Vapor degreasing offers a green approach to cleaning metal parts

Vapor degreasing is an environmentally sound way to clean metal parts, creating little waste, conserving energy, and using no water.

In today’s demanding manufacturing environment, parts must be completely clean, dry, and ready for post-processing. Oils and other lubricants, dust, metal particulate, and other production debris need to be removed to ensure that the next steps, such as painting, plating, and welding, can be performed successfully.

One of the best ways to clean parts thoroughly is by using a vapor degreaser and modern metal cleaning fluids. Vapor degreasing is a common cleaning process used by manufacturers because it is safe, fast, and affordable. It is also an environmentally sound way to clean metal parts.

How Vapor Degreasing Works

A vapor degreaser boils a nonflammable cleaning fluid into a dense vapor that rises through and is trapped inside the machine. The boiling fluid and vapors combine to clean and dry the contaminated parts inside.

When the vapors reach condensing coils at the top of the machine, the coils chill the vapors back into a liquid state. This liquid falls into a trough and is made ready for another use.

Environmentally Sound

Reuse, Recycle. A vapor degreaser is not only a parts cleaner but also a continuous recovery and recycling system. The cleaning fluid is recycled and purified for reuse in the vapor degreaser. This recycling happens for hundreds of hours before the cleaning fluid needs to be refreshed or replaced, making cleaning environmentally friendly.

It also concentrates the soil and contaminants, minimizing the amount and frequency of waste disposal.

Energy, Water Savings. Expanding energy demands and growing environmental concerns are generating renewed interest in vapor degreasing because it uses little electricity and operates without water.

Ecofriendly Fluids. Modern vapor degreasers use updated, environmentally progressive fluids to deliver consistent and safe cleaning results.

These innovative fluids are engineered with just the right characteristics (boiling point, specific gravity, and surface tension) to wet every surface, getting into and out of tiny apertures to remove contaminants and residue. They also offer high solvency, which allows them to rigorously clean surfaces and displace stubborn soils. Typical cleaning cycles vary from five to 15 minutes per batch, and the parts come out clean, dry, and ready for packaging or further processing immediately.

Many of the modern cleaning fluids have a low boiling point and low heat of vaporization. This means that the vapor degreaser can start up quickly and requires little heat input to run. In addition, because vapor degreasing cleans and dries parts in one step, there is no need for blowers, air knives, or any other drying method that uses power. This translates into less energy consumption and an overall cost savings.

Today’s modern metal cleaning fluids meet strict global environmental regulations, many are not considered a hazardous air pollutant (HAP), and do not require National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) permits.

Avoids Regulatory Mandates

Today’s modern metal cleaning fluids meet strict global environmental regulations and help manufacturers replace outdated chlorinated solvents like trichlorethylene (TCE) that contribute to groundwater and air quality problems. Most of the modern cleaning fluids are not considered a hazardous air pollutant (HAP), and many do not require National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) permits.

Today, when safety, compliance, and energy efficiency are paramount, vapor degreasing is a modern, planet-friendly cleaning option. Fortunately, a number of good choices for green cleaning fluids are available that are safer for people and gentler on the planet.

A vapor degreaser boils a nonflammable cleaning fluid into a dense vapor that rises in the machine, which combines with the boiling fluid to clean and dry the contaminated parts inside. The vapors are chilled by condensing coils at the top of the machine, revert to a liquid state, and can be reused.