Sometimes, physically cleaning an object can be abrasive and damaging, especially if the object is a little bit delicate. For this reason, choosing to clean using solvents instead of abrasion is often gentler. Just like opting to use mouth wash instead of brushing your teeth after a painful dentist visit, precision vapor degreasing offers a less invasive yet still effective way to clean industrial parts.
Precision Vapor Degreasing Process
When a delicate part needs to be cleaned, it can be suspended in a vapor degreaser above a boiling solvent. The gas from the boiling liquid rises, then condenses on the part. When this happens, the solvent dissolves the contaminants on the part, and it can drip off, carrying the grime with it. This way, the part can be cleaned with only the minimal interaction of solvent condensing on it.
Applications of Precision Vapor Degreasing
Just like dry cleaning for clothing, degreasing is effective for complicated and delicate parts in need of cleaning. Here are some examples of things that can be cleaned using this method:
- Medical devices
- Semiconductor circuit boards
- Aerospace parts
- Automotive parts
- Metal finishing
Due to the wide range of solvent flexibility and non-invasiveness of this process, many more applications beyond those listed above are possible.
Solvents used in vapor degreasers must possess two key properties:
- Be non-flammable
- Be azeotropic
Being non-flammable is important because the solvent will need to be boiled, and if it’s flammable, then it would pose a serious safety risk.
Azeotropic means that the liquid and gas will have the same boiling point no matter the concentration of the solvent. This is important because as the machine works, the solvent is reused several times as it drips off the part and falls back down to be re-vaporized. However, because the liquid being boiled will accumulate more and more contaminants, it will need to be azeotropic so that the boiling point does not fluctuate and the heating unit can be set to a constant temperature.
Looking to Incorporate Vapor Cleaning & Degreasing?
Incorporating vapor cleaning and degreasing into your industrial operations can be an effective way to improve the efficiency of your cleaning process. LssChemicals can provide many of the chemicals needed to improve industrial processes and reduce environmental impacts while doing so. To learn more about the solvent you may need, reach out to us today!