Choosing Precision Cleaning Chemicals for Electronics: Key Questions
How you clean electronics can have a major impact on how they perform. If your organization has business-critical objectives that rely on electrical equipment, choose an electronics cleaner carefully. It could affect the operation of the equipment, the safety of those who clean it, and how often the equipment is cleaned.
To help ensure you purchase the right precision cleaning chemicals for electronics, ask the following questions before you select a solvent and place an order.
What types of soils need to be removed?
Step one is choosing a cleaner that removes the soils you want gone. For example, if you need to remove soldering flux, engine oil accretions, or an organic substance such as bitumen, limit your search to eco friendly cleaners that are designed to remove the soil in question. If more than one accumulation of soil must be removed, you may need more than one type of cleaner.
What type of materials need to be cleaned?
Choose a cleaner that’s compatible with every material it touches during the cleaning operation. For example, if you’re cleaning stainless steel electrical contacts, be sure the solvent doesn’t degrade plastic or rubber wire coatings that lead away from the metal contacts.
Does the hardware have complex geometries?
If so, using a cleaner in aerosol form may offer the highest level of cleanliness. Particles of aerosol distribute evenly across the surface areas that have intricate spatial configurations. Trying to clean these areas with wipes is an exercise in futility, and using cleaner in pump spray form can result in overusing solvent in order to saturate and cleanse hard to reach places.
Will the hardware be cleaned while energized?
If so, be sure the cleaner you use contains a dielectric buffer that prevents electricity from traveling through the solvent stream, potentially exploding the solvent container and causing the worker to be shocked and or burned. If you can’t find the cleaner you need in dielectric form, Ecolink can produce a custom formulation that contains the dielectric capacity you need.
Will cleaning occur near sources of ignition?
Some precision cleaning chemicals for electronics have a low flashpoint, which means they ignite rather easily. If you’ll clean electronics in areas where ignition sources (e.g. open flames, sparks from grinders, orange hot electrical filaments, etc.) are present, it’s ideal to use a cleaner that has no flashpoint. It helps prevent burn injuries and building fires.
Is residue on cleaned components acceptable?
In most cases, users of precision cleaning chemicals for electronics don’t want the cleaner to leave a residue. The reason why is simple: Residue tends to attract dirt and grime, which means the equipment needs to be cleaned more often than if a non-residue electronics cleaner were used instead.
Get Precision Cleaning Chemicals for Electronics
Ecolink offers a variety of environmentally preferred cleaners that are designed to clean electronics. For assistance selecting the right precision cleaning chemicals based on your wants and needs, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to supplying you with affordable, efficacious, eco friendly cleaning solvents!
