Interim cleaners

These interim cleaners also support the philosophy of just-in-time cleaning. Chlorinated solvents and alcohols find perhaps their widest application as quick-dip-rinse media. When water-soluble coolants are installed, and solvent tanks become obsolete, they must be replaced by a waterbased rinse system. Total reliance cannot, and should not, be placed on the final cleaning system in view of the fact that specialized solvents cannot be used anymore. Water, while an excellent departiculating agent, is not as effective in removing nonpolar contaminants from surfaces. With chemical contamination emerg-... 

Even though the CFC materials will be around for a number of years in recycled form, there are a number of non-CFC-containing solvent systems that are being used or are under consideration as alternatives to CFC cleaners. One desirable aspect of using CFC solvents is their non-corrosive nature. Many of the proposed replacements for the CFCs are much more aggressive. An interim replacement for the CFCs could be the HCFCs, which have a lower ozone depletion factor, but these will also be phased out in the near future. Information on CFC replacements can be obtained from the EPA s Ozone Information Hotline (see www.epa.gov). 

---