Posts Tagged ‘Cleaning Solutions’
Using Acetone Solvent as an Ultrasonic Bath
Acetone, a solvent and thinner available in paint and hardware stores, carries on its container a warning that it is extremely flammable and quickly evaporates. These two characteristics are always important to users but particularly important when acetone solvent is used as a degreaser in ultrasonic bath for residue-free removal of contaminants. This post provides information on the safe use of acetone solvent as an ultrasonic bath.
But first, some background.
Why Caution is Critical with Acetone
Acetone and similar solvents such as toluene and IPA are characterized by relatively low flash points.
A flash point is the temperature at which a particular organic compound such as an acetone cleaner gives off sufficient vapor to ignite in air when given an ignition source. And as noted above, acetone evaporates quickly.
The American Chemical Society publishes a table of common organic solvents that includes flash points. Acetone’s flash point … Read the rest
More on Selecting Ultrasonic Cleaning Solutions
As we suggested in our blog post How to Select Ultrasonic Cleaner Solutions* cleaning solution chemistry has an important bearing on the success of operating an ultrasonic cleaner. Here we will look at some other considerations to keep in mind.
For example, the choice of a cleaning chemistry depends not only on the surface material and contamination, but also on the use and level of cleanliness required after cleaning. Here are but two of many examples we could share:
For precision cleaning prior to coating operations you need a cleaner that easily rinses residue-free. This helps ensure that coatings such as powder, anodizing, chromium plating or paint will fully adhere to the surface. For applications such as these we strongly suggest EC 260 d&s neutral foam-inhibited concentrate.
There are less-demanding levels of cleanliness for other applications. If your shop cleans, repairs or reconditions used equipment made of materials such … Read the rest
Avoid Product Damage by Ultrasonic Waves
The worldwide acceptance of ultrasonic cleaning is confirmed by a MarketandMarkets report stating that it is expected to grow from USD 1.6 billion in 2019 to USD 2.2 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. That report describes reasons driving the growth rate while this post provides important tips on avoiding product damage by ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic Waves Described
Ultrasonic waves is another way of describing what is called cavitation action in an ultrasonic cleaner tank. Cavitation action results from the violent implosion of millions of microscopic bubbles every second.
These implosions create a temperature of 5000˚C (>9000˚F) and a jet of plasma impacting the objects being cleaned. It is cavitation action by ultrasonic waves that quickly strips away dirt and other contaminants from parts being cleaned.
Note that this action is exceedingly fast meaning it does not damage the parts. But over time it … Read the rest
Lab Applications for Ultrasonic Cleaning Equipment
Elma – the specialists for ultrasonic technology work in close cooperation with the customers to develop new ultrasonic cleaning processes for laboratory applications, such as analyzing, sample processing and cleaning of laboratory instruments. The range of our ultrasonic units is optimized for use in laboratories. The Elma units are indispensable both for research and for the practical use in the lab to find solutions for problems and to get reproducible test results.
Elma offers various different types of ultrasonic cleaners. Each series consists of units of different sizes. They are designed for special applications and meet the requirements of the everyday work in a lab.
Practical accessories facilitate the handling, and specialized additional equipment expand the range of possible applications, e.g. for sieve cleaning.
The cleaning of laboratory glassware and laboratory instruments is a crucial task in any lab. Elma offers a family of chemical cleaners which can be used … Read the rest
Ultrasonic Cleaner Hints
You know the routine. Chances are you’ve done it yourself. If the recipe calls for a tablespoon of oregano you think well, two tablespoons will make it taste better. If directions say bake at 325⁰F you think well, if I bake at 425⁰F it will be done faster. That’s not the always the case for recipes and it certainly is not the case when you operate an ultrasonic cleaner.
How to Prepare Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution from Concentrate
This is the recipe portion of our introductory paragraph. Ultrasonic cleaning solution concentrates are formulated to be diluted with a specific amount of water. An example is the widely used general purpose elma tec A4 concentrate where the recommendation is dilution to 2% – 5% with water.
Now on the often mistaken theory of “more is better” you may be tempted to dump in … Read the rest
ICP-OES Spray Chamber Maintenance with an Ultrasonic Cleaner
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometers are costly and require regular maintenance to assure accurate performance. An ultrasonic cleaner is recommended for ICP-OES spray chambers and we share here two approaches, one employed by a user and the other recommended by a distributor. Labs using this equipment should above all follow the recommendations of their supplier but can look to Tovatech for ultrasonic cleaning equipment that meets these recommendations.
Ultrasonic Cleaning ICP-OES Spray Chambers
An ultrasonic cleaner is recommended because spray chambers have complex shapes making it difficult to remove contaminants that deposit during ICP-OES operation. Cleaning is provided by cavitation action, or the implosion of minute bubbles in an ultrasonic cleaning solution, on all chamber surfaces while immersed in the solution. This action is produced by generator-powered ultrasonic transducers bonded to the bottom of a stainless steel tank. It quickly and safely blasts away … Read the rest
How to Safely Clean with Acid in an Ultrasonic Cleaner
There is a wide variety of ultrasonic cleaning solutions on the market – each formulated for specific cleaning operations in an ultrasonic cleaner. These solutions are generally classified as alkaline (high pH), neutral, or acidic (low pH). Most acidic ultrasonic cleaning solution concentrates are biodegradable and when diluted according to instructions can be used in stainless steel ultrasonic cleaning tanks such as the Elmasonic series available from Tovatech.
Protecting Staff and Ultrasonic Cleaner Tanks from Highly Acidic Baths
There are exceptions, and an important one is if you must use corrosive low pH solutions such as nitric, sulfuric, formic, or hydrofluoric acid in an ultrasonic cleaner. Without proper protection these solutions can wreak havoc on your ultrasonic cleaner and the investment it represents.
Solving this problem is twofold and while relatively simple requires a procedure that must be part … Read the rest