Inaugural Workshop Confirms Benefits of Cleaning Approaches

The first Product Quality Cleaning Workshops (PQCW) was at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville Texas, May 16-17. Participants included manufacturers in the areas of automotive, optics, medical, and metal finishing as well as developers of cleaning chemistries, cleaning equipment, and techniques for surface analysis. The workshop confirmed that there are benefits to manufacturers of the unique combination of presentations, hands-on exercises and demonstrations of cleaning and surface monitoring techniques. 

Attendees had the opportunity to see aqueous and solvent cleaning approaches in a non-commercial atmosphere as well as the opportunity to evaluate the benefits and limitations of all cleaning approaches. Participants took an active role in the workshop. For example, in one hands-on exercise, solvents were mixed to show the degree of “how like dissolves like” (and how oil and water don’t mix). The exercise illustrates how Hansen Solubility Parameters can be developed. Understanding solubility is important, because it helps put together cleaning methods rationally rather than relying on claims and assertions by suppliers. 

The format of the workshop encouraged participants to explore promising cleaning options. Hydrophilic people, those who will only use aqueous chemistries, and hydrophobic people, those who will only use solvents, had the opportunity to test aqueous cleaning agents with high frequency ultrasonics and participate in solvency exercises.

The next PQCW is planned for 2020.