How to soak clean and electroclean

A. Yes, Ayush, alkaline cleaning processes should precede acid activation. A soak clean or an electroclean, or both in sequence, may be used to remove oils and soils. They are usually hot (about 180 °F), very highly alkaline and with detergents. Proven proprietary products are almost universally used, and certainly best, especially for the inexperienced because good cleaners should saponify, wet & emulsify, deflocculate, chelate or sequester, buffer, and inhibit.

The main difference between soak clean and electroclean is that in the latter the work is electrified at a current density of between about 50 and 100 ASF, to generate hydrogen or oxygen bubbles at the work surface which greatly assists in the cleaning.

The subject requires a chapter of a dozen pages in plating textbooks; please see the Metal Finishing Guidebook or the GS Branch AESF Electroplating Course Manual for example. Good luck.

A. Hi Zakaria. We appended your inquiry to one of a dozen or so threads we have on the subject. If you could put this into fuller context, we can probably answer more exactly. But generally, it requires more than a detergent to do electrolytic degreasing (the detergent is probably not a good conductor, for one thing). Further, you usually can't use the same electrolytic cleaner for brass, steel, and aluminum.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "use my samples as cathodes in the process" or what your process is. But you generally need to acid activate metal after you have alkaline cleaned it. Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hi Zakaria!

We use anodic cleaning (parts as anodes) so hydrogen forms only in cathodes, avoiding hydrogen embrittlement.

In general, electrolytic anodic degreasers are alkaline, and cathodic are acidic. Cathodic is used on non-ferrous parts and only anodic in high strength steels because of HE.

So, as Ted said, I don't think you can use the same degreasing agent for all three materials.

Best of luck picking the best product for you!