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Heat conductivity is a measure of the ability of a material to transfer heat within itself. For example, if you heat one end of a short piece of copper wire, the heat is quickly distributed throughout the wire by conduction. This can be easily demonstrated using a short piece (1 to 2 inches) of heavy gage … Continued
Temperature has been identified as one of the important variables in cleaning – arguably the most important. So I thought it might be worth some time to develop a little understanding of heat – – especially how it is generated and transmitted. Heat is a form of energy. The amount of heat contained in an object … Continued
In the world of industrial cleaning technology we talk about surface tension a lot! So much so, in fact, that it is hard to enter into any discussion of cleaning without having the subject of surface tension arise. In cleaning chemistry, for example, we are always looking for lower surface tension to promote penetration of small surface features … Continued
Millipore testing is a very popular method of measuring and verifying part cleanliness. The procedure is described in the blog Millipore Testing. Although the procedures for Millipore testing are usually very well written and precise, there is still occasionally reason to question the results. So how do you make sure that the numbers are good? Since … Continued
Ultrasonic power has been a topic of much discussion ever since ultrasonic technology was first used for cleaning nearly a century ago. The quest has always been for more ultrasonic power, the thought being that higher power would produce better cleaning results. As I have discussed earlier, higher ultrasonic power typically requires an increase in the amplitude … Continued
Previous blogs have talked about heat conductivity in very general terms to produce a foundation for this somewhat more technical view for those of you who like formulas and numbers. Conductive heat transfer can be expressed with “Fourier’s Law” q = k A dT / s where q = heat transfer (W, J/s, Btu/hr) A … Continued
Filters used to filter air, water and chemicals in industrial processes can cost thousands of dollars and more. Some filters are intended to be renewable by cleaning. Other filters, even some considered “disposable,” can be recovered for re-use using ultrasonic cleaning techniques. A filter, as we discussed in earlier blogs (search “filter”) is a device … Continued
As discussed in a previous blog, one problem with watts is that watts do not equal energy. Let’s carry that thought a little further again using the vehicle analogy I put forth in the initial blog of this series. In the ultrasonic world it is common to associate the effectiveness of an ultrasonic cleaning tank its … Continued
Over the years, there have been several anecdotal references to otherwise unexplained changes in the properties of surfaces exposed to ultrasonic energy in a liquid. In some cases, it would make sense that the change was due to increased cleanliness. In others, however, the benefit of cleanliness alone would seem questionable. One incident in particular … Continued
The vast majority of industrial cleaning processes today use water-based chemistry for cleaning and the cleanest water possible for rinsing. Most water comes from wells or reservoirs and arrives via a municipal utility which may filter it and add chemicals to kill and prevent the growth of bacteria and/or provide certain health benefits. Other than … Continued