Cable cleaning solvents: environmental issues and effective replacements

The sequence of events used in selecting potential candidates as effective replacements for currently used chlorinated solvents is presented. The authors discuss the health and environmental issues that surround the use of chlorinated solvents and the test criteria used to determine the final selection of one such replacement. It is shown that for general cable cleaning needs, an azeotropic combination of highly refined petroleum distillates and d-Limonene with a flash point of 144°F was found to provide good cleaning characteristics. Electrical tests showed that if the solvent is still present on the cable insulation, the dielectric strength of the interface is not compromised after being spliced or terminated