Solvent answers aerospace cleaning challenges

The aerospace industry presents many critical cleaning applications where surfaces need to be completely degreased and cleaned with no residues.

The aerospace industry presents many critical cleaning applications where surfaces need to be completely degreased and cleaned with no residues.

Although aqueous cleaning is the method of choice for perceived environmental reasons many materials used in manufacturing are water sensitive and solvents are the only practical alternative.

Today EnSolv is very widely used and approved by civil and military aircraft and systems manufacturers world-wide including Airbus UK, Raytheon Aircraft, BAE Systems, NASA, Caterpillar, Tecumseh, TRW, United Technologies, General Motors, Bell Helicopters, Praxair in manufacturing and maintenance applications.

EnSolv was originally developed for the aerospace industry as a safe replacement for trichloroethylene, when this was banned as an ozone depleting solvent.

Used in cold cleaning applications and vapour degreasing it is the only stabilised n-propyl bromide based formulation patented for this application in the USA and in Europe.

EnSolv contains no chlorine and does not cause embrittlement in titanium or its alloys.

It is certified to conform to industry specifications and standards for cleaning chemicals and can be safely used with the metals and most plastics and elastomers used in the aerospace industry.

EnSolv confirms and exceeds the requirements of ASTM D6368-00.

EnSolv 5408 is approved for critical cleaning by Boeing.

EnviroTech International sponsored a unique comparative human bioassay study of EnSolv compared with commonly used chlorinated solvents and a detailed analysis of this work by Dr Mark Stelljes indicates that EnSolv is safer in use than the other vapour degreasing solvents tested.

Further peer reviewed work, by respected toxicologists Duoll and Rosman, has demonstrated that EnSolv can be safely used in manufacturing environments.

An example of critical cleaning is removal of all contamination from aluminium honeycomb where epoxy resin adhesive is used to bond the formed aluminium skin to produce lightweight high tensile structures for applications such as leading edges on wings.

This is an extremely demanding application, as any residues will prevent the adhesion of the adhesives leading to delamination with potentially disastrous effects.

Because of the high standards of cleaning which are required this process is usually carried out by vapour degreasing with trichloroethylene.

However because of the increasingly stringent controls on this material and the recent change in risk phrase in Europe to R45 (may cause cancer) EnSolv is now increasingly used as a realistic and safer replacement.

Cleaning metal surfaces prior to laminate bonding requires the same standard of surface cleanliness, which often cannot be achieved with water based cleaners.

Laminates are being used increasingly in critical areas combining lightness with strength and the wider applications of these materials demanding perfectly clean surfaces to ensure the bonding of the adhesives to metal surfaces is assured by the use of EnSolv as the cleaning solvent.

Another cleaning problem common in the aircraft industry is the cleaning of castings and metal fabrications before the use of crack detection fluids.

This is particularly relevant as part of the maintenance procedure for refurbishment where surfaces can be heavily contaminated.

Crack detection is also important in other industries such as railways, automotive engines, and turbines where castings or critical welded fabrications are used.

Because this application needs completely degreased, residue free and dry surfaces, the use of slow drying cleaners such as hydrocarbons or water based cleaners may cause severe production delays and bottlenecks as the cracks must be completely dry to allow penetration of the detection fluids.

Vapour degreasing is the most effective cleaning system for all NDT applications EnSolv conforms to SAE AMS2644 (supersedes Mil-Spec-25135) - Precleaning standard for penetrant testing in aerospace applications.

Probably the most critical of all cleaning applications is oxygen line and tank cleaning where no residual organic contaminants can be tolerated.

EnSolv conforms to CGA standards for this application and is used in situ and for off line cleaning by NASA and many oxygen supply companies to ensure total safety.

Legislative demands worldwide has encouraged the development of increasingly sophisticated cleaning equipment, which use less solvent and with minimal exposure of operators to solvent emissions.

Envirotech International Inc, the inventors of EnSolv, work with equipment suppliers world-wide to specify and develop these systems which are able to offer cleaning solutions for the most difficult cleaning problems.

EnSolv vapour degreasing equipment is more efficient than water based systems achieving higher standards in much less floor space, using much less energy and do not need constant maintenance or technically qualified operators.

EnSolv vapour degreasing systems deliver parts at very high throughputs perfectly clean and dry at minimum cost.

EnSolv is available to consistent quality standards worldwide, with full technical support, through a network of experienced and qualified suppliers.

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