Surface World February 2020 Surface World February 2020 | Page 102

PRE-TREATMENT, SURFACE PREPARATION, DEGREASING & CLEANING
WE ARE AT SURFACE WORLD LIVE 2020
Solvent Cleaning Myth Busting
A great deal of misconception still surrounds
the use of solvent cleaners. Many businesses
use aqueous solutions because they think
they’re safer, rather than considering the
chemistry that is most appropriate for
their needs. Graham Fraser, MD of Fraser
Technologies, tackles some common myths
about solvents:
Are solvents bad for the environment?
Modern cleaning solvents use extremely eco-friendly chemistries,
which offer a superior cleaning performance. They are low in cost and
provide a genuine alternative to old hazardous solvents which have
now been banned or restricted. The Chemours™ Opteon™ range of
safe, environmentally friendly solvents have become widely accepted
as best in class, next generation fluids and are approved for use in a
large range of standard cleaning systems.
Solvents now boast low global warming potential (GWP), which is a
measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere
up to a specific time horizon, relative to carbon dioxide. It compares
the amount of heat trapped by a certain mass of the gas in question to
the amount of heat trapped by a similar mass
of carbon dioxide and is expressed as a factor
of carbon dioxide. GWP is used to represent
the equivalent of CO2 being released into the
atmosphere. For example, 1kg CO2 = GWP
of 1. Opteon™ SF80 has a GWP of <2.5
compared to a traditional HFC-based solvent
with a GWP figure of around 148.
solvent is preferable. The Opteon™ range is an ideal drop-in
replacement for restricted chlorinated solvents such as
Trichloroethylene, Methylene Chloride, Perchloroethylene (PERC) and
Propyl Bromide (nPB). The products maintain compositional stability
during use, are non-flammable, and have low odour and toxicity
levels, while also having superior cleaning performance with the best
solvency power in their class.
Are solvents cleaners better than
aqueous cleaners?
There isn’t a simple answer to this, as it entirely depends on what
needs to be cleaned. There are some applications where aqueous
solutions are required, and we can advise on this and will recommend
the most appropriate cleaner.
Solvents can be considered a ‘dry’ cleaning option, which is ideal for
water-sensitive or difficult to dry components. The Opteon™ SF80
solution, for example, can be applied to industrial cleaning
applications like vapour degreasing, oil and grease removal,
precision cleaning, high solvency defluxing, and silicone removal.
Solvents offer speed and efficiency, which shorten lead times and
reduce costs. There are lower capital equipment costs than with
comparable water-based systems, so there is a low cost of ownership
and a smaller equipment footprint. Plus, they are extremely easy and
safe to use. Thesebenefits combined with extremely high precision
cleaning, make solvents a very attractive option formany businesses.
Are solvents dangerous to health?
The current generation of chemicals are just as safe as the aqueous
solutions people have become accustomed to. While hazardous
chlorinated and brominated solvents do exist, a safe, non-flammable
Fraser Technologies has over 50 years of experience in component
cleaning, across all areas ofmanufacturing. Come and visit us on
stand C17 to see how we can help your business.
www.frasertech.co.uk
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