Can't Water Be Used to Clean
Anything that Solvents Can Clean?

What you are really asking is about the versatility of the two types of cleaning systems. In general, solvent systems will be more versatile than aqueous cleaning systems. Let's look at the facts:

• Effectiveness: Many common types of contamination are not soluble in water, so no amount of water, pressure and heat can remove them. However, since Bromothane™ is much, much heavier than water it can remove sold contamination even if it cannot dissolve it: it simply "floats" the dust and grit off the surface, just as a ship floats on the ocean. Solder balls are easily cleaned in solvents. The platters inside disk drives must be perfectly clean; solvent systems easily remove the tiny particles of dust and dirt which accumulate on those surfaces during manufacturing. Semiconductor makers also use solvents to clean wafers at different times in their processes.

• Size & Spacing: The problem here is surface tension. Because the surface tension of water is high, aqueous solvents typically have difficulty getting into and cleaning in and around parts which are extremely small or have extremely small spaces, such as the BGA chip, above. Because the surface tension of Bromothane™ is low, the solvent is easily able to get in and around complex parts and tight-fitting spaces. This advantage is an inherent characteristic of solvents which no quantity of heat, high-pressure sprays and expensive additives can completely transcend.

• Entrapment: The problem here is the latent heat of evaporation. Suppose the aqueous cleaner has forced the water under a tight-fitting electronic component or into a ultra-narrow blind via in a casting. Because of its high surface tension and high heat of evaporation, water will resist coming out of such tiny spaces. In contrast, Bromothane™ will go into the spaces but, because it evaporates easily, will come right out -- usually with no extra heating or processing. This is another inherent advantage of solvent cleaning.

• Spots: Since water dries so slowly, it often leaves unacceptable water spots. Solvent cleaning rarely, if ever, leaves spots because the solvent is quickly removed completely in the cleaning machine.

• Compatibility: Water cleaning often is not suitable because some components or products are sensitive to the high pressures of water cleaning, the heat of washing and/or drying, or the minor surface residues mentioned above. There are no common work-arounds which can solve these compatibility problems.

Updated: Feb. 18, 2004
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