Environmental advantages of the semi-aqueous cleaning process

It is pointed out that the semi-aqueous process has advanced significantly since its initial introduction a few years ago. Better cleaning agent formulations have been developed and have proven to be more effective cleaners than the CFC-113 based materials they were designed to replace. New equipment designs are appearing that take maximum advantage of these new cleaning agents, to improve both cleaning performance and the ecology of the process. Because of formulation flexibility provided by the semi-aqueous process, advanced materials with improved features have been introduced. The most significant of these is higher flash point blends. Materials with higher flash points can be heated to provide better, faster cleaning, allow more material to be stored and used per fire regulations, further reduce already low evaporative losses, and allow more latitude in equipment designs. Formulation improvements have also enhanced the cleaning agent´s ability to more completely separate from rinse water, critical to supporting development of closed loop, water recycling systems. Semi-aqueous equipment design factors are now better understood, leading to the introduction of new equipment that enhances the cleaning performance and ecology of the process. Steady state control of the solvent stage reduces process variability and significantly reduces bath monitoring and maintenance