Resource Library
Very gentle, mild cleaning often is required when (a) cleaning substrates made from delicate materials, or (b) when the contamination is light, or (c) when the principle contamination being removed is water. Milder solvents generally are noted as having a low Kb value, typically 20-40 or so (a high Kb value is 100+). Many mild solvents…
In general, cleaning strength is measured by the Kauri-Butanol rating (Kb Value) of the solvent. Higher Kb values generally correlate with stronger, more aggressive cleaning. Higher Kb values also may be associated with materials compatibility issues. A high Kb value solvent, for example, might craze soft polycarbonate plastics. The trade off is to balance a milder…
When it comes to SMT stencil cleaning, the best results come from nonflammable, slower-drying fluids working with lint-free fabric wipes (no paper with cellulose and glues) to get perfect results. Detailed results depend on the solder paste being used, the age of that paste, the design of the stencil and how it was made, whether…
Yes, MicroCare has a number of choices here. But for maximum safety there are some rules you will want to follow:The solvent must have manageable toxicity ratings;The fluid must NOT be flammable;It must have a high boiling point; the higher the better;The component chemistries should not separate when they are heated (which is called 'azeotropic'…
The short answer is, maybe. Many of the cleaners used to replace alcohols, old- style chlorinated solvents, plus HCFCs and CFCs, all have Global Warming Potential (GWP) ratings of some degree or another. Careful engineers will need to determine which solvent works best in their application while minimizing the GWP. Most MicroCare product specifications list…
Using a fiber smaller than human hair, digital fiber optic networks have transformed our world. Today’s highly mobile world, with email anywhere, video on-demand and endless streaming video all is a direct result of powerful, reliable fiber optic networks. But amazingly, the signal carried by the fiber is astoundingly fragile. So cleaning connectors and end-faces…