Electronics Cleaning – Kovar

Q. What is Kovar exactly? What cleaner would be recommended to clean Kovar?

A. Kovar is made up of 29% nickel, 17% cobalt, .2% silicon, .3% manganese and 53.5% iron. Kovar is known for its low coefficient of thermal expansion. Kovar end uses are usually glass sealing in the electronics industry. Though Nickel has good resistance and it is present at 29% – which is pretty high – you have to account for the 53% iron where the iron oxide has to be controlled for to prevent rusting.

We recommend using an acid cleaner such as Citranox or Citrajet, depending on the method of cleaning employed. Also, we would recommend ambient/cold application of the acid cleaner followed by an ambient/cold rinse. Corrosion testing is advisable.

Directly from the manufactures technical bulletin: Corrosion Resistance – The following 4-level rating scale is intended for comparative purposes only. Corrosion testing is recommended; factors which affect corrosion resistance include temperature, concentration, pH, impurities, aeration, velocity, crevices, deposits, metallurgical condition, stress, surface finish and dissimilar metal contact.

Need more information on Citranox or Citrajet?  Click to download each detergent’s Technical Bulletin and/or Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS).