Surface Tension and/or Wettability

A few days ago, I sat down to write what I thought would be a simple explanation of surface tension and how it is measured in the laboratory (a blog which will be published shortly if I can figure all of this out).  In doing the normal background research, however, I started to see contradictions …

Chemical Concentration – Economic and Process Considerations

I have talked before on the blog about the subject of chemical concentration and its relationship to cleaning.  A couple of recent incidents prompt me to re-address the subject of chemical concentration but from a little different angle. It’s a “no-brainer” that cleaning chemicals are expensive and, with the possible exception of heat and labor, …

Other Oil Removal Options

In some cases, previously described oil removal technologies based on the gravity separation of oil from the cleaning solution are unjustifiably cumbersome and expensive.  Fortunately, smaller scale solutions are available for use in such applications. Oil Skimmers – Oil skimmers utilize a material which preferentially attracts oil (hydrophobic) to skim floating oil from a surface …

Six Sigma – Monitoring Variables in Cleaning – Part 3 (final)

A few more things to monitor – Dirty rinse – An effective rinse is critical to most cleaning processes.  Only in very limited cases can residues from the cleaning step be left on parts after they are cleaned.  It does not, of course, do any good to clean the parts if they become re-contaminated by a …

Six Sigma – Monitoring Variables in Cleaning – Part 1

As discussed earlier, monitoring variables in a process is a critical part of Six Sigma.  The following are some examples of parameters that can be monitored in a cleaning process and some suggestions regarding how the monitoring can be done. Chemical Concentration – Chemistry (detergent, acid, rinse aid, etc.) is one of the most important components of the …

Six Sigma – – The Role of Cleaning

Achieving Six Sigma Capability Parts Washing “Six Sigma” methodology is one of many tools that can be used to improve process efficiency.  The following several blogs are excerpted from an article written by Dale Bowden of the Cleaning Technologies Group and was published in Process Cleaning Magazine.  Mr. Bowden specifically explores the role of cleaning …

Ultrasonics – Cleaning Orifices with Ultrasonics

A few days ago, one of our customers asked one of our sales people what would seem like a very simple question.  The question, in paraphrase, was – – “Do you know the relationship between ultrasonic frequency and the ability of ultrasonics to clean within a certain sized orifice.”  Being a bit rushed when I received …

Cleaning Chemistry – Introduction – Solvents

It doesn’t matter if you call it soap, solvent, surface preparation, or whatever, chemistry is an important part of nearly every cleaning process.  The first purpose of the chemistry in a cleaning application is to either dissolve the contaminant or, using some other mechanism, to break the attachment that the contaminant has to the substrate.  …