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Q.
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I'm Getting White Residues When I Clean My Boards. Why? What Should I Do?
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FAQ 18 -- In today's world, white residues are most commonly caused by lead-free soldering materials. These residues usually are salts that make the flux "wetter" and they must be removed to prevent deterioration of the circuit. There are a number of other causes, as well as fixes...
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How Long Does a Can of MicroCare Solvent Last?
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FAQ 19 -- Unopened cans or cans connected to a Trigger Grip™ dispenser will last for years without degrading (see FAQ: "Shelf Life"). If you're asking how much cleaning a can will do, the typical can of PowerClean™ lasts 5-8 days in a busy rework environment. Slower-drying solvents will last even longer.
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How long will a Trigger Grip Last?
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FAQ 20 -- A good estimate is three years in normal, day-to-day use. But this can vary greatly, depending upon conditions of use.
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What can I do to insure my staff is handling the chemicals properly?
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FAQ 21 -- Get everybody to use the Trigger Grip™ dispensing system on your aerosol sprays. It will double the can life, improve the quality of the cleaning, and minimize worker exposure to fumes.
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Which MicroCare Solvents Contain VOCs?
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FAQ 23 -- Almost all MicroCare products contain VOCs to one degree or another. One exception is the newest addition to our family, the new LubriClean™ solvent. It's a mild cleaners/degreaser that is 100% VOC exempt. It's a great choice in communities where the VOC restrictions are most strict. Contact Cleaner C also is 100% VOC-free.
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Which Solvents Are Ozone-Safe? How Can I Tell?
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FAQ 24 -- All MicroCare aerosol solvents, pump sprays, stencil cleaners, fiber optic cleaners and wiping products are completely safe for the ozone layer.
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What Is a Toxicity Rating (PEL, TLV, AEL)? Which Solvent Is the Safest (Has the Least Toxicity)?
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FAQ 29 -- It probably is VeriClean™. This is a remarkable and very safe solvent. The MSDS sheet for the raw material says "No first aid should be required." You don't get much safer than that.
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Which MicroCare Solvents Are the Least Flammable?
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FAQ 34 -- MicroCare has many nonflammable cleaners. Our favorites include PowerClean™ (#MCC-PW2) which has been engineered for lead-free fluxes and pastes and Flux Remover C (#MCC-FRC) when you need a cleaner in a variety of packages, such as an aerosol and bulk and in pump sprays as well.
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My People Are Complaining About Solvent Fumes. What Can I Do?
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FAQ 51 -- Switch to a low-aroma solvent, like VeriClean™. Make sure everybody is using the Trigger Grip™ dispensing system, and has been trained to use it properly. Lastly, worst case, you may need to kick up the ventilation with hoods or fume extraction.
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Which Cleaners Can I Use in California?
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FAQ 52 -- This is a very complex question, but the short answer would be either LubriClean™ (#MCC-DC2) or VeriClean™ (#MCC-DC1). There are other possibilities, but the details are intricate.
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Are the HCFC Solvents Being Phased Out?
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FAQ 54 -- Yes. In fact, they are phased-out already! For replacements, consider VeriClean™ (#MCC-DC1) or PowerClean™ (#MCC-PW2), both from MicroCare.
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Does MicroCare Have Any Solvents Suitable for Use in Vapor Degreasers?
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FAQ 56 -- Yes. MicroCare's Flux Remover C (#MCC-FRC) is a great choice for defluxing PCBs, and for general degreasing MicroCare's Heavy Duty Degreaser C is a fine option. We have many more, also...
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Who Makes Quality Vapor Degreasers?
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FAQ 57 -- There are many fine companies in North America and Europe who make quality machines. A short list might include....
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Why Does MicroCare Have So Many Different Cleaning Choices?
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FAQ 60 -- That's a simple question with a complex answer. But why so many choices? Because our customers ask for them...
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What Is "Flash Point" and Why Is It Important?
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FAQ 95 -- A "flashpoint" is the temperature at which a liquid will burn if a spark or ignition source is placed near the liquid. Higher flashpoints are safer than lower flashpoints. Look on the Product Spec or the MSDS sheet for details about each cleaner.
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What Is the "Trans" Ingredient in Some of the MicroCare Solvents?
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FAQ 100 -- Trans 1,2-Dichloroethylene is an additive used in solvents designed to replace old-style CFC, HCFC and chlorinated solvents such as "Genesolv®" and "HyperClean™." The reason "trans" is added to solvents is because it is a safe but powerful solvent.
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What Is a Kb Value? What Does It Tell Me About My Solvent?
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FAQ 101 -- The cleaning power of solvents is measured by an industry benchmark test called the Kari-Butanol test. The result of the test is a Kari-Butanol value. Mild cleaners have low scores in the tens and twenties; powerful cleaners like the old chlorinated solvents have ratings in the low hundreds. Look on the product specs to see the Kb rating for the products your considering.
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Are There Toxicity Issues with Trans?
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FAQ 102 -- In general, no. Properly used, 1,2-trans-dichloroethylene is safe and generally not highly toxic.
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Which Solvents Can I Take on a Commercial Aircraft?
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FAQ 107 -- MicroCare has six TravelSAFE™ cleaners which are approved for transport on commercial aircraft: a degreaser, a defluxer and a contact cleaner, plus three cleaners for optical and photonics applications.
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Q.
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I Can't Get HCFC-141b Anymore -- Why Is That?
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FAQ 109 -- Nobody can get Genesolv, Arklone or the other HCFC-141b brands anymore because it has been completely phased-out of production since 2003. Anybody who has any left today has been sitting on that inventory for a long time. This is about the Montreal Protocol and protecting the ozone-layer.
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What is an Azeotrope? Why Are They Important?
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FAQ 116 -- An azeotrope is a "constant boiling blend" which means that even when boiled, the vapors remain in the same proportions as the original liquid. Nonflammable azeotropes greatly improve worker safety.
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What's the Best Solvent for Cleaning "No Clean" Solders and Pastes?
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FAQ 118 -- There are two excellent choices for "no clean" materials: either Flux Remover C (#MCC-FRC) or VeriClean™ (#MCC-DC1) will perform great on almost any of them.
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What Is TravelSAFE Packaging and Why Is It Important?
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TravelSAFE products save money because the packaging allows the high-purity solvent to be shipped by air or ocean without the delays and expenses of shipping hazardous materials. Typical applications will be in capital equipment, telecoms, airlines, oil fields and security.
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What Is the Triton™ Three-Way Dispenser and Why Is It Important?
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FAQ 129 -- The Triton™ dispenser is a patented, 3-way dispensing "cap" used on all the TravelSAFE™ solvents from MicroCare. This cap enhances the usefulness of the solvent through improved cleaning, faster cleaning, reduced waste, and three different ways to dispense the solvent.
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If I Clean Metals (Gold, Silver, Tin, Cooper, and misc..) with Your Solvents, Will There Be Any Corrosion from the Detergent? Which MicroCare Cleaner Can Remove Corrosion?
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FAQ 133 -- No MicroCare cleaners would be good at removing corrosion, but no MicroCare product will attack metals or leave residues that might cause corrosion. So you're very safe when cleaning metals with MicroCare products.
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Which MicroCare Cleaner Is Acceptable in Clean Rooms?
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FAQ 135 -- In most Class 1000 clean rooms or tighter environments, neither the aerosol products nor the Trigger Grip system is acceptable. For high-purity cleaning, we recommend MicroCare's Precision Optical Cleaner (#MCC-POC03M) for fast and consistent cleaning. For circuit boards, the Flux Remover C (#MCC-FRC) in the Triton mini-pump dispenser would comply with clean room guidelines.
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What Is Vertrel and What Is It Used For?
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FAQ 136 -- "Vertrel®" is a brand name that describes a group of fluorinated specialty fluids made by DuPont Corp. and sold by MicroCare. These cleaners are safe, fast-drying, usually nonflammable, and generally benign in the environment.
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Q.
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After Cleaning a PCB, How Do I Analyze, Measure or Track Cleaning Results and Product Reliability?
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FAQ 143 -- For most customers, a fifteen-minute ionograph test provides sufficient resolution, precision, repeatability and through-put that no further testing is normally required.
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Q.
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Do You Have Any Certification to Prove Your Products Are Not Hazardous?
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FAQ 145 -- No, we don't have a specific or standardized "cert" about hazards and safety. Customers should read and understand the Material Safety Data Sheets to make their own informed decisions.
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Q.
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Does Cleaning PCBs in an Ultrasonic Machine Damage Components?
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FAQ 171 -- If you have an old ultrasonic cleaning system, then probably yes, it could cause damage. But newer technologies have minimized this problem to a great degree.
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Q.
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I really like your cleaning chemicals, can I use them in a clean room environment?
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As for using MicroCare fluids in a clean room, it depends on the "class" or cleanliness standard of the clean room. There is no problem with the purity of the liquid; it’s fine. It’s the packaging that is the concern.
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