Cleaning Glass Mold in an Automatic Machine

Q. I am looking for a Non-Caustic, Low Foam cleaning agent, preferrably in aqueous solution to be applied in an automatic in-line glass cleaning molds washer machine, 100 psi spray nozzels, 150F, 8 minutes total cleaning-rinse-dry cycle time, running 10 hours a day continuous; our application is for manufacturing of optical components. Glass molds we are cleaning in this washer machine have traces of cured acrilic monomer only, but must be tottaly cleaned with out damages (scratches per chemmical attac) over the critical side.

A. Thanks for your request for a non caustic, low foaming detergent for inline cleaning of optical precicion manufacturing molds with traces of acrylic on them. Use a 1% concentration of Citrajet detergent. Citrajet is a non-caustic, non-foaming (at elevated temperatures) detergent that is suitable for use in an inline washer. Citrajet is a mild citric acid based cleaner that will etch much less than a caustic cleaner would.

Note that 16 megaohm deionized water can cause etching on glass. I am not sure if etching is your concern. If you are having etching problems, you actually might want to consider bleading a little tap water in to your DI water to lower the conductivity down to say 1 megaohm to reduce rinse water etching. At 1 megaohm, you will still have plenty clean optical substrates and yet the water will be less “ion hungry” and so will have much less tendancy to etch.

To test an Alconox, Inc. detergent for free, please complete the questionnaire at Get Sample.  And if you have additional questions for our experts about critical cleaning, please visit Ask Alconox. You can also download the Citrajet msds (Material Data Safety Sheet).