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Safe disposal of cleaning fluids is important. Aerosol cans, pump sprays and bulk packages usually are considered hazardous waste in most communities. That’s important because these packages usually contain small amounts of residual solvents which could contaminate ground water. It’s important to keep those contaminants out of the landfills. So contact your local waste disposal…

Why do engineers like dip-and-brush so much? Because they THINK it works fine and it appears to be inexpensive. Many don't know there are better alternatives to IPA and a brush. In fact, there are three things wrong with dip-and-brush cleaning: the process, the tool and the solvent. Let's take a look...If You Can't Rinse,…

The StatZap™ ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) Eliminator is a small tool that fits on most MicroCare aerosol cans and replaces the red plastic spray tube often used on aerosol sprays. The StatZAP™ reduces the static charge produced by fast-moving liquids to a harmless 50 volts. Made from aluminum and stainless steel, the StatZAP™ is probably the…

'Hygroscopic' is a chemical term which describes a behavior of certain chemicals. Hygroscopic chemicals absorb water; they love water. They want to pick up water molecules out of the air. Normal isopropyl alcohol (IPA, or rubbing alcohol) is infinitely hygroscopic.Why is that important? Because solvents which carry water as a contaminant generally are weaker and…

Lead-free fluxes and pastes are difficult to clean. They are soldered at higher temperatures and the residues become “cured” and hard to remove. You need real muscle for age-hardened lead-free fluxes, even no-clean lead-free products.For best results, try Lead-Free Flux Remover – PowerClean™ (#MCC-PW2). This is the strongest of the nonflammable, fast-drying solvents because it contains a large proportion…

There is no standardized “cert” about hazards and safety but, in general, the MicroCare cleaners are just about as safe as you can get. Their exact performance is documented on the Product Specs and on the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) prepared for every cleaning fluid. For European customers, all MicroCare products are REACH registered for safety. Let’s take…

California has some of the most restrictive air quality regulations in the world. Not only are they different from the rest of the U.S., they vary from city to city within California. It’s a challenge keeping up with it all.We use several sources of regulatory information. One is the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) which…

White residues are the bane of the electronics industry. The white residues themselves usually (but not always) are salts, which are the “activators” in the fluxes. When these salts meet heat or other chemicals, white residues can result. These residues can corrode delicate circuits. There are dozens of different possible sources — the boards, the…

Today’s aircraft use sophisticated avionics to control a variety of on-board critical functions. These electronics systems include communications, engine controls, flight controls, navigation, flight recorders, lighting systems, security systems, fuel control, weather radar and hundreds of other flight management operations. As a general rule, the more complex the aircraft is, the more complex the avionic…

Safer Cleaning Choices Replace nPB in AerosolsMany companies use aerosol degreasers containing a liquid called “normal propyl bromide” (nPB). Normal propyl bromide (also called nPB, 1-bromopropane, CAS #106-94-5) is a nonflammable organic industrial solvent based on the element bromine. The fluid has a molecular formula of C3H7B. It is a replacement for methylene chloride, perchloroethane…