How to decontaminate stainless steel of radioactive contamination?

Question: 
Does Alconox decontaminate stainless steel from radioactive contamination?


Answer:

Yes, Alconox powder can decontaminate stainless steel of radioactive contamination. The phosphates and chelating agents combined with the wetting agents in Alconox are known to be effective at decontamination.  

We recommend use of a warm (if practical, otherwise ambient temperature solutions, it just takes longer) 1% (10 g/L or 1.25 oz/gal) solution of Alconox detergent in water for manual or soak cleaning. Do not use any kind of pressure spray or automated cleaning equipment as Alconox is a high foamer.  

Note that Alconox will bind with radioisotopes and will inhibit separation and waste treatment of the spent cleaning solutions by ion exchange columns.  It is better to treat spent cleaning solutions by evaporation than by ion exchange.  Sometimes it is necessary to use an anti-foamer in the evaporator depending on the evaporator design and the volume of solution being treated with what other types of waste streams if any.

Remember to LIKE US ON FACEBOOK for more cleaning advice and to be included in up-coming contests!

For a free sample, visit: http://www.alconox.com/sample15.html

How to eliminate beading when cleaning pipettes?

Question: 

We are doing some experiments to quantify the amount of liquid residue on pipette walls before/ after cleaning. In practise, this would relate the accuracy of the pipette to its cleanliness. 

Could you inform us if the use of Alconox affects the amount of beading (of distilled water) on the walls of a brush cleaned and rinsed pipette, compared with the use of common dishwashing liquid? 

Answer:

Proper cleaning of a pipette will result in proper functioning of the pipette: the designed amount of fluid being measured will be correct if the pipette is clean and the surface energy of the glass in not altered by any residues that would change the shape of the beading of the fluid being measured.  Typically pipettes are calibrated for water, but you can get specialty pipettes designed for other fluids, such as milk. 

Alconox is free rinsing, which means it does not contain any fragrances, dyes, cationic surfactants, fluorescent whitening agents, corrosion inhibitors, skin emollients or other ingredients that are designed to leave deposits on the substrate being cleaned.  If you rinse thoroughly, you will not have any Alconox residues to cause a change in surface energy of the pipette. 

A common dishwashing liquid might have a risk of depositing one of these non-free-rinsing ingredients that would typically be hydrophobic and would alter the surface energy of the glass/solution interface and change the accuracy of the pipette.  Smaller pipettes have a chance of residues impacting the pipette’s functioning.

For an Alconox MSDS and technical bulletin, see: http://www.alconox.com/static/msds/msds_alconox.asp 

Remember to LIKE US ON FACEBOOK for more cleaning advice and to be included in up-coming contests!

For a free sample, visit: http://www.alconox.com/sample15.html

Cleaning 303 SS Pins

Question: 

I am looking for the proper cleaner to use to prepare some small parts for bonding. We are attempting to use silicone to seal 303 stainless steel pins into black polycarbonate housing.

The 303 stainless steel pins appear clean but the silicone adhesive Dow Corning 3-8264 does not consistently adhere to the pins.

Is Alcojet the correct cleaner to remove the machining oils from the pins and leave the surface residue free for bonding?

Answer:

Thanks for your question about cleaning stainless steel pins prior to bonding with silicone adhesive. I recommend you use:

• 1% (1.25 oz/gal) Alconox solution
• at (120-130 deg F or hotter)

Use the Alconox solution for manual and ultrasonic cleaning of the stainless steel pins followed by a thorough rinse, preferably a running water rinse.  Ideally rinse with distilled or deionized water, or do a running water rinse with tap water followed by a final dip rinse in distilled or deionized water. Ideally dry by a water-removing rather than water-evaporating technique such as blowing off the pins with forced air.

Alcojet is not the ideal detergent to choose for manual and ultrasonic cleaning.  Alcojet is intended to be used in automated spray machine washers.

For an Alconox MSDS and technical bulletin, see: http://www.alconox.com/static/msds/msds_alconox.asp 

Remember to LIKE US ON FACEBOOK for more cleaning advice & to be included in up-coming contests!

For a free sample, visit: http://www.alconox.com/sample15.html