For many companies and organizations, using metal cleaning solutions is an inevitable part of supporting industrial work processes. However, while there may be plenty of metal cleaning solutions to choose from, choosing the right ones for your applications requires some important considerations. Below are six considerations that can help you choose metal cleaning solutions that are right for the metal you must clean and the kinds of soils you need to remove.
- Type of Metal
Most important of all is selecting a cleaning solution whose formulation will clean the metal without degrading its surface quality. The appearance of the metal you’re cleaning may not be overly important. But it’s crucial to note that what are considered blemishes are often the beginning of corrosion that can progress until it weakens the dimensional stability of parts.
- Type of Soils
Once you’ve clearly identified the metal (i.e. the grade of stainless steel), you can target metal cleaning solutions specifically formulated for removing certain soils from your metal. This is typically the easiest step. You match information about the metal with information about the soils to generate a list of cleaner options that will be further refined by the four steps below.
- Machine or Manual Washing?
If you clean metal parts in a parts washing system, step three is choosing cleaners that are compatible with your parts washer concerning the type of cleaning process it performs (e.g., vapor degreasing) and the material construction of the washing chamber.
Also, if you use a machine, and the washer has a value-added benefit such as solvent recycling, you may wish to choose a cleaner that lets you take advantage of the special feature.
- Geometry of Parts
If you use a parts washer, the geometry of your parts shouldn’t be of much concern. The washer is presumably designed to clean parts whose geometries range from simple to complex.
However, if parts are cleaned manually using wipes, aerosol, spray, etc., it’s important to choose a cleaner whose formulation and method of application support soil removal. Speaking with one of our chemists can be of great help for choosing a cleaner under these considerations.
- Stock or Custom Cleaner?
You shouldn’t have trouble finding a solvent that offers the basic performance properties you need (e.g., good efficacy, non-residue, highly evaporative, low flashpoint, etc.), but it isn’t uncommon to experience a special need that eliminates stock solvents from your range of options (e.g., concurrently removing multiple soils not often found in unison).
In this situation, ordering a custom solvent is the best option. In case you end up needing the option, it’s a good idea to start out shopping for cleaners at suppliers that offer it.
- EPA Regulations
Some metal cleaning solutions available today may not be available in the near future due to toxic ingredients the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to regulate or ban. Using these cleaners is essentially living on borrowed time. Visit the EPA to learn about chemicals that are scheduled for regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
About Ecolink
Ecolink is a supplier of environmentally preferred, industrial grade solvents, including a wide selection of cleaners for metals. Providing readymade and custom solutions to companies and organizations of various sizes, in numerous industries, we make it easy to know you’re getting the right cleaners by supplying product samples you can try for free, with no obligations.
For more information, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email using our contact form. We’d love to talk!
General Electrical Maintenance Cleaners: Using ECC (A)
/in Electrical Contact Cleaning Solutions/by Industrial DegreasersIndustrial electrical maintenance cleaners are often designed for specific electrical equipment, such as motors, switchgear, and printed circuit boards. This is a good thing. If you’re cleaning equipment that your operations depend on, you definitely want to know you’re using the right cleaner.
But there’s also a need for general electrical maintenance cleaners — solutions for cleaning for several types of equipment, dispersing various standard soils, while delivering uniformly great results. ECC (A) Environmentally Preferred Contact Cleaner from Ecolink is a good example of this type of cleaner.
ECC (A) for Electrical Maintenance
ECC (A) is formulated to free non-energized electrical equipment from soils that traditional chlorinated solvents would remove. The difference is that ECC (A) is formulated to be safer for the environment than its archaic, chlorinated counterparts. ECC (A) has several notable specs that make it an excellent option for general electrical maintenance, including:
The fifth characteristic makes ECC (A) an excellent cleaner for a specific group of organizations, in addition to ones at large: those located in Low Emission Zones (LEZs), where emissions caps are far lower than most places go. If you’re located in or around a LEZ, and you need to keep emissions especially low, ECC (A) can work well as an electrical maintenance cleaner for applications not involving live electricity and requiring a fast drying solvent.
Some Key Things to Remember
Before you experience the cleaning power of ECC (A), remember that it must be used on non-energized equipment. The solvent doesn’t have high dielectric strength and isn’t intended for dielectric applications.
Also, although the solvent’s environmentally preferred formulation makes it safer for the environment than traditional chlorinated solvents, remember that proper personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn when deploying ECC (A). Consult OSHA guidelines.
In addition, remember that ECC (A) has a low flashpoint. It ignites readily, just like it evaporates. As long as you use and store the solvent away from sources of ignition, and have workers wear flame-retardant PPE to be on the safe side, the low flashpoint should not pose a problem.
Contact Ecolink Today
As long as you take some simple safety precautions, ECC (A) could be your choice option among general electrical maintenance cleaners for fast drying applications. If you need an economical solvent, the choice is even better. ECC (A) is highly economical compared to equivalent HFE and HFC based contact cleaners — and you can increase savings by investing in quantity.
Would you like to see how well ECC (A) works for your electrical maintenance cleaning needs? To order a free test sample, call us today at 800-563-1305, or use our Request a Product Sample form. We look forward to providing you with great results!
Fast Evaporating Cleaners: Why Fast Evaporation is Important
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersFast evaporating cleaners comprise a large group within the larger group of industrial solvents. That the cleaners evaporate quickly is no accident. This is what they’re formulated to do, although the benefits users receive from fast evaporating solvents varies widely.
In this entry, we look at five general benefits users receive from fast evaporating cleaners. specific benefits depend on the solvent used and the cleaning application for which you use it.
Equipment is cleaned in an energized state for one of two reasons: It must always have power to function properly (e.g. a server in a data center), or it needs to be cleaned in short period of time so it can return to service (a jet engine being degreased in a hanger). A fast evaporating solvent ? one with high dielectric strength ? is perfect for the application.
Sometimes, a quick turnaround is necessary for a time-sensitive operation, such as degreasing the an idling engine of a jet that must return to the runway shortly. Other times, fast evaporating cleaners are used to achieve long-term gains in efficiency. If you reduce recurring cleaning jobs by a few minutes each time, the time could add up to several hours of saved productivity.
Users seldom implement fast evaporating cleaners just to cut waste expense, but reduced waste removal cost is an added bonus of using fast evaporating solvents. You may have to worry about the safety of the solvent’s chemicals that readily vaporize at room temperature, but you needn’t worry about them overfilling the waste trap.
Fast drying solvents are also preferred for parts that readily oxidize or corrode in the presence of moisture. Using a non-aqueous solvent can help eliminate the problem, but using a fast drying solvent offers an additional level of insurance that the cleaner won’t be drawn into seams and other difficult to clean areas. Fast evaporation ensures the solvent is gone quickly.
For the sake of efficiency, industrial users want cleaning operations to be as passive as possible. Fast drying solvent helps achieve a passive cleaning process by drying quickly. There may be no need to rinse cleaned parts, perform a general wipe down, or wait to move forward with your operation while a slow evaporating solvent gradually transitions into vapor.
Need Fast Evaporating Cleaners?
If so, Ecolink has a wide variety of products that meet the description. For help selecting a fast evaporating solvent that is perfect for your cleaning application, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. Our team of chemists is here to help.
We specialize in providing environmentally safe and environmentally preferred solvents that aren’t scheduled for regulation, so you can drop them into your cleaning system and use them confidently for years to come. In addition to highly effective stock solvents, we also create custom solutions for specific users. Contact us today to receive a free test sample!
Fast Drying Non Flammable Solvents for Engine Cleaning: An Overview
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersMany fast drying solvents have a low flashpoint that makes them easily combust. High-purity Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a common example. The chemical compound works great for removing a variety of adhesives and soils that commonly accrete on everyday surfaces, such as glass, plastic, and metal.
But don’t use IPA around sources of heat that could it ignite it, or you may end up exposing the cleaning surface to a layer of blue-orange flame that burns until the alcohol is consumed. The same inconvenience and safety issue come with using many other fast drying solvents, creating the need for a solvent submarket dedicated to offering fast drying non flammable solvents. This is one submarket of the solvent industry that Ecolink has helped pioneer.
When are fast drying non flammable solvents needed?
Before you start exploring product options for fast drying non flammable solvents, be sure that you actually need a solvent that dries fast and won’t ignite under any condition. Let’s look at the two basic characteristics of these solvents to shed some light on the issue.
Solvents that dry exceptionally fast are commonly used for one more of the following reasons: sensitive engine parts must be free of the solvent quickly, little if any solvent collects in the waste trap, there is little if any need to perform solvent cleanup, and/or the cleaning operation — from start to dry — must be performed quickly.
Like fast drying solvents, non flammable solvents are generally used for one or more specific reasons: to help prevent fires in the solvent storage area and/or workstations, help prevent fires during the engine cleaning operation, and — if the cleaner is a general cleaner — to be used for a broad array of applications that ideally require a solvent that’s inflammable or has a high flashpoint.
Hypothetically, when you combine the benefits of the two characteristics, you might end up using fast drying non flammable solvents for an application such as this: degreasing a non-energized engine within a short period of time. The grease flows away quickly, parts are dry soon afterward, and the non flammable formulation decreases the chance of flammable engine residues igniting.
If this doesn’t nearly describe your application, don’t worry. There are multiple scenarios for using fast drying non flammable solvents. If you need help selecting the right solution, we recommend you to contact the team of experienced chemists at Ecolink for professional assistance.
Contact Us Today
Ecolink specializes in environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial solvents. In addition to offering a wide selection of eco friendly stock solvents that replace older, toxic solvents, we also create custom solvents that meet the requirements of specific customers.
To inquire about our products and services, place an order, or request a free product sample, please give us a call today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to learning about your solvent needs and seeing how we can help!
Selecting Industrial Engine Cleaners: A Helpful Checklist
/in Degreasing Agents/by Industrial DegreasersJust like engines in non-industrial machinery, engines in industrial machines must be serviced to remain in good working order. There are plenty of industrial engine cleaners that can help you do the job, but which one is right for your application? That’s what we help you answer by presenting a checklist covering six crucial selection criteria for industrial engine cleaners.
You need a cleaner that doesn’t degrade any materials in the engine. In addition to knowing the general types of materials you’re dealing with, you need to know their specific type (e.g., grade of stainless steel or grade of plastic). Goal number one is to avoid damaging the engine with the wrong solvent.
How fast must the engine be cleaned? Can you spend six hours polishing it to perfection, or do you need to clean it in a matter of minutes? Now that you know what solvents can safely clean the engine materials, you can focus on acquiring a solvent with the efficacy to clean the engine, as quickly as required.
If you have a quick turnaround time, it’s also helpful to use a fast drying solvent. Some solvents make soils flow away from parts and leave the parts dry within a few seconds.
Regardless of the time frame for cleaning the engine, you need to apply solvent evenly across parts that need cleaning, including tough to reach places where cleaning by hand is impractical.
When engine parts have complex geometries, cleaning them is often done easiest with aerosol, whose cloud of particles diffuse uniformly across the work surface. Aerosol can be applied from drums with a high-speed sprayer wand, in addition to being applied with handheld spray cans.
Most engines are cleaned in a non-energized state, meaning the power is disengaged. However, engines that perform long service runs being being powered off — such as engines in passenger jets and manufacturing equipment — must often be cleaned while running.
To do the job safely, use industrial engine cleaners that are non flammable and contain a dielectric. A dielectric is a buffer that prevents electrical current from flowing through the solvent. Be sure the dielectric you select has the strength to oppose the voltage of the engine.
You probably have an engine cleaning schedule in place. One way to be sure you don’t need clean engines more frequently is to use non-residue industrial engine cleaners. Solvent residue can be like common soap residue: Instead of repelling soils, it can actually attract them.
In engines, solvent residue can also create oil viscosity problems, potentially causing damaging friction between engine parts. Unless your cleaning application directly calls for a solvent that deposits a residue, stick with non-residue industrial engine cleaners.
Contact Us Today
Have questions about selecting the right engine cleaner? The chemists at Ecolink are here to help. We supply stock solvents and custom solvents in environmentally-preferred formulations. Contact us today at 800-563-1305, or email us a message through our contact form. We look forward to assisting you!
Selecting Metal Cleaning Solutions in 6 Steps
/in Industrial Cleaning Solutions/by Industrial DegreasersFor many companies and organizations, using metal cleaning solutions is an inevitable part of supporting industrial work processes. However, while there may be plenty of metal cleaning solutions to choose from, choosing the right ones for your applications requires some important considerations. Below are six considerations that can help you choose metal cleaning solutions that are right for the metal you must clean and the kinds of soils you need to remove.
Most important of all is selecting a cleaning solution whose formulation will clean the metal without degrading its surface quality. The appearance of the metal you’re cleaning may not be overly important. But it’s crucial to note that what are considered blemishes are often the beginning of corrosion that can progress until it weakens the dimensional stability of parts.
Once you’ve clearly identified the metal (i.e. the grade of stainless steel), you can target metal cleaning solutions specifically formulated for removing certain soils from your metal. This is typically the easiest step. You match information about the metal with information about the soils to generate a list of cleaner options that will be further refined by the four steps below.
If you clean metal parts in a parts washing system, step three is choosing cleaners that are compatible with your parts washer concerning the type of cleaning process it performs (e.g., vapor degreasing) and the material construction of the washing chamber.
Also, if you use a machine, and the washer has a value-added benefit such as solvent recycling, you may wish to choose a cleaner that lets you take advantage of the special feature.
If you use a parts washer, the geometry of your parts shouldn’t be of much concern. The washer is presumably designed to clean parts whose geometries range from simple to complex.
However, if parts are cleaned manually using wipes, aerosol, spray, etc., it’s important to choose a cleaner whose formulation and method of application support soil removal. Speaking with one of our chemists can be of great help for choosing a cleaner under these considerations.
You shouldn’t have trouble finding a solvent that offers the basic performance properties you need (e.g., good efficacy, non-residue, highly evaporative, low flashpoint, etc.), but it isn’t uncommon to experience a special need that eliminates stock solvents from your range of options (e.g., concurrently removing multiple soils not often found in unison).
In this situation, ordering a custom solvent is the best option. In case you end up needing the option, it’s a good idea to start out shopping for cleaners at suppliers that offer it.
Some metal cleaning solutions available today may not be available in the near future due to toxic ingredients the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to regulate or ban. Using these cleaners is essentially living on borrowed time. Visit the EPA to learn about chemicals that are scheduled for regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
About Ecolink
Ecolink is a supplier of environmentally preferred, industrial grade solvents, including a wide selection of cleaners for metals. Providing readymade and custom solutions to companies and organizations of various sizes, in numerous industries, we make it easy to know you’re getting the right cleaners by supplying product samples you can try for free, with no obligations.
For more information, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email using our contact form. We’d love to talk!