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Trial Number 3

Client Number 524

Project Number 1

Trial Purpose:

To test the efficacy of other solvents to manually remove three types of polymers from stainless steel

Date Run:

12/09/2024

Experiment Procedure:

Three 304 stainless steel coupons were assigned to each of the soils per solvent resulting in a total of 27 coupons total.  Each coupon was weighed with a mass balance and had their initial weights recorded.  Each coupon was then soiled with its respective polymer and catalyst mixture.  To soil each coupon, a pipette was used to apply a 0.5ml of the correct polymer catalyst mixture in a stripe across the middle of the coupons.  The stripe of soil was then spread with a paint scraper to apply a thin coating to the bottom half of the coupon.  After drying for 30 seconds, the next layer was applied.  Each coupon was soiled with a total of 5 layers.  After the soil was applied, the coupons were placed in the oven at 325F for 5 mins to cure the polymers.  Each coupon had their dirty weights recorded.  Each coupon was then timed while manually wiped with a cotton rag dipped in the respective solvent with circular motions.  Manual wiping was ceased when all visible soil was removed from a coupon.  If all visible soil was not able to be fully removed at 5 mins (300 seconds), cleaning was ceased.  Coupons were then left to air dry for 30 mins before recording their clean weights.

Trial Results:

Cleaner Soil Initial wt of cont. Final wt of cont. %Cont Removed % AVG % Overall Time until clean Secs AVG Secs Overall
Ethyl Acetate 7195NF Alum 0.0686 0.0005 99.2711 99.50 99.30 14 13 16
0.0699 0.0003 99.5708 15
0.0857 0.0003 99.6499 9
7229 0.0917 0.0005 99.4547 99.10 27 25
0.0796 0.0008 98.9950 24
0.0869 0.0010 98.8493 24
7223 0.2100 0.0017 99.1905 99.31 12 11
0.2505 0.0012 99.5210 9
0.3230 0.0025 99.2260 11
Cyclopentanone 7159NF Alum 0.1138 0.0071 93.7610 70.46 73.37 25 19 23
0.0752 0.0181 75.9309 19
0.0494 0.0288 41.7004 14
7229 0.1252 0.0387 69.0895 70.30 24 22
0.1108 0.0310 72.0217 19
0.1294 0.0391 69.7836 24
7223 0.2043 0.0397 80.5678 79.35 21 26
0.2509 0.0334 86.6879 22
0.2520 0.0736 70.7937 36

Cyclopentanone fully dissolve all polymers, rather than causing the polymers to peel off like other successful solvents.  Although the Cyclopentanone was able to fully dissolve each polymer and was able to evaporate quickly, some of the dissolved remnants of the polymers remained on the coupons lowering the percentage of soil removed.  To successfully integrate cyclopentanone into practice, it would require a rinse step post cleaning.

Success Rating:

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

Conclusion:

Ethyl Acetate is highly effective in removing all three polymer types from stainless steel.  Cyclopentanone is not effective in removing the three polymer types from stainless steel without an additional rinse step.

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