Metalworking & Precision Manufacturing

Q: We are having trouble removing polyurethane glue from stainless steel bolts.

A: Adherent residues can be tough.  And clearly glue is adherent, per design. 

For this application we want to increase temperature to expedite the cleaning effort as much as possible, and soften the glue.  We also want to up the concentration to ensure having sufficient detergent capacity. 

Q. We are cleaning copper pipe with Alconox powder and then using a citric acid wash after a rinse. Could we use a different detergent from Alconox, Inc. that would accomplish both these procedures at once?
A. Citranox® Liquid Acid Cleaner and Detergent is both a detergent and serves as an acidic rinse (removing oxidation, inorganic residue, etc.). So, if you’d like to switch to one product, Citranox cleaner is a great option. 

Q. I’m looking for a cleaning solution to use in our industrial ultrasonic cleaner that is similar to the old style competitor detergent. We use it occasionally for general cleaning, removal of machining oils, cleaning for high vacuum use, and to lightly etch the oxides off of copper.   Would you recommend Alconox or Liquinox detergent?  How long would a pre-mix of the formulations last before degrading?  Could we also use this for washing microfiber towels and foam sponges that have various waxes, polymer sealants and oils on them?

Q: What precisely is critical cleaning? How does it differ from “regular” cleaning? A: It refers to a very specific type of cleaning. It is where the cleaning itself impacts the value of the finished output from whatever residue/contaminant is being cleaned.

Q: Our gold plating process leaves some residue and someone recommended chlorine bleach for cleaning, but we’re afraid that will negatively effect the finish. Can Alconox assist with safely removing residues from gold plating? Should we use a soak or ultrasonic cleaning process?