actually, it is an interesting option too! I am ready to use such stuff on my protos, if it is good enough vs my current BGA flux grease(Alpha POP707).
I'm not sure a car care product would be my first choice. You never know what sort of other stuff (like wax) is in there. I've been buying orange cleaner by the gallon at my local home improvement box store for well over a decade now. I use it for general house cleaning and degreasing in the kitchen. It smells nice and cleans well.
Tom
I have a fiber glass brush, use that sometimes for cleaning boards, it is a bit stiffer and more abrasive than a tooth brush.
In the old days the shops used freon in tanks. I forgot the name for the setup. It worked well BUT. . . Also do not use cleaners or water around polystyrene caps. They are hydroscopic and will be ruined with pretty much any solvent or water. Here is some useful input: https://lss.fnal.gov/archive/test-tm/1000/fermilab-tm-1871.pdf
The assembly shop we used back then was owned by NASA's PCB reliability officer. They showed us thier process. Water souluble fluxes and home dishwashers to clean the boards. Really excellent results. Its important to test your water for minerals and contaminants that would degrade the surface resistance. This was pre SMT, however.
The assembly shop we used back then was owned by NASA's PCB reliability officer. They showed us thier process. Water souluble fluxes and home dishwashers to clean the boards. Really excellent results. Its important to test your water for minerals and contaminants that would degrade the surface resistance. This was pre SMT, however.
This is what I do as well, and it generally works well with the conventional lead solder and rosin fluxes I use in most projects. I have had some problems cleaning up MG chemicals solder paste.
Yeah, you need skill and pretty good kit to effectively separate the two and it only takes a little methanol to do a lot of damage.
If you can get 189 proof Everclear, it won't have any methanol. I used to keep a fifth around for cleaning tape heads.
Also good for your rocketship.
"Everclear is legal in many states, but not all. States that have banned the 190-proof grain alcohol include California, Hawaii, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington."
Canadian commerce is confusing but I found Cruxx Grain Alcohol 190 Proof (95 % abv).
BTW, today I noticed on taobao Mechanic 850(seems HK company) or somethinging like that, they call it "water to wash PCBs". Probably the same water-based cleaner as SWAS or 1007?
China has many makers, ask if the item can be shipped to USA, means MSDS compulsory, which you can look up.
FYI, the local Dollarama had 99% isopropanol for $3.50 Canadian for 473 ml. Last place I bought some it was $5.79 for 500 ml, so I stocked up.
Water-soluble flux can be a bit conductive; I encountered one sensitive circuit that misbehaved when the board wasn't properly cleaned.
Water-soluble flux can be a bit conductive; I encountered one sensitive circuit that misbehaved when the board wasn't properly cleaned.
Water-soluble flux is hydrophilic. It loves water and will absorb moisture from the air over time. That turns the flux into a corrosive mess. The only drawback of water-soluble flux is that you have to clean it off. RMA and no-clean can be left on the board even though both will cause some leakage current. I have a video on that here:
It was my first video ever, so please excuse my robotic appearance. 🙂
Using a normal residential dishwasher for cleaning PCBs is a common trick. Make sure the incoming water is 60 ºC (or heated by the dishwasher) and don't use the dishwasher to clean your dishes once you've cleaned flux off with it.
Tom
Using a normal residential dishwasher for cleaning PCBs is a common trick. Make sure the incoming water is 60 ºC (or heated by the dishwasher) and don't use the dishwasher to clean your dishes once you've cleaned flux off with it.
Tom
It's interesting how different things are around the world.
I'm in Germany.
I use denatured ethanol to clean my PCBs. I can buy a one liter bottle of 99% pure ethanol at the grocery story for a couple of euros. It is sold as charcoal starter fluid.
I can't find any local store that sells IPA.
I could order a one liter bottle of IPA from Amazon.de (German Amazon,) but it costs at least three to four times as much - and then you have to pay for shipping.
I use a small paint brush with the bristles cut short to scrub the PCBs with the ethanol.
I'm in Germany.
I use denatured ethanol to clean my PCBs. I can buy a one liter bottle of 99% pure ethanol at the grocery story for a couple of euros. It is sold as charcoal starter fluid.
I can't find any local store that sells IPA.
I could order a one liter bottle of IPA from Amazon.de (German Amazon,) but it costs at least three to four times as much - and then you have to pay for shipping.
I use a small paint brush with the bristles cut short to scrub the PCBs with the ethanol.
Lady Kenmore dishwasher with water souluble flux.
Just kidding, but I did work for a company that did
this in 1992.
Just kidding, but I did work for a company that did
this in 1992.
The SDS for MG Chemicals 413B Heavy Duty Flux Remover shows the main ingredients are ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol and acetone (along with 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane aka HFC-134a, which is the freon propellant). This is very similar to nail polish remover (non-oily, minus glycerol), which works great. Flush the PCB with isopropyl alcohol to finish.
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I used to buy IPA at the pharmacy when I lived in Denmark. I seem to recall it was 70% ABV. It was cheaper than buying tape head cleaner at the hifi store. It's sold as rubbing alcohol on this side of the pond. I can get it at just about any drug store. Just be sure to read the label. Some rubbing alcohol only has 35% IPA in it.
Tom
In the USA, 91% isopropanol is readily availabe at grocery stores and pharmacies/drug stores - it's my preferred solvent for cleaning off rosin flux and no-clean flux, which is hygroscopic and should be cleaned off for projects involving high voltage.
The 70% IPA version will cause white residue (corrosion) which then causes to have to clean a second time 🙂 Always use 90% or higher.
The white stuff is generally residue from the rosin flux that isn't dissolved due to the excessive water content of the 70% IPA. My go-to electronic store stocks pure IPA, so even better than 70% or 9!% for dealing with nasty rosin residue. I find I can get cleaner results by washing the board in IPA after a good scrub, otherwise the board might be a little sticky. An alternative way to go might be flooding the board while scrubbing it and dabbing off the excess with a paper towel.
I’ve had similar results using 99% alcohol. It does a good job but I must use it outside as vapor is strong. Also it takes several cleanings to get it just right. I’m picky though