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Trial Number 2

Trial Purpose:

Various safer solvents to be tested

Date Run:

12/22/1995

Experiment Procedure:

The purpose of this experiment is to find a cleaner for Adhesive Manufacturer that will replace their current 4:1 heptane-toluene mixture. So far, attempts with aqueous cleaners and semi-aqueous terpenes have proven unsuccessful. Various solvents that are safer than the current Adhesive Manufacturer cleaning solution will be tested.
Durotac Adhesive was applied to the 316 stainless steel coupons. Sitting times of the adhesive was between 10 and 15 minutes. Cleaning would be accomplished by first applying some cleaning chemistry (100%) onto the contaminated coupons and allowing to sit for about 30 seconds. The adhesive was then removed with a scouring pad. Time and ease of removal was noted. All chemistries were used at room temperature.
SUBSTRATE MATERIAL: 316 Stainless Steel Coupons
CONTAMINANTS: Duro-Tac toluene-heptane based adhesive
CONTAMINATING PROCESS USED: Adhesives applied on with swab and allowed to sit for 10 minutes to 15 minutes

Trial Results:

The cleaners tested and the results are shown in the table below:

Cleaning Chemistry Time of removal (sec) Notes
Brulin Corp. Compliance 50 Pretty good removal
AW Chesterton 803 Solvent 70  
Ausimont USA Inc Perfluorosolv PFS-1 80 Very tough to remove
Ashland Chemical Co Solvent 6733 DNC   
ISP Tech N-Methyl 2-Pyrrolidone DNC  
Solvent Kleene, Inc. Degrease 500 40 Dissolves at first, but leaves a tacky 
CSA Inc. Biosafe 1023 35 Not as effective as the 1024
CSA Inc. Biosafe 1024 25 Not much dissolving action, but Adhesive rolls off easily
Bush-Allen-Boake K-312 45 Dissolves but leaves a film that is tough to remove
Dow Development Solvent 40570 65 Surface still quite tacky
Dow Development Solvent 40571 35 Very clean surface
Dow Development Solvent 40579 45 No residue left
Toluene 30 Tacky residue left

Success Rating:

Results successful using TACT (time, agitation, concentration, and temperature, as well as rinsing and drying) and/or other cleaning chemistries examined.

Conclusion:

The Bio-Safe 1023 does a good job of lifting the adhesives.  One last experiment will be to try mixtures of the most successful terpenes and aqueous products.  Most of the terpenes will dissolve the adhesive to some degree but leave a sticky residue that does not peel off.  The aqueous products are just the opposite, they cause no dissolving action, but the adhesive peels off pretty easy after a while.  A combination of these traits may be most effective.

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