Flammability – (In)Flammable and Combustible

The terms “flammable,” “inflammable,” and combustible all describe materials that will burn.  Semantics and nebulous definitions of each have led not only to a great deal of confusion over the years but, probably, to several unfortunate accidents.  In doing the research for this blog, I discovered that there is no simple and fast definition of …

Flammability – More Things You Should Know – LFL and UFL

Although, fortunately, we seldom encounter flammability issues in cleaning, it’s a good idea to be familiar with some of the terms like Upper and Lower Flammability and Explosive Limits for the sake of safety. In the preceding blog, it was explained that three things were needed to produce a fire – Fuel, Oxidizer, and a …

Lubricants and Coolants – “Vanishing” Oils?

“Vanishing Oils” are often considered as an alternative to more conventional lubricants in light duty stamping and forming operations.  The conception is that these formulations actually “vanish” eliminating the need for cleaning once there is no longer a need for lubrication.  True, depending on circumstances, they may reduce or eliminate the need for cleaning but in fact, …

Coolants and Lubricants – Ramifications on Cleaning

Lubricants and coolants are two of the most common contaminants requiring removal in industrial cleaning.  Understanding their basic nature and how they work may help lead to the solution of many cleaning problems Lubricants help prevent friction between two surfaces moving relative to one another by, in effect, providing a barrier between the two surfaces …

Water – De-Ionoized – Right and Wrong

This blog explores some common mistakes made in the application of de-ionization hardware.  Although a properly engineered and installed de-ionization system will prevent these potential mistakes at the start, post-installation modifications by those less knowledgeable about de-ionizing technology don’t always respect good design practices. Temperature Limits – In general, de-ionization systems are not intended to …

Water – De-Ionized Water

Next to water filtration and “softening,” de-ionization is probably the next most common water treatment.  Ions in water interfere with many cleaning processes and cause water spots on drying after rinsing.  The common measure of the amount of ions in water is “resistivity.”  The more “resistive” water is, the less ions it contains.  Water from a municipal …