Old Archives

November 2013

Rust

Yellow, Orange, Gold – Rust! Beautiful as autumn colors, desirable as a patina on some sculptures, terrible on manufactured parts. Corrosion compromises product quality, both by direct impact on surface quality and by contributing to contamination. In critical cleaning, cleaning agents and cleaning equipment can be sources of corrosion. Corrosion […]
October 2013

Standards and Regs (and Lions and Tigers and Bears – Oh my!)

Standards and safety/environmental regulations shape the way product is manufactured. Here’s a “heads-up” about new and ongoing activities: Cleaning of Surfaces (ISO Working Group) Medical Device Cleaning and Validation (ASTM) ASTM Bearing Cleaning (ASTM) VOC exemption (U.S. EPA) Degreaser Rule (Delaware) Why we get involved Understanding standards, guidance documents, and […]
September 2013

The Physics of Cleaning, Part 8: Builders

Oil and water do not mix (at least not readily); so how can manufacturers successfully remove oil from product using water? The key is in the formulation, in the secret blend of “herbs and spices;” or, for fully-formulated aqueous cleaning agents, in the blend of chemical additives, most of which […]
August 2013

Too Much of a Good Thing

“All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose permits something not to be poisonous.” This 16th Century statement by Paracelsus states that at some level there can be too much, even of a good thing. Here are 8 examples where “more” is not better for critical […]
July 2013

Compatibility  – You Can’t Rely on Eye Charts

“The surgery was a success but the patient died.”  As a manufacturer, you are the surgeon. Think of the product as your “patient.” The goal of cleaning is to remove soil, or matter out of place.  If as a result of the washing, rinsing, and/or drying step the product is […]
September 2012

Breaking News: More Restrictions on HCFC 225 for Cleaning

Think you know all about the HCFC 225 phaseout?  Think again. Here’s a heads-up about a distinct change in the EPA position regarding the phaseout of HCFC 225 (hydrochlorofluorocarbon 225, AK 225). This is a biggie: starting January 1, 2015, in a little over two years, virgin HCFC 225 cannot […]
October 2011

OTC Progress – Productive Manufacturing and Better Air Quality 

We see positive progress with a developing Model Rule for Solvent Degreasing, from the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC). The goal is to carry out EPA mandates to improve air quality by reducing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The rule is significant because it may impact manufacturing in the Northeast/mid Atlantic area. […]
December 2007

CAL/OSHA PEL Activities: NMP

CAL/OSHA is considering setting the worker permissible exposure limits (PEL) for n-methyl pyrollidone (NMP) to a low level. These are considerations, not final decisions. We’re not screaming NMP in a crowded theater; or shouting that “the PEL’s are falling.” However, we think you should be aware of and follow the […]