Cleaning Difficulties Associated With Paraffinated, Sulfurized And Chlorinated Oils

By Author: Jessica Whittaker
Total Articles: 1
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Paraffin oils may respond well to conventional alkaline cleaners where the right conditions apply.
If the components or flat steel stock are stored for long periods, the oils will tend to oxidize into a hard film, especially at stacking pressure points where parts are touching, or where the oils have pooled. This type of soil can be very difficult to remove because it seems to bond with metal similar to the way paint does.

Metal stock parts, where sulfurized or chlorinated oils have been used to form, are even more difficult to clean. These oils contain active chlorine or sulfur which are used as a components to extend the forming tool life. The chlorine and sulfur react under the forming pressure of the machine tool leaving a barrier of oil bonded to the tool, and conversely the metal part. These oil types are even more difficult to clean than the paraffin type. Generally speaking, the longer chlorinated or sulfurized oil is left on a metal surface, the more difficult it is to clean.

Where paraffinated, chlorinated or sulfurized oils are applied to steel parts and they must be processed on plating lines ...
... normally not equipped to do so, there are few quick answers to the problem. Often times, a shotgun type approach works best, whereby the applicator may use a combination of the following to get by:
Increase cleaner process cycle (dwell) times
Increase cleaning temperatures to near boiling
Improve solution impingement, or agitation
Increasing chemical concentration
Add special cleaner additives, or solvents to existing formulas

Often times, if the paraffinated or chlorinated/sulfurized oils can be removed, it makes for impractical cycle times, especially on automatic plating machines.

These types of oils can also quickly migrate around the entire line because of sporadic removal in the pretreatment area. This often causes expensive contamination of solutions that are intolerant of oil. It is of paramount importance for the applicator to remove/contain oils in the pre-treatment area of the machine for this reason per normal. please visit this site"http://www.dekalbmetal.com/"