felizer
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What are good fast drying aliphatic solvent used in cleaning electronic and electrical devices?
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evil_lurker
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hexanes (mixed isomers) comes to mind...
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franklyn
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Trichloroethane is the industry standard electronics degreaser
U P D A T E
1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE). 1,1,1-trichloroethane is one of the least toxic of
the chlorinated hydrocarbons. The major use of TCE is as a degreasing solvent
in the metal and electronic industry. Commercially, TCE is found in dry cleaning
agents, refrigerants, fumigants, paint thinners, lacquers, varnishes, tars,
rubber solvents, inks and glues. Household products that may contain TCE
include spot-removers, rug-cleaning agents and typewriter correction fluids.
TCE was formerly used as an inhalational anesthetic agent but, due to its toxic
effects, has been replaced by safer agents.
Try a well stocked hardware store for this or an electronic parts supply house.
Ask for flux remover , this one is not a CFC
http://www.criticalcleaning.com/CCContact.html
This next one is actually Triflrouroethane
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/3/p...
Available from RadioShack Trichlorotriflorouromethane
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&a...
An alternative would be
Tetrachloroethylene ( PERC ) which is drycleaning fluid. It is also used as
brake parts cleaner , available at automotive parts stores. Well known
brand is Brakleen , See ->
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brand...
.
[Edited on 12-7-2006 by franklyn]
[Edited on 12-7-2006 by franklyn]
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12AX7
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Cuts through solder rosin, too.
Shame you can't get it anymore.
For general dustiness I wouldn't recommend anything more than alcohol, you never know what could be damaged with strong solvents.
Tim
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IrC
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Hexane is the one you want, made under the name "Blow Off" contact cleaner, hard to find. They also make a can of air that looks identical with the
same name however stupid that is so you have to look carefully at the fine print to be sure it is the hexane. To get it here I had to have my
favorite hardware store get it in for me, they order a case and I buy half of it per year (6 cans). Of course this is for potentiometers, for any kind
of switches you need a lubricating cleaner.
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azaleaemerson
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Believe it or not, hexane is now considered carcenogenic. The product "undo" or "oops" is mostly heptane I think, and it's used to remove adhesive.
I use it for lots of things and it dries clean and fast.
Az
azalea
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franklyn
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| Quote: | Originally posted by 12AX7
Cuts through solder rosin , too . Shame you can't get it anymore.
| Quote: | Originally posted by franklyn
Trichloroethane is the industry standard electronics degreaser |
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It
's not available at retail as it once was.
I just recently bought some napha from a local hardware store I frequent,
I saw they had three - gallon and a half - cans of trichloroethane at $18 apeice.
Judging from the rough dull patina of the cans they've been there a while.
.
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Eclectic
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99% isopropanol works great as an electronics board cleaner.
The 70% rubbing alcohol is a good prerinse for coffee and soft drink spill cleanup, followed by the 99% as a drier.
The top of the line low tox/low flammibility cleaner used to be 50% isopropanol/50% trichlorotrifluoroethane (freon113).
These won't attack plastic parts. The other chlorinated solvents will.
[Edited on 8-9-2006 by Eclectic]
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Twospoons
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Electrolube have a product called FLU (for some reason all their products have 3 letter names). Its intended as a flux remover, but I've found to be
great for cleaning all sorts of muck off all sorts of things. And it has that lovely 'orange' smell.
Helicopter: "helico" -> spiral, "pter" -> with wings
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