Comparing aqueous and solvent cleaning solutions

Aqueous cleaning is “water-plus.” A range of detergents, surfactants, emulsifiers or buffers are added to water, and work in combination with heat, agitation and time to remove contaminants from industrial parts. Generally, multiple wash stations are followed by a rinse step to remove cleaning agent residues. Finally, parts are dried with hot air or solvents like isopropyl alcohol.

Aqueous cleaning is often highly effective at:

• Combining cleaning with deposition of protective coatings such as rust preventatives
• Combining cleaning with surface finishes such as brighteners
• Removing ionic contaminants such as salts

Solvent cleaning, often conducted in a vapor degreaser, uses a specially formulated cleaning fluid. Parts are immersed in a continuously filtered and distilled fluid – sometimes also combined with ultrasonic agitation – and contaminants dissolve off their surfaces. Parts then undergo a brief vapor rinse and drying process, where the fluid condenses and drips back into the degreaser to be reused, and are removed dry.

Solvent cleaning is often highly effective at:

• Cleaning mechanical and electronic parts with complex geometries
• Cleaning with zero residue
• Cleaning high volumes of parts rapidly
• Cleaning sensitive parts that need a low-temperature drying process