Flux removal is a procedure in which flux that is applied to metal to protect it during a heat treating process is removed to improve the integrity of the metal. If flux isn’t applied in the first place, the integrity of the metal can also suffer, particularly from the development of oxidation that results from a change in the metal’s microstructure during heat treatment. In the creation of circuit boards, both flux and flux remover are needed to create a perfect, finished product.
Choosing a Circuit Board Flux Remover
Metallic components in circuit boards are fused together through soldering — a metallurgical process in which “two or more items are joined together by melting and putting a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the adjoining metal” (Wikipedia). After the soldering process is complete, flux residue is removed using flux remover. If you need a circuit board flux remover, using Hypersolve™ offers the following six benefits, among others.
1. Compatible With Many Metals
When Hypersolve™ is properly stabilized, it is non-corrosive to many metals that are commonly used for the composition of circuit boards, including brass, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. The more metals a flux remover is compatible with, the less likely that it will need to be replaced due to changes in circuit board composition through the release of new products.
2. Efficacy Similar to Trichloroethylene
Hypersolve™ delivers the same flux removal power as Trichloroethylene without all of the negative effects of Trichloroethylene, as assessed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, it should be noted that one of the primary, active ingredients in Hypersolve, Bromopropane, has its own safety issues, being classified by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”.
Consequently, use of Bromopropane solvents is best suited to entities that use them in relatively low volume, have a special filtration system that removes airborne contaminants from the work environment, and outfits workers with the proper level of personal protective equipment (PPE) for working with Bromopropane.
3. No Flashpoint
Based on standard ASTM procedures, Hypersolve™ has no flashpoint. This makes the cleaner exceptionally safe to use and store in environments where potential sources of fire ignition are present. If a fire does occur in your facility, your store of Hypersolve™ won’t react like a solvent that has a low flashpoint and adds fire to the flames.
4. Low Ozone Depletion Potential
Unlike many Trichloroethylene-based cleaners, Hypersolve™ has a low ozone depletion potential (ODP), which classifies it as an environmentally friendly circuit board flux remover. This makes Hypersolve™ a great option for entities that are located in low emission zones (LEZs), where there are tighter caps on chemical emissions than normal.
5. Fast Evaporation
Hypersolve™ evaporates quickly, which helps protect metallic circuit board parts from oxidizing and produces minimal solvent waste, which in turn helps to reduce waste disposal costs. Thanks to its fast dry-to-dry cycle, the cleaner can serve as a as a rinse/drying agent for slow drying hydrocarbon solvents.
Contact Ecolink Today
For additional information on the benefits of Hypersolve™ as a circuit board flux remover, or to request a free sample of the solution to test it for your flux removal needs, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or refer to the contact page on our website. We look forward to supplying you with an eco friendly solution that is perfect for your circuit board flux remover requirements.
Need a Circuit Board Flux Remover? Consider Using Hypersolve™
/in Flux Removal/by Industrial DegreasersFlux removal is a procedure in which flux that is applied to metal to protect it during a heat treating process is removed to improve the integrity of the metal. If flux isn’t applied in the first place, the integrity of the metal can also suffer, particularly from the development of oxidation that results from a change in the metal’s microstructure during heat treatment. In the creation of circuit boards, both flux and flux remover are needed to create a perfect, finished product.
Choosing a Circuit Board Flux Remover
Metallic components in circuit boards are fused together through soldering — a metallurgical process in which “two or more items are joined together by melting and putting a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the adjoining metal” (Wikipedia). After the soldering process is complete, flux residue is removed using flux remover. If you need a circuit board flux remover, using Hypersolve™ offers the following six benefits, among others.
1. Compatible With Many Metals
When Hypersolve™ is properly stabilized, it is non-corrosive to many metals that are commonly used for the composition of circuit boards, including brass, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. The more metals a flux remover is compatible with, the less likely that it will need to be replaced due to changes in circuit board composition through the release of new products.
2. Efficacy Similar to Trichloroethylene
Hypersolve™ delivers the same flux removal power as Trichloroethylene without all of the negative effects of Trichloroethylene, as assessed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, it should be noted that one of the primary, active ingredients in Hypersolve, Bromopropane, has its own safety issues, being classified by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”.
Consequently, use of Bromopropane solvents is best suited to entities that use them in relatively low volume, have a special filtration system that removes airborne contaminants from the work environment, and outfits workers with the proper level of personal protective equipment (PPE) for working with Bromopropane.
3. No Flashpoint
Based on standard ASTM procedures, Hypersolve™ has no flashpoint. This makes the cleaner exceptionally safe to use and store in environments where potential sources of fire ignition are present. If a fire does occur in your facility, your store of Hypersolve™ won’t react like a solvent that has a low flashpoint and adds fire to the flames.
4. Low Ozone Depletion Potential
Unlike many Trichloroethylene-based cleaners, Hypersolve™ has a low ozone depletion potential (ODP), which classifies it as an environmentally friendly circuit board flux remover. This makes Hypersolve™ a great option for entities that are located in low emission zones (LEZs), where there are tighter caps on chemical emissions than normal.
5. Fast Evaporation
Hypersolve™ evaporates quickly, which helps protect metallic circuit board parts from oxidizing and produces minimal solvent waste, which in turn helps to reduce waste disposal costs. Thanks to its fast dry-to-dry cycle, the cleaner can serve as a as a rinse/drying agent for slow drying hydrocarbon solvents.
Contact Ecolink Today
For additional information on the benefits of Hypersolve™ as a circuit board flux remover, or to request a free sample of the solution to test it for your flux removal needs, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or refer to the contact page on our website. We look forward to supplying you with an eco friendly solution that is perfect for your circuit board flux remover requirements.
Safety Solvent Degreasers: What are Their Essential Characteristics?
/in Solvents/by Industrial DegreasersAll industrial grade degreasers have one thing in common: They excel at cutting through tough accumulations of grease and leaving the material underneath free of greasy residue. However, apart from this basic trait, industrial degreasers differ markedly in several ways, one of the most obvious of which is their safety profile. Sometimes referred to as “safety solvent degreasers,” degreasers that have an excellent safety profile have the following essential characteristics.
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are harmful to human health and can have a negative impact on the environment. Old generation degreasers that contain HAPs are often cheaper than newer, safer degreasers, but the money you save can be a pittance compared to the cost of settling lawsuits and paying workers compensation claims due to chemical injuries in the workplace. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains an official list of HAPs.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are naturally occurring substances that typically vaporize at room temperature. However, their compositional instability isn’t the only thing that makes them “volatile”. They can also be volatile to human health, especially when they vaporize in high volume. This is why it is essential to use a degreaser that has no VOCs or low VOC content.
A degreaser that has a high flashpoint is harder to ignite than a degreaser that has a low flashpoint. If the degreasing process occurs in an environment that has heat sources that could ignite the cleaning solution, using a cleaning agent that has a high flash point or no flashpoint is absolutely essential. This type of agent also supports fire safety in the degreaser storage area.
When they shop for safety solvent degreasers, end users typically focus on finding degreasers that have an excellent safety profile for workers. But it is also important to consider the safety of degreasers in terms of their compatibility with the material that must be degreased. In addition to being safe for workers, a degreaser should be safe for the material that you need to clean.
If you need a degreaser for a parts washing system, it is important to choose one that is as compatible with the equipment as it is with the material that must be degreased. Industrial parts washers are often comprised of different types of metal, plastic and rubber. Be sure to choose a degreaser that is compatible with any material in the parts washer that the degreaser contacts.
Shopping for Safety Solvent Degreasers?
Using safety solvent degreasers helps companies and organizations avoid the dangers of using degreasers that have a poor safety profile. In addition to posing minimal harm to workers and the environment, as safety solvent degreaser also has the characteristics of being safe for the material that is cleaned and the method of cleaning (e.g., using a parts washer). For assistance selecting safe degreasers for your cleaning operations, call Ecolink today at (800) 563-1305.
1 Bromopropane Substitution: Frequently Asked Questions
/in N-Propyl Bromide/by Industrial Degreasers1 bromopropane (a.k.a. n-propyl bromide and nPB) is a chemical compound that is used as a solvent for broad array of applications, including: asphalt production, dry cleaning, aviation equipment maintenance, synthetic fiber manufacturing, manufacturing products that have foam cushions, electronic circuit board soldering, and degreasing plastics, optics, and certain types of metal.
1 bromopropane is highly effective for these endeavors, but studies of its chemical profile and documented reports of injuries it causes to animals and humans have moved state and federal regulatory agencies to consider it a hazardous solvent. Consequently, many companies and organizations are in the process of 1 bromopropane substitution, replacing the solvent with one that delivers the same efficacy but without the toxic effects.
Questions About 1 Bromopropane Substitution
If your company or organization is considering 1 bromopropane substitution, you may have some questions about why and how to replace the solvent. If so, take time to read through the questions below. If you have additional questions, please contact Ecolink at (800) 563-1305.
If nPB is safer than solvents it replaced, why shouldn’t it be used?
Although nPB is widely considered safer than chlorinated solvents it replaced, well-documented scientific studies and reports have shown that nPB has a dubious safety profile, too. Many highly effective solvents that are the “lesser of two evils” have been gradually phased out under the same circumstances; nPB is simply one of the most recent ones.
What health conditions could result from chronic exposure to nPB?
In its latest Report on Carcinogens (RoC), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) classifies nPB as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” In addition to potentially causing cancer, chronic nPB exposure is known to cause neurological conditions and damage to the central nervous system (CNS) that remain after exposure ends.
If nPB is so dangerous, why isn’t it severely regulated or banned?
Chemicals often undergo a three-part process before they are phased out in industrial settings. First, they are “listed” as “reportable” because they are dangerous. Second, they are “regulated”. Third, they are “banned”. nPB may be severely regulated or banned in the future. Right now, it is listed as a reportable chemical by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which means that its use must be reported if it rises above a predetermined threshold.
What are my options for acquiring a drop-in replacement for nPB?
Because nPB has a wide range of use, the best way to acquire a drop-in replacement is to consult with a provider of eco friendly, industrial grade cleaning solvents, such as Ecolink. Once we understand how you use nPB and how much you use, we can suggest a replacement option that is perfect for your needs: a stock product or a custom product that can be “dropped in” to replace nPB without disrupting your cleaning operations and causing halts in productivity.
To get started on selecting a safe, effective nPB replacement for your solvent operations, give us a call today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to assisting you with the process of 1 bromopropane substitution.
Safe Bromopropane Alternatives: Why Implement Them Now?
/in N-Propyl Bromide/by Industrial DegreasersThe chemical cleaning solvent bromopropane has enjoyed a long run as a go-to solvent for companies in various industries. For the past 20 years, bromopropane has been used for everything from degreasing industrial motors to removing light accumulations of dirt on diverse surfaces. But, as has happened with so many other industrial solvents that have a dubious safety profile, bromopropane is slowly being phased out by companies that understand the dangers it poses.
Dangers of Bromopropane for Humans
OSHA provides a succinct report on the dangers of bromopropane for humans, summarizing research from Majersik et al. 2007 and Ichihara et al. 2012 that found: “[Bromopropane] exposure can cause irritation (for example, of the eyes, mucous membranes, upper airways and skin) and can damage the nervous system. Neurologic effects can appear as headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, slurred speech, confusion, difficulty walking, muscle twitching, and/or loss of feeling in arms and legs. These effects may continue among affected persons even after exposure to 1-BP has ended.”
The adverse health effects have the highest incidence in workers who perform bromopropane operations for companies that use a high volume of the solvent, particularly: dry cleaners, asphalt production companies, companies that perform aircraft maintenance, synthetic fiber manufacturers, companies that use adhesive spray products, and outfits that perform vapor and immersion degreasing to clean metal, plastic and electrical and optical components. However, any work environment where bromopropane is use in large quantities poses health risks.
What Are Safe Bromopropane Alternatives?
Safe bromopropane alternatives are solutions that have the same efficacy as bromopropane but are formulated to have a better safety profile for humans and the environment. At Ecolink, we help companies and organizations choose safe bromopropane alternatives by providing a comprehensive product guide and product list of our cleaning solutions. We recommend that you use these resources to identify safe bromopropane alternatives for you work processes.
Why Get Bromopropane Alternatives Now?
Bromopropane hasn’t been added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). However, as information continues to emerge about the solvent’s dangers, the eventual inclusion of the solvent on the list seems inevitable. By implementing safe bromopropane alternatives now, you can do more than better protect the health of your workers. You can also avoid being forced to replace bromopropane on short notice, if indeed the solvent makes its way onto the EPA’s HAP list.
Contact Ecolink for Bromopropane Alternatives
Bromopropane is a highly effective solution for a variety of solvent-based work processes. Unfortunately, though, the effectiveness of the solvent comes at a high price for companies and organizations that use it in large volumes: profound, negative health effects on workers, which can lead to other negative situations, such as workers compensation claims, chemical injury lawsuits, and an increase in sick days taken.
For assistance choosing safe bromopropane alternatives, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or refer to our contact page. We look forward to helping you protect the health of your workers and perform business-critical, solvent-based work processes with an eco friendly solution.
Metal Cleaning Products: How to Choose the Right Ones
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersMetal cleaning products play a crucial role in a variety of work processes, from flux removal, to engine degreasing, to tank cleaning, to removing light accumulations from common metal surfaces. If your company or organization is in the market for metal cleaning products, it’s important to start the selection process by taking the four steps below, which will help you choose cleaners that are perfect for your work processes and safe for your workers to use.
How do you clean metal? There are various options, including vapor degreasing, hand wiping, spray and air dry, and power washing, just to name four. Because there is no use in purchasing metal cleaning products that aren’t designed for your cleaning applications, it makes the most sense to start by identifying products that are designed for your specific processes. After limiting your search to application-specific products, you can move to step 2 and focus on selecting products whose ingredients are non-corrosive for the types of metal you need to clean.
Some metal cleaning products are corrosive to some types of metals and not others. For example, cleaners that contain sodium hypochlorite have been shown to readily corrode aluminum and carbon steel, compromising their surface quality and fracture strength. However, this cleaning agent is typically considered compatible with 303 stainless steel. If you need help identifying non-corrosive cleaning agents for the type of metal you need to clean, don’t resort to informed guesswork. Contact the chemists at Ecolink for help selecting non-corrosive cleaners.
As efficacious as a metal cleaner may be for your cleaning needs, it won’t do you much good if you can’t use it in sufficient quantities to perform cleaning operations. This is what can happen when a cleaning solution contains ingredients that are listed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). Chemicals on the list are generally not illegal to use, but their use in industrial facilities is regulated to the point that most companies simply can’t use enough of them to adequately support crucial metal cleaning operations.
Last but certainly not least, consider how much it would cost to implement a particular cleaner. In addition to the cost of the product, consider how using it would impact waste disposal cost, whether using it would require you to outfit workers with a higher level of personal protective equipment (PPE), whether a special ventilation system would be needed for the work environment, and whether using the solution would put you at risk for violating emissions caps. If you are looking for a long-term solution, cost should always be a major consideration.
Contact Ecolink for Metal Cleaning Products
Metal cleaning products can be distinguished in several ways, such as whether they are designed for a particular cleaning operation, whether they contain ingredients that would corrode the metal you need to clean, whether they are EPA regulated, and the overall cost of using them. The product specialists at Ecolink can help you select metal cleaning products that account for these considerations and have the safety profile that you need for workers and the environment. Call us today at (800) 563-1305 for help selecting the right metal cleaners.