Co-Solvent & DuoSolvent Cleaning
Circuit board assembly cleaning in a vapor degreaser has typically been a single-solvent process. However, following the recent ban of certain hazardous solvents commonly used in vapor degreasing, such as nPB and TCE, there became a need for alternative solvents that were able to clean flux residue from electronic assemblies while being safe for the environment. This can be accomplished by either duosolvent cleaning or co-solvent cleaning.
What is Co-Solvent Vapor Degreasing?
Co-Solvent Vapor Degreasing is a cleaning process using a Solvating Agent and a Rinse Agent in a vapor degreaser. The Solvating Agent and Rinse Agent are blended in the boil sump, at a ratio which achieves the desired boiling (cleaning) temperature, which allows for wide process flexibility.
Benefits of the Vapor Degreasing Process with Co-Solvent
- Solvating Agent can be tailored to the contaminants
- Boiling Point can be varied for optimal cleaning
- Only Solvating Agent gets loaded with soil (can keep reusing the expensive part)
- Water-free process
What Is DuoSolvent Cleaning?
DuoSolvent cleaning is a waterless process that provides the benefits of vapor degreasing while overcoming health, cleaning, and material limitations. It was developed to utilize an existing cleaning process while providing superior cleaning results.
Benefits of the Vapor Degreasing Process with DuoSolvent
- Parts come out of the process clean and dry
- No concentration monitoring
- No water maintenance or challenges
- Environmentally friendly
DuoSolvent got its name as the solvent cleaning process which incorporates two solvents:
- Solvent A: An engineered cleaning solvent that matches and removes a wide range of residues.
- Solvent B: An environmentally friendly, vapor degreasing solvent used in the rinsing stage.
KYZEN Chemistries Recommended for Co-Solvent & DuoSolvent Cleaning:
KYZEN DS3522 or KYZEN DS3535 – Solvent A
- Waterless cleaning process
- Compatible with all soldering materials and metal layers
- Highly effective on fluxes, oils, greases and particulate matter
KYZEN SLV803, KYZEN SLV901, Solstice PF-2A – Solvent B
- Low global warming potential
- Non-flammable
- PFAS-free