Generally speaking, inhaling or touching any type of solvent can pose potentially dangerous health concerns and should be avoided. Many workers are unaware of the potential hazards in their work environment, which makes them even more vulnerable to long term health issues.

Employers are responsible for informing employees of the hazards and the identities of workplace chemicals to which they are exposed and providing the proper protective handling equipment.

Certain solvents that are inhaled can adversely affect the respiratory tract and central nervous system. Every solvent has the ability to cause dermatitis by dissolving the oils that protect your skin and drying/chapping it. Skin irritation is the most common side effect. In fact, if you do have to use a solvent in your industry, we recommend a citrus-based one, as it is not as harmful to your skin.

If for no other reason than the health of their employees, many companies are turning to ultrasonic cleaning with water based detergents and eliminating the use of toxic solvents. What they are also discovering, in addition, is that in industrial settings where heavy duty cleaning is warranted, ultrasound cleans more precisely, even better, than solvents!

If you have had success with solvents but are weary of the health effects it may cause you and your employees, try using, an Omegasonics, Ultrasonic “Water-Based” Soaps. These water-based soaps by themselves are often not as effective as industrial based solvents, however, when they are combined with the powerful mechanical agitation of ultrasonic cavitation, they will easily outperform solvents and hand scrubbing.

Ultrasonic soaps are especially unique because they are specially designated for almost all types of cleaning applications. With ultrasonic cleaning, we can all breathe a little easier… on several different levels!

Wondering which soap(s) can meet your organizations’ needs? Take a look at How To Pick A Soap!

First, a brief review of ultrasonic cleaning. An ultrasound generator along with special transducers mounted to the bottom of a liquid-filled stainless steal bath, alternately compresses and expands the liquid between 25,000 and 130,000 times a second, depending on the application.

This, in turn, generates bubbles, which collapse at high speed, increasing the temperature of the liquid and producing a high energy liquid stream which collides with the surface of the object being cleaned. Essentially, the object is cleaned with a high energy jet spray at the microscopic level.

The choice of liquid for can have a significant effect on the performance of industrial ultrasonic cleaners. While water is most often the choice for ultrasonic cleaning, plain water can be augmented with detergents, or even replaced with other solvents in certain applications.

The video below shows how “chemistry detectives” can test different combinations of variables and chemistries to find the most effective ultrasonic cleaning recipe.

Adding detergents lowers the surface tension of the liquid which reduces the energy required to form bubbles. This can dramatically increase the cavitation, or process by which the bubbles collapse producing the high temperature liquid streams which clean the surfaces. The increased efficiency in producing this cleansing agitation along with the inherent cleaning properties of the detergent results in increased effectiveness of industrial ultrasonic cleaners.

The choice of cleaning medium (called the “chemistry”) is critical to the effectiveness of ultrasonic cleaning. The substrate – or material to be cleaned – as well as the kind of contaminants to be removed, are key factors to consider in selecting the cleaning chemistry. While water or detergents dissolved in water are the most common chemistry used in industrial ultrasonic cleaners, other solvents might by better suited for particular applications.

If you would like to learn more about ultrasonic cleaners, feel free to contact one of our ultrasonic cleaning experts toll free at (888) 420-4445 or visit our website.

But did you know that 30-50% of the surface area for many these items are unreachable when cleaned by a bristle brush! This poses a tough challenge for the operator when trying to hand wash the product, even when using powerful soaps. These issues can be solved with the right Ultrasonic Chemicals and Ultrasonic Frequencies on your machine.

With all the different types of industrial parts that require cleaning, industrial ultrasonics is the best way to maximize efficiency and reduce cleaning costs. It is a one step process able to handle and effectively wash a variety of parts from a wide range of industrial applications.

When using an ultrasonic cleaning machine, the ultrasonic detergent used is very crucial. Fine-tuning will enhance the process. The key is adjusting the temperature and processing time, in conjunction with a specific detergent, which allows cavitation to work more effectively. Some chemistries work better at lower temperatures and other at higher temperatures. Omegasonics has over 40 plus ultrasonic detergents specifically designed to meet every situational need. Using the right one will significantly increase ultrasonic process efficiency.

Along with the chemical balance in an ultrasonic machine, “frequency” also plays a large role in getting a machine to perform at its maximum. A transducer emits high frequency sounds into the ultrasound tank. These bubbles then strike the object waiting to be cleaned and implode. This loosens soil, dirt, and other materials from the object in a non-harmful manner. The bubbles are able to reach those virtually “impossible” nooks and crannies that the bristle brushes cannot. If you have incredibly tight spaces, extremely delicate metals or require sub-micron cleaning, higher frequencies would work most effectively. Sometimes it can be beneficial to use multiple frequencies on an item, but this is rare and the cost versus benefit ration is rarely met.

Finding the right combination of ultrasonic chemicals and frequency can dramatically help save energy, time and labor. The opportunities to beat out your competitors are endless, even if they are already using an ultrasonic machine! If you have questions, our ultrasonic cleaning experts are available to help.

Using the wrong soap can also decrease efficiency in ultrasonic cleaning, resulting in un-maximized gains. Omegasonics is one of the few companies that offers 40 pre-designed and formulated detergents that work in any industrial ultrasonic cleaning application.

What Ultrasonic Cleaning Soaps Do

Many companies may offer soaps; Omegasonics also offers “detergents”. Detergents are developed specifically for industrial use. These detergents range from:

• Abrasive to rub or scour away accumulated dirt
• Acids for removing mineral deposits and rust
• pH modifiers to regulate various chemical activities
• Oxidizers to bleach and disinfect
• Enzymes to break down oils

More information on Ultrasonic cleaning soaps:

• How To Choose the Correct Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution
• How Our Soaps Provide Solvent Free Ultrasonic Cleaning
• Start Going Green with Water-Based Soaps in Ultrasonic Cleaning
• Why We Use No Industrial Solvents in Our Cleaners
• Our Soap (free) vs. Solvents
• Green Clean! Ultrasonic Cleaning is Environmentally Safe and Friendly

For a complete list of all the soaps we offer, click here.

How Ultrasonic Cleaning Works

Choosing the correct solution for your application is critical. This can prevent damage to the part and insure you’re getting effective cleaning action. To further learn about how ultrasonic waves work in conjunction with solutions, here are a few resources:

• Ultrasonic Cleaning 101
• How Does an Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution Work?
• The Power Behind Ultrasonic Cleaning
• Machine + Soap + Process: The Perfect Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution

Contact our Team of Ultrasonic Cleaning Experts

Trying to find the best ultrasonic cleaning solution for your application or have other questions regarding ultrasonic cleaning? Contact our experts at Omegasonics by calling 888-989-5560, emailing us at Omegasonics@Omegasonics.com, or by filling out our online contact form.