PARTS CLEANING AND ITS INTEGRATION INTO HEAT-TREATING

With growing restrictions on the use of halogenated solvents for envir onmental reasons, heat treaters are having to reassess their methods o f cleaning / degreasing before and after heat treatment operations. In order to meet the demand for alternative cleaning technology, equipme nt manufacturers are introducing new solvent-free washing systems, usi ng water-based detergents, such as that shown in Fig. 1. This article provides a guide to factors which must be considered for optimum perfo rmance of aqueous cleaning solutions.