×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

(OP)
Can I use Isopropyl alcohol to clean particle contaminants to prevent tracking? it is 15kV gear. Does anyone have better suggestions? seems like I cannot use denatured alcohol due to toxic safety.

RE: Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

IPA is fairly gentle to the plastics commonly used in switchgear, in comparison with most other organic solvents. If it removes the contamination then go ahead. I would caution that it may turn particulate contamination into a contiguous film, which may actually be worse. Can you use a vacuum cleaner and dry wipes instead?

RE: Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

Ethanol is sometimes denatured with isopropyl alcohol...IPA of that type isn't free of a toxic hazard. Of course methanol is even more frequently used and it's a little nastier. But again, not a huge toxic risk either way.

Some other IPAs are quite drinkable, if you like hops...and they contain alcohol which isn't denatured. But if you were to use them for cleaning, you'd definitely insult the brewmaster.

RE: Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

I know our guys have used dry ice blasting to remove arc products.

RE: Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

India Pale Ale is a terrible cleaner, but if administered TO the cleaner in sufficient volume, has the effect of making the cleaner person declare that it's fine.

Sorry, couldn't resist...


"You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals" -- Booker T. Washington

RE: Substance to clean components to help stop electrical tracking

Be aware that any alcool contain water traces. Acetone is stronger and may attack paint and plastic components, but dries fast. Use of a certified dielectric cleaner is best.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources