Workers reported headaches, dizziness, and even loss of full body control. There are documented court cases where workers suffered major health effects when exposed to high levels of these chemicals. Toxicity – N-Propyl Bromide (nPB), Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene (Perc) are highly toxic chemicals commonly used in degreasers to provide cleaning performance in a nonflammable formula. A new degreaser should always be tested before being used broadly. Rubber seals may swell, shrink, or dissolve. If the degreaser is incompatible with the plastic, it can craze (create small cracks), embrittle, or soften the material. Plastic / rubber compatibility – Care needs to be taken when cleaning plastic or components, rubber gaskets and seals. The lower the dielectric strength, the more likely it will breakdown and allow electricity to flow through and short out. Dielectric strength is the maximum electric field that the material can withstand before its insulating properties break down. Make sure you know the amperage and voltage of the circuits you are trying to clean before spraying anything onto the circuits, and evaluate the suitability of any cleaner in your application. High flashpoint (often called “high flash”) solvents have vapors that are less likely to combust in normal ambient temperatures (say below 140☏/60☌).ĭielectric strength – If you plan to work on powered equipment, or need to switch it on before the solvent has flashed off, consider a degreaser with a high dielectric strength. In addition, some nonflammable cleaners can be very toxic, containing hazardous solvents like Perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or n-propyl bromide. Nonflammable degreasers avoid these safety issues but are generally more expensive. They can be cheap and effective, but can be dangerous without proper ventilation, or around open flames, sparks (e.g. There are several factors that can have a big impact on performance and safety in choosing the proper degreaser for a given application in an environment:įlammability – Degreasers often contain very flammable alcohols and hydrocarbon solvents. What do I look for when selecting a degreaser? What is the difference between a degreaser and a contact cleaner?ĭegreasers are intended to remove oil, grease, oxides and handling contamination from equipment and assemblies, while a contact cleaner does the same thing specifically for electrical contacts.Ī contact cleaner (also called electrical cleaner, switch cleaner, electrical contact cleaner, and (specific for automotive repair) battery terminal cleaner removes contamination from electrical contacts, the conductive surfaces of connectors, switches and other electrical and electronic components with moving surface contacts. Bearings, chains, cables, pulleys and gear drives.Clutches, armatures, generators, and compressors.Industrial-strength degreasers are needed to remove grease, tar, asphalt, oil, and grime in these kinds of applications: Degreasing may be required to prep for down-stream processes like painting or plating.Ĭleaner Degreasers can clean oil, grease, oxides and handling contamination from equipment and assemblies that include: Techspray offers a large selection of degreasers and maintenance cleaners under the G3®, E-LINE™, PWR-4™, and Precision-V brands, which range from economical heavy-industry cleaners to high precision solvents for sensitive components.ĭust, dirt, grease, and oxidation contamination can cause corrosion, slipping hazards, overheating, increase electrical resistance in contact areas, and many other issues. These processes are repeatable, so better suited for more critical cleaning applications, like aerospace or medical appliance maintenance. Specialized equipment like ultrasonic or vapor degreasers are available for more automated cleaning. Water-based degreasers are common in a trigger sprayer, or in gallon or drum containers for immersion or batch system cleaning. Aerosols have the added advantage of providing a forceful spray that creates agitation and which penetrate small crevices. Degreasing solvents are commonly packaged as an aerosol for convenience. The objective for a degreaser is to remove the offending soil quickly, avoiding as much wiping and scrubbing as possible. Degreasers go by a number of different names including precision cleaner, maintenance cleaner, as well as several specific for automotive repair such as carb cleaner or brake cleaner. Soldering Iron Tips for Hexacon, American Beauty, and Other StationsĪ degreaser is a cleaner designed to remove grease, oils, cutting fluids, corrosion inhibitors, handling soils, fingerprints, and other contamination common in assembly, stamping and other metal fabrication in refineries, motor repair shops, airplane hangars, and factories, etc.
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