What is vapor degreasing and how does it works? It is actually one of the most efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly cleaners in your parts washer lineup.
Vapor degreasers generally have these major components:
* Heating element or source
* Holding tank for the liquid solvent
* Rack or basket that holds the parts to be cleaned
* Vapor zone where the parts are exposed to the cleaning vapor
* Cooling element that converts the vapor back into liquid form
* Holding take for the converted cooled liquid
* Transfer zone for moving the cooled liquid back into the heated tank area
Such degreaser basically operates like a still. The liquid solvent starts off in a holding tank that is heated until the solvent boils and rises as a vapor. As the vapor rises it condenses on the part to be cleaned and dissolves the contaminants until it drips off the part back into the heated solvent container and sinks to the bottom of the tank.
As the vapor leaves the part it rises until it meets with a water or refrigerant cooled element that causes the vapor to condense and distill into a recovered solvent tank. This cooled liquid solvent is then recycled back into the heated holding tank to start the process again.
Some vapor degreasers also have a separate liquid immersion or spraying process to further remove contaminants.
Since the solvent is recycled it is very efficient and less stressful for the environment. There is also substantial cost savings as this type of parts cleaning uses relatively little power and the recycling of the solvent helps to keep the liquid cleaning costs low.
Some vapor degreasers operate in a batch mode where a basket of parts are placed in the degreaser and they are fully cleaned they are replaced with a new basket of parts.
Other degreasers operate inline which means that the parts are continuously introduced to the cleaner on a conveyor type system.
Other cleaning methods can be used in conjunction with vapor degreasing to enhance it's efficacy For example, ultrasonic cavitation may be used during post degreasing to get better precision cleaning. Also, some vapor degreasers operate in a vacuum chamber which allows the part to dry at lower temperature after cleaning.
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