Which Bromothane™ Product
Should I Use
to Deposit Coatings or Lubricants?

This is another application which showcases the versatility of the Bromothane™ products. The same characteristics which make Bromothane™ a great cleaner -- heavy, nonflammable solvent which is highly soluble with many types of contamination -- also permit Bromothane™ to carry coatings and lubricants and deposit those coatings precisely where they are required.

• Bromothane As a Carrier Fluid • 

In general, carrier fluids are solvents which are used to deliver a thin coatings on to a part or a surface to either protect or to lubricate that surface.

For this to work, there is a special criterion for the coating. The coating or lubricant must either be (a) soluble in Bromothane™ or (b) have a specific gravity similar to Bromothane™. The most common coatings are silicone lubricants -- which can be dissolved in concentrations up to 15% or so -- or PTFE powdered coatings. Usually PTFE coatings are applied with an HFC solvent because they are more easily carried by that type of solvent.

The Bromothane™ solvent carries the coating and deposits them on the surface being lubricated during a dipping process. The primary benefit of using Bromothane in this application is the throughput of this solvent-based process. Most users also feel the process delivers a superior coating which improves product quality. Lastly, the surfaces do not have to be simple or smooth for this coating process to work; irregular shapes and blind vias can be coated as easily as a flat disk. This is why nPB-based cleaners are often used as carrying agents to deposit coatings on LCD screens during that manufacturing process.

In terms of equipment required, usually these deposition processes involve a vapor degreaser with the heat off but the refrigeration on.

MicroCare usually recommends Bromothane™ S for this application. This is the basic form of Bromothane™ with the standard stabilizer. However, it is common for MicroCare to formulate a customized mixture of solvent and lubricant for these types of applications. For more help with these tricky carrying fluid applications, contact our Tech Support Hotline.

Updated: Feb. 17, 2004
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