What is Freeze Spray, and How is it Used in the Electronics Industry?

Freeze spray is a cooling agent that rapidly lowers the temperature of electronic components to help diagnose overheating issues and identify intermittent faults. It is commonly used for troubleshooting electronic circuits, allowing technicians to pinpoint heat-sensitive failures and confirm or rule out faults in circuit boards. Freeze spray is effective for circuit testing because it cools specific areas of a PCB (printed circuit board) quickly and without residue. This instant cooling enables technicians to isolate and identify components that may be causing intermittent failures due to heat. By applying freeze spray directly to a suspected faulty component, the rapid cooling can indicate whether heat is affecting the component’s performance. If the component’s behavior changes with cooling, it is likely heat-sensitive, helping to narrow down and identify faults.

How Does Freeze Spray Work for Identifying Faults?

Freeze spray can be used in any repair step where diagnosing overheating or locating thermal intermittent flaws is required. It is especially useful for stabilizing sensitive components during hand soldering and testing. By applying freeze spray directly to a suspected faulty component, the rapid cooling can indicate whether heat is affecting the component’s performance. If the component’s behavior changes with cooling, it is likely heat-sensitive, helping to narrow down and identify faults. Freeze spray can chill surfaces to temperatures below -45˚F (-43ºC), and in certain conditions, as low as -60˚F (-51ºC). These low temperatures are critical for effective troubleshooting as they allow for immediate changes in component behavior, which aids in identifying faulty components quickly.

Is Freeze Spray Safe to Use on all Electronic Components?

Freeze spray is generally safe for most electronic components, particularly MicroCare’s freeze sprays, which are nonflammable and plastic-safe. However, some sensitive or brittle components should be handled with care, as extreme cooling may affect their integrity. Freeze spray is suitable for both new and old equipment, making it versatile for various electronics testing and repair applications across different devices.

Are MicroCare freeze sprays environmentally friendly?

MicroCare freeze sprays, also known as circuit chillers , meet environmental compliance standards, including RoHS, WEEE, REACH, and EPA SNAP. The HFO-blend freeze spray is also ozone-safe and has an ultra-low Global Warming Potential, making it an environmentally responsible option. MicroCare freeze sprays use HFC and HFO propellants, which prevent the component-shattering thermal shock that can occur with HCFC-based products. This offers a gentler, safer cooling solution for modern electronics while being environmentally compliant.

Does MicroCare Sell Freeze Sprays and Dusters ('Canned Air')?

MicroCare a full line of precision dusters and freeze sprays . All are double-filtered for maximum purity. These products use an inert, nonflammable, ozone-safe liquid called HFC-134a (not 'air'!). They generally produce about 80 psi of 'pushing power' in the duster product and chill to about -50ºC for the freeze sprays. MicroCare also offers circuit chillers (e.g., freeze sprays) and the dusters in a variety of package sizes. European F-Gas Innovations In Europe, MicroCare uses a new, unique HFO propellant, which is an inert, nonflammable, ozone-safe liquid with the lowest possible global warming impact. These are the first electronics cleaners in the world to feature tetrafluoropropene, an innovative new hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) propellant, which features a very low global warming potential. These products comply with the EU’s new regulations to minimize global warming caused by industrial gasses (the “F-Gas rules”). Maximum Pressure We do something special on our precision duster products. Every can of MicroCare dusters are equipped with a unique, high-pressure spray valves. This gives these products more 'pushing power' to blow dust and lint from hard-to-reach places. You can tell if your cans are equipped with this valve because the nozzle on the top of the can has three little 'vents' in on each side. Another MicroCare innovation can be very useful: the StatZAP™ ESD Eliminator (#MCC-ZAP). In testing, we found many aerosols, all nonconductive freeze sprays and all canned air products were generating as much as 12,000 volts of ESD, more than enough to fry delicate electronic components. This effect comes from the friction of the molecules as they move down the plastic spray tube with which most of these products are shipped. The StatZap™ is simple, cheap and it works great. It fits on our aerosol cans and those of many of our competitors. It reduces the static charges to a harmless 50 volts. Made from durable aluminum and stainless steel, it probably is the best $6 insurance policy anybody can buy. Put a StatZap™ on all your aerosols and watch your ESD problems disappear. Anti-Static Freeze Sprays When compared to the regular can of freeze spray (#MCC-FRZ), the anti-static version of the freeze spray (#MCC-FRZA) should be used when conductive, ESD-safe properties are required. Some companies use a drop of methanol in their sprays; MicroCare uses a different additive because it avoids problems which can occur with methanol. Operationally, they are identical and interchangeable. Two Special Notes on Safety It's hard to imagine a simpler product than a precision duster or a can of freeze spray. But there are differences. First and foremost, the precision duster products DO NOT CONTAIN AIR. They must not be inhaled. Do not attempt to use them with any type of breathing apparatus. They actually contain a refrigerant gas that boils at -40˚C, so what comes out of the nozzle is actually the vapor from the boiling refrigerant. So while many people call them 'canned air' they are far, far from that. Do not inhale these products. Secondly, some of our competitors lower their costs by using flammable materials for their precision duster, a material called 'HFC-152b.' While it's a fine choice to blow dust off a camera lens, we think this a bad idea in an industrial environment where there are numerous sources of ignition and products can wander into unexpected applications. Stick to safe, nonflammable precision dusters and freeze sprays from MicroCare.

Anti-Static Circuit Chiller & Freeze Spray

Where To Buy Contact Us

Product Information

This anti-static circuit chiller freeze spray quickly finds circuit board faults

Applications:

Use for circuit test and repair
Works on old and new equipment

Features:

No residue / no rinsing
Leaves ice on the PCB momentarily to freeze it
Dries instantly
Chills to lower than -45˚F/-43ºC in seconds; may go as low as -60˚F/-51˚C depending upon ambient conditions
Safe on plastics
Chemical Family: HFC blend
Nonflammable for better safety
RoHS/WEEE/REACH/EPA SNAP compliant

This ultra-pure anti-static circuit chiller freeze spray uses an HFC propellant. So, it will not generate the component-shattering thermal shock that can occur with old-style HCFC-based chillers. ESD-safe when used in combination with the StatZap™ ESD Eliminator Tool.

Product Details

Product Image	Part Number	Package	Weight	Size	Technical Data Sheet	Safety Data Sheet
	FRZA MCC-FRZA	Aerosol	0.28 kg 0.61 lb.	300 ml 10 oz.	TDS USA (ENGLISH) (opens in a new tab) Spanish (opens in a new tab)	SDS Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Part Number	MCC-FRZA
Package	Aerosol
Weight	0.28 kg 0.61 lb.
Size	300 ml 10 oz.
Technical Data Sheet	TDS
Safety Data Sheet	SDS

Appearance	Clear, colorless liquid
Odor	Slight, Ether
PEL (ppm, 8-hr TWA)	200
Boiling Point	-26ºC / -16ºF
Chemical Family	HFC Blend
Evaporation Rate	Instant
Cleaning Strength (Kb)	Not applicable
Active Ingredients	HFC Propellant plus anti-static additive
Flashpoint	None
Global Warming Rating (100yr)	1430
VOC Organic Content (g/L)	12 g/l
Ozone Impact	Zero
RoHS & WEEE Compliant
Safety Rating	Non-flammable
Specific Gravity	1.2
Vapor Pressure @ 20ºC	96 PSIA

Product Information

Applications:

Features:

Product Details

Safety Data Sheet

AEROSOL

Technical Data Sheet

Electronics