For most solvent cleaners ? industrial strength and otherwise ? a non-residue formulation, which means the cleaner leaves no residue after performing the cleaning action, is generally considered a good thing. Some cleaners purposefully leave residue to help protect the equipment or part’s final application, such as to provide a buffer against a certain chemical.
In most instances, however, using residue free solvents is considered the best option, especially when cleaning electronics. To understand the value of residue free solvents as electronic cleaners, it helps to consider what may happen if electronic equipment were cleaned with a residual solvent instead.
Residual Solvents and Electronics
Solvents that leave a residue pose three general problems for electronic equipment, although some problems are limited to particular equipment construction features. Without getting too complicated, let’s take a look at problems residual solvents commonly pose to electronics.
1. Residue Impedes Electrical Current
Especially when they contain a dielectric, solvents that leave a residue can imeded electrical current in the equipment they clean. Primary areas of considerations are electrical contacts and printed circuit boards. If you find your electronics don’t work efficiently after using a residual dielectric cleaner to service them, the dielectric material in the residue could be the culprit.
2. Attracts Dirt and Grime to Parts
If you leave a film of soap residue on a kitchen floor after mopping, you’re working at cross purposes. You’re trying to clean the floor, but the residue will attract dirt and grime faster than a floor treated with residue free solvents. Bottom line: You’ll need to clean more often.
The same thing can happen to electrical equipment. To make matters worse, the equipment often features geometrically complex parts in close fitment, offering plenty of seams and crevices for residue to collect unhindered, until a residue removal operation is performed.
3. Can Sabotage Moving Parts
This concern deals primarily with motors, which, when in motion, must have proper oil viscosity to prevent moving parts from grinding on each other. The layer of oil between moving parts is exceptionally thin, and introducing solvent residue to the mix could ruin viscosity, making it too thick. Letting the problem persist for even a few minutes could cause significant damage.
Need Residue Free Solvents?
If so, Ecolink has a wide range of environmentally preferred solvents that are designed to clean electronics, without leaving a trace of residue that could importune the equipment’s operation. One of our eco-friendly stock products may be perfect for you requirements. If not, we can create a custom solvent that matches your needs, and supply it on an ongoing basis.
To request a free product sample or place an order, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or reach us through our contact form. We look forward to providing residue free solvents!
The Importance of Residue Free Solvents for Electronics
/in Electrical Contact Cleaning Solutions/by Industrial DegreasersFor most solvent cleaners ? industrial strength and otherwise ? a non-residue formulation, which means the cleaner leaves no residue after performing the cleaning action, is generally considered a good thing. Some cleaners purposefully leave residue to help protect the equipment or part’s final application, such as to provide a buffer against a certain chemical.
In most instances, however, using residue free solvents is considered the best option, especially when cleaning electronics. To understand the value of residue free solvents as electronic cleaners, it helps to consider what may happen if electronic equipment were cleaned with a residual solvent instead.
Residual Solvents and Electronics
Solvents that leave a residue pose three general problems for electronic equipment, although some problems are limited to particular equipment construction features. Without getting too complicated, let’s take a look at problems residual solvents commonly pose to electronics.
1. Residue Impedes Electrical Current
Especially when they contain a dielectric, solvents that leave a residue can imeded electrical current in the equipment they clean. Primary areas of considerations are electrical contacts and printed circuit boards. If you find your electronics don’t work efficiently after using a residual dielectric cleaner to service them, the dielectric material in the residue could be the culprit.
2. Attracts Dirt and Grime to Parts
If you leave a film of soap residue on a kitchen floor after mopping, you’re working at cross purposes. You’re trying to clean the floor, but the residue will attract dirt and grime faster than a floor treated with residue free solvents. Bottom line: You’ll need to clean more often.
The same thing can happen to electrical equipment. To make matters worse, the equipment often features geometrically complex parts in close fitment, offering plenty of seams and crevices for residue to collect unhindered, until a residue removal operation is performed.
3. Can Sabotage Moving Parts
This concern deals primarily with motors, which, when in motion, must have proper oil viscosity to prevent moving parts from grinding on each other. The layer of oil between moving parts is exceptionally thin, and introducing solvent residue to the mix could ruin viscosity, making it too thick. Letting the problem persist for even a few minutes could cause significant damage.
Need Residue Free Solvents?
If so, Ecolink has a wide range of environmentally preferred solvents that are designed to clean electronics, without leaving a trace of residue that could importune the equipment’s operation. One of our eco-friendly stock products may be perfect for you requirements. If not, we can create a custom solvent that matches your needs, and supply it on an ongoing basis.
To request a free product sample or place an order, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or reach us through our contact form. We look forward to providing residue free solvents!
Cleaning Solvents 101: What is a Solvent Evaporation Rate?
/in Evaporation Rate/by Industrial DegreasersSimply put, solvent evaporation rate is the rate at which a solvent evaporates ? the process of changing from liquid into vapor ? compared to the evaporation rate of another substance. Evaporation quantity is thus expressed as a ratio instead of in units.
The evaporation rate of water is a commonly used reference point for determining the “slow” or “fast” evaporation rate of solvents. A high rate or a low rate of evaporation is neither good nor bad. Rather, the impact of solvent evaporation rate depends on how a solvent is used, and whether its ingredients that evaporate are good or bad for workers and the environment.
Evaporation Rate: Fast and Slow
A solvent that has a high evaporation rate doesn’t possess the characteristic on accident. The product is formulated for an application that may deal with a specific product or area of products, such as a type of aeronautical equipment or general surfaces for aeronautical equipment.
From a chemical perspective, a fast evaporation rate is usually preferred for cleaning any product that has a low tolerance for moisture on the parts ? even for short periods of time. Electronics immediately come to mind. The presence of residual moisture can cause electrical equipment to short circuit and may lead to oxidation if trapped between part fittings.
From a practical perspective, a fast evaporation rate is preferred for two reasons, among others. First, so long as the solvent is efficacious for the application, the cleaning process is highly efficient. Second, a product with a fast solvent evaporation rate doesn’t contribute to the waste trap. The long-term financial benefit depends on how many of your solvents are fast evaporating versus how many are not.
Evaporation Rate: Potential Issues
If there’s a downside to a fast solvent evaporation rate, it’s that some fast-evaporating solvents have ingredients you’d rather not have in the air of the work environment. Even solvents that don’t have a toxic safety profile can release vapors that cause temporary ailments, such as coughing, watery eyes, and dizziness. They’re minor maladies, but they thwart productivity.
If you need to use a solvent that has these effects, taking two steps can help fix the productivity issue: Using an air filtration system that senses and removes airborne contaminants, and equipping workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) that is acceptable for the exposure risk. Alternatively, you could order a custom solvent that eliminates some safety concerns.
In the Market for New Solvents?
If so, we’d like to hear from you. Ecolink specializes in environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial solvents. Our solvents are designed to replace older, hazardous solvents, without sacrificing efficacy for safety. In addition to providing an array of stock solvents, we create custom formulations for users who require other than what a stock product provides.
For more information on solvent evaporation rate and our products and services, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to providing assistance and supplying a free test sample for the solvent of your choice!
Fast Drying Solvents: Preserving the Formulation of IPA
/in IPA/by Industrial DegreasersIn the industrial chemicals industry, “fast drying solvents” are broadly classified as solutions that evaporate faster than water — often exponentially so. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is one among many fast drying solvents, but its behavior deserves special consideration due to its widespread use as a solvent. Specifically: What can be done to preserve the efficacy of IPA, so it remains a powerful cleaner instead of a water-heavy version of its former self?
Evaporation of IPA
IPA evaporates at roughly the same temperature as the ethyl alcohol in beer: 180°F (82 °C). In industrial facilities, multiple sources of heat — machines operating, heat treatment processes, body heat, etc. — can combine to push the temperature of the work environment to 180°F and above. When this temperature is reached, IPA starts evaporating, leaving behind the solvent’s water, which evaporates slower than IPA.
The temperature of the work environment isn’t the only thing that impacts the evaporation of IPA. The solvent’s evaporation rate also depends on the material of the storage container and the container’s surface area. For example, a large, metal container of IPA promotes faster evaporation than a small, plastic container of IPA. Metal transfers heat more rapidly than plastic, and there’s a larger surface area through which heat can transfer.
Containers for IPA
When ordered in small quantities, IPA and other fast drying solvents often come in plastic containers that have a small surface area. But when you order industrial IPA in bulk, you often receive the solvent in a large, metal drum. In addition, the purity of the solvent is generally near 100%, so it can be used in pure form for tough cleaning jobs, or diluted with water for less stringent applications.
So, the evaporation rate of IPA and similar fast drying solvents is partly determined by the packaging of the solvent supplier. Before you order high-purity IPA in a large drum, it’s a good idea to inquire about the drum’s closure, asking if it features a design that helps limit the amount of IPA lost during transfer to smaller containers, such as spray bottles.
Where you store drums of IPA also impacts evaporation rate. The temperature of work zones where IPA is used may routinely surpass 180°F, but the storage area should be kept below this temperature, whenever possible. The temperature of IPA will remain below its evaporation point, which deters evaporation during the time it takes for the solvent to reach the temperature of the work environment.
When you store IPA in this manner, evaporation can be greatly reduced, regardless of storage container construction and the standard temperature of the work environment.
About Our Company
Ecolink is a supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial solvents. In addition to supplying stock solvents that are ready to ship, we create custom solvents for the requirements of specific users. To learn more about our IPA products and other fast drying solvents, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to assisting you!
Check out our other IPA blogs below.
Medical Equipment Cleaners: Comparing Industrial Strength Alcohols
Medical Instrument Solvents: The Pros and Cons of IPA
Using a Fast Evaporating Solvent: Frequently Asked Questions
/in Solvents/by Industrial DegreasersA fast evaporating solvent is generally defined as one that evaporates faster than water. Some fast evaporating solvents evaporate exponentially faster than water, while others dry just slightly faster. The value of either type of fast evaporating solvent depends its chemical constituency and what it’s used for. With that in mind, we answer some commonly asked questions about fast evaporating solvents.
The evaporation rate you need is based on the requirements of your solvent application. If you’re unsure of which solvent or evaporation rate you need, contact the chemists at Ecolink for assistance.
It depends in the chemical formulation. If a fast evaporating solvent is filled with with hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) ? including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) ? that vaporize at room temperature, pollution is a threat to both humans and the environment.
Because even mild solvents that have a good safety profile have pungent aromas and airborne chemicals that mildly agitate the sense, it’s a good idea to operate an air filtration system when using any type of solvent in an open-air setting, as opposed using it in a parts washer.
It depends on the application. If you need to clean energized equipment, then you definitely need a dielectric in your solvent. The solvent should have the dielectric strength to impede the full voltage of the energized equipment you are cleaning. Insufficient dielectric strength can be like having no dielectric strength at all.
It’s ideal for any industrial solvent to have a high flashpoint. Industrial work areas often contain sources of ignition that could incidentally set a low flashpoint solvent ablaze. Something as small as an errant spark from a production line activity could cause a conflagration. Sometimes, it may not be possible to use a low flashpoint product for your application, but use one when you can.
In a word, yes. But whether this is a good or bad thing depends on the type of emissions. If a solvent prolifically releases hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), you have something to worry about beyond the environment: There is good chance the EPA will regulate the solvent. Fast evaporating solvents that have no HAPs generally don’t pose problems for the environment.
About Ecolink
Ecolink is an industry-leading supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred cleaning solvents. We offer many solvents for replacing old, toxic solvents with formulations that offer the same or better efficacy than these archaic solutions. What’s more, many of our fast evaporating solvent options can be “dropped in” your solvent system, without a hitch.
To place an order for a stock or custom fast evaporating solvent, call us today at 800-563-1305. Or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to assisting you!
The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Evaporating Solvents
/in Evaporation Rate/by Industrial DegreasersEvaporating solvents: If you use the term as a general classification for solvents that readily evaporate, you come up with a group of products in which it seems almost every solvent belongs. The fact that most solvents evaporate — some at a remarkably high or low rate — is good in some contexts and bad in others. There’s also a context in which the bad can become downright ugly. From an industrial user’s point of view, here are the good, bad, and ugly of evaporating solvents.
The Good
Evaporating solvents generally possess one of two benefits when it comes to evaporation rate: They evaporate slowly and have a long exposure time to the cleaning surface, which helps break down thick accumulations; or they evaporate quickly, preventing parts from oxidizing and expediting soil removal for applications that demand a quick turnaround time, (e.g. degreasing the engine of an airliner or military jet that must return to the runway shortly.)
Evaporation rate is a good example of a solvent characteristic that impacts the performance of a solvent beyond its chemical efficacy. Moreover, in what seems like circular reasoning, the formulation of a solvent determines how quickly it evaporates, and the solvent’s evaporation rate partly determines the efficacy of the formulation.
The Bad
Evaporating solvents can only remove soils that they evaporate slowly enough to break down. Sometimes, breaking up soils requires a good soaking; while other applications demand the opposite: fast evaporation. If you try to use a fast evaporating solvent for an application that requires a minutes of contact time between the solvent and cleaning surface, you could go through can after can and still not complete the job.
By the same token, a slow evaporation rate can doom applications that require a fast drying solvent. For instance, you don’t want switchgear to be wet when it’s reenergized after a good degreasing, and you don’t want precision parts to start rusting because water from an aqueous solvent hides in metal crevices.
The Ugly
The ugliest part of solvent evaporation is when injuries or financial losses result directly from using a solvent that has the wrong evaporation rate for the application.
In many industrial work settings, injury and financial loss are one in the same; worker injuries lead to sick days, workers comp, legal settlements, etc. Respiratory damage and slip-and-fall events are injuries that can result at least partly from how quickly certain solvents evaporate. As for respiratory damage, it depends entirely on the solvent that is evaporating.
About Ecolink
Ecolink is a supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred, competitively priced solvents. We have many replacements for hazardous, regulated solvents, which demonstrate equal or better efficacy than what they replace. We also formulate custom solvents for the needs of specific users, and provide free test samples of any solvent we sell, stock or custom.
For more information about our products and services, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!