a safer, custom solvent may be the most cost effective option, especially considering the high cost of sick days, workers comp claims, and injury lawsuits that may result from using toxic cleaners.

4. Buy From One Source

Some businesses reward frequent customers with special discounts and other incentives. It’s the company’s way of giving something back, while still making sales. We don’t often mention customer rewards when talking about the economics of solvent purchases, but the reward programs can save high-volume users thousands of dollars annually on aqueous based cleaners and other types of cleaning solutions.

In addition, getting everything you need from one supply source fosters a business relationship where the seller is highly motivated to meet the customer’s needs. Great customer service can win customers, but great customers can also promote a high level of customer service.

Shopping for Aqueous Based Cleaners?

If so, check out our selection of industrial grade, aqueous based cleaners that are formulated for a variety of applications. We supply both stock and custom solvents, and provide a free test sample for whatever you plan to buy, so you can see the solution’s efficacy for yourself. Request the sample and we’ll send it quickly.

To learn more about our aqueous-based cleaners, or to place an order, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email using our contact form. We look forward to learning about your needs and seeing how we can help!

IPA Cleaner Spray: Key Facts to Remember

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Sold on the industrial, commercial, and residential markets, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) cleaner has a wide variety of uses, from killing germs, to cleaning general surfaces, to cleaning electronic components that play a critical role in business operations.

Ecolink offers IPA cleaner spray solutions for industrial applications. These solutions generally have a higher IPA purity than business-to-consumer (B2C) IPA cleaners. The following key things to remember about IPA cleaner spray is based on this fact.

1. Range of Use

In terms of application, IPA spray cleaner is one of the most diverse spray cleaners for industrial settings, highly useful for cleaning general surfaces, removing soils from a wide range of electronic parts and apparatuses, and disinfecting surfaces, tools, and instruments.

However, when it comes to general cleaning, IPA cleaner spray isn’t suitable for all surfaces. Before you begin using an IPA spray liberally, check the user’s manual to identify any materials industrial grade IPA — or IPA of any purity level — isn’t designed to treat.

2. Low Flashpoint

IPA has an open cup flashpoint of 11.7°C (53.1°F; 284.8 K) and a closed cup flashpoint of 13°C (55°F). The flashpoint of an IPA cleaner spray is partly determined by its purity; specifically, what percentage of the solution is IPA, what percentage is water, and what percentage is comprised of another ingredient, and possible more than one.

If you use an industrial formulation, you’re probably using a product with high purity. This means workers should use flame retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) and special storage conditions should be observed.

The Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Sciences recommends 99% IPA be “stored in [a] Flammable Area with other flammable materials and away from any strong oxidizers. In addition “Store in a dedicated flammables cabinet. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated, locked store room away from incompatible materials.”

3. Highly Evaporative

IPA with a purity of 99% and above readily evaporates in open air, leaving no residue. The high evaporation rate makes the compound great for cleaning electrical components that shouldn’t remain wet for more than few minutes, if not less. The high evaporation rate of a nearly pure IPA formulation also correlates with its easy flammability, which should be considered when establishing a range of use for IPA cleaner spray.

4. Longevity

High purity IP cleaner spray can last for long periods of time in unopened containers. However, as the Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Sciences notes, “Peroxide formation may occur in containers that have been opened and remain in storage for more than 12 months.” This is important to remember when ordering IPA cleaner spray. How long containers remain in storage can impact the solution’s efficacy.

Need IPA Cleaner Spray?

If so, Ecolink can provide you with a stock solution or custom formulation quickly and affordably. In addition, we’ll provide you with a free product sample, so you can test its efficacy before the purchase. To get started on selecting the right product, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to helping you choose the right solution!