How to Choose the Right Industrial Cleaner

Introduction

Although industrial cleaning has existed for only a few decades, it has brought tremendous economic and social benefits to manufacturing industries.
With the rapid advancement of cleaning technologies, industrial cleaning now spans virtually every industrial sector, including textiles and dyeing, petrochemicals, machinery, mining and metallurgy, surface treatment, chemicals, precision instruments, electronics, semiconductors, jewelry, biotechnology, and optics.
This wide range of applications reflects the enormous market potential and fast-growing momentum of the industrial cleaning industry.

In general, industrial cleaners can be classified according to their cleaning mechanisms into three categories: chemical cleaning, physical cleaning, and microbial cleaning.
Among these, chemical cleaning has the longest history, widest application, and the greatest variety of products.
Based on the water content of chemical cleaners, they are typically divided into solvent-based cleaners, water-based cleaners, and semi-aqueous cleaners.

This article introduces the formulation composition, cleaning performance, and future development trends of these three main types of chemical cleaning agents.

1. Solvent-Based Cleaners

Solvent-based cleaners primarily refer to formulations composed of organic solvents without water.
Most of these products use hydrocarbons (such as alkanes and aromatics), chlorinated hydrocarbons, fluorinated hydrocarbons, alcohols, and glycol ethers as their main active ingredients.

The cleaning mechanism of solvent-based systems relies mainly on direct dissolution — they dissolve substances that are insoluble in water but readily soluble in organic solvents, such as oils, waxes, resins, rubbers, dyes, and various adhesive residues.

Key characteristics of solvent-based cleaners include:

• Liquid form under normal temperature and pressure, with excellent fluidity and low viscosity.

• Strong volatility, ensuring minimal or no residue on the cleaned surface.

• Non-corrosive and safe for most substrates when used correctly.

However, their high volatility also means that many of these solvents easily evaporate into the atmosphere.
Chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons, in particular, are known to pose toxic risks to humans.
Alcohols and glycol ethers, while effective, are lipophilic and can adversely affect both living organisms and the environment.

For example, several chlorinated solvent cleaners—such as trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC-113), carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and brominated hydrocarbons—were once widely used for their excellent cleaning performance and cost efficiency.
However, because these compounds damage the ozone layer and are difficult to recover or safely dispose of, they have been banned globally under environmental protection regulations.

2. Water-Based Cleaners

Early water-based cleaners primarily relied on strong inorganic alkalis or salts, which, due to their simple formulations and high alkalinity, often caused corrosion, poor cleaning results, and substrate damage.

Modern water-based cleaners, however, have evolved significantly.
They now include a combination of surfactants, chelating agents, corrosion inhibitors, stabilizers, solubilizers, and other functional additives, which can be tailored to specific cleaning purposes and substrate materials.

For example, in degreasing before electroplating, a blend of polyether, triethanolamine oleate, and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is often used.
Such formulations are non-corrosive to metal surfaces, operate effectively at room temperature, generate low foam, and offer excellent cleaning performance with low dosage and cost.
They are non-toxic, environmentally safe, and suitable for both manual and mechanical cleaning, with simple post-treatment procedures.

Water-based cleaners can also be formulated for multifunctional applications.
For instance, in copper cleaning, ingredients such as cocamide diethanolamide, glycerin, and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) can be combined with corrosion inhibitors and brighteners to achieve simultaneous cleaning and polishing effects.
This not only ensures excellent oil removal but also maintains a controlled pH, preventing corrosion caused by acidity.
The addition of corrosion inhibitors and brightening agents enhances the luster of cleaned copper surfaces, and incorporating film-forming agents can further provide a protective coating that preserves shine for longer periods.

Driven by green chemistry principles, water-based cleaning agents have further evolved with the introduction of biodegradable and non-toxic bio-based components, such as alkyl polyglucosides (APG) and sophorolipids.
These formulations often include chelating agents like nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), thickeners such as sodium alginate, and sodium gluconate as a dispersing aid.
Such ingredients feature high biocompatibility, excellent microbial degradability, minimal skin irritation, and phosphorus-free compositions, making them ideal for eco-friendly household and industrial cleaning applications.

In summary, water-based cleaners complement and surpass solvent-based systems, offering advantages of low cost, safety, environmental compatibility, and easy availability of raw materials.
Given comparable cleaning performance, water-based formulations are increasingly replacing traditional organic solvent cleaners in both industrial and commercial cleaning processes.

3. Semi-Aqueous Cleaners

Semi-aqueous cleaners differ from traditional solvent-based systems in that they contain a mixture of organic solvents, water, and surfactants.
For this reason, they are sometimes referred to in the literature as emulsion cleaners or microemulsion cleaners.

Their cleaning mechanism combines the advantages of both water-based and solvent-based cleaning systems.
Semi-aqueous cleaners retain the strong oil-removal capability and excellent wetting and penetration properties of solvent-based formulations while improving their ability to remove water-soluble contaminants.
Compared to pure solvent cleaners, they offer enhanced performance against inorganic soils, higher flash points, lower volatility, and improved overall safety due to the presence of water — making them more versatile in industrial applications.

Based on the solubility of organic solvents in water, semi-aqueous cleaners can be generally classified into water-soluble and water-insoluble solvent types:

• Water-soluble solvents (such as alcohols, ethers, and ketones) are effective in removing both oily and aqueous soils.
  Their main drawback is flammability, which can be mitigated by adding water to form a semi-aqueous formulation, improving safety during use.

• Water-insoluble solvents (such as petroleum hydrocarbons, terpene hydrocarbons, and halogenated solvents) typically have low flash points and are flammable or explosive.
  When mixed with water, these solvents are naturally immiscible, forming two separate layers due to high interfacial tension.
  To achieve uniform mixing, surfactants are added to reduce interfacial tension, improving phase compatibility and producing a stable emulsion or microemulsion system.

The ongoing focus in semi-aqueous cleaner development is to improve environmental friendliness and cleaning performance.
Although detailed research is limited due to the technical nature of the field, several studies have explored green solvent systems based on D-limonene.

For instance, Jiang Jianping et al. developed a semi-aqueous ink cleaner composed primarily of D-limonene and the anionic gemini surfactant sodium didodecyldiphenyl ether disulfonate, achieving excellent cleaning results.
Since D-limonene is a natural, non-toxic, biodegradable compound extracted from citrus peels, and the addition of water increases its flash point, this type of cleaner is both highly safe and eco-friendly.

While semi-aqueous cleaners based on D-limonene are widely used abroad, their domestic adoption remains limited mainly due to high material costs.
If cost-effective recovery technologies for D-limonene can be developed, its application in industrial cleaning is expected to expand significantly.

How to Choose an Industrial Cleaner

1. Cleaning and Maintenance of Equipment

The first major category of industrial cleaning focuses on the cleaning, maintenance, and protection of equipment used in various enterprises and institutions.
After a period of operation, machinery and systems often accumulate contaminants such as oil, rust, and scale, which can affect performance and longevity.
Industrial cleaning at this stage typically involves degreasing, derusting, descaling, rust prevention, cleaning, and maintenance.

The range of equipment requiring cleaning is extensive — including mechanical systems, electrical equipment, precision electronics, water systems, machinery, and special-purpose devices — and the contamination types differ widely.
Because of this complexity, it is nearly impossible for a single cleaning agent to address all problems effectively.

Therefore, professional manufacturers of industrial cleaning agents must develop multiple product types tailored to different substrates, contaminants, and operational environments to meet diverse market needs.
When selecting a product, the key to solving the problem efficiently lies in targeted selection — choosing a cleaner that matches the specific type of contamination and equipment condition.

2. Cleaning Agents Used in Production Processes

Because manufacturing processes vary widely, the cleaning requirements and target contaminants also differ greatly.
Selecting the most appropriate cleaning agent therefore requires careful evaluation.
In general, the following factors should be considered when choosing a product:

(1). Water-Based or Solvent-Based Cleaner

If the cleaning task demands rapid evaporation and includes rust-prevention requirements, a solvent-based cleaner may be preferred.
If lower cleaning cost is the priority, evaporation rate is not critical, and rust prevention is not a major concern, then a water-based cleaner is the better option.

(2). Cleaning Method — Ultrasonic vs. Spray Cleaning

The choice of equipment also influences the cleaner selection.
For ultrasonic cleaning, foam is less of an issue, so general water-based cleaners can be used effectively.
For spray cleaning systems, however, low-foam degreasing cleaners are necessary to prevent operational issues.
This introduces a trade-off: low-foam cleaners typically exclude certain high-performance surfactants, which can slightly reduce oil-removal and degreasing efficiency compared to high-foam formulations.
Hence, the decision should balance cleaning power with process compatibility.

(3). Rust-Prevention Requirements

In production-line cleaning, water-based cleaners are most common because of their low cost and high efficiency.
However, water-based formulations that lack rust-inhibiting components may accelerate corrosion, since cleaning removes protective surface films.
If rust prevention is required, a water-based cleaner with built-in corrosion inhibitors should be selected based on the enterprise’s specific process needs.
It should be noted that adding anti-rust agents can slightly reduce cleaning power — again illustrating that every choice involves compromise.

(4). Technical Support

Involving technical service personnel from the cleaning-agent manufacturer is always recommended.
Their expertise ensures optimal product selection, precise dosage, and process adjustments tailored to the production environment.