SELECTING THE RIGHT DEGREASER

• Posted by Emtech Labs Team August 29, 2014 - Filed in Degreasers - #Degreaser  #butyl  #alkaline  #caustic  - 405,498 views

  
  SELECTING THE RIGHT DEGREASER

  

  How do you respond when your customer says to you, “I need a good degreaser”?  Is your response “ no problem, I have a good degreaser everybody likes”?  Depending on many factors, your favorite degreaser might make you a hero, or it might cause you to have an unhappy customer. 

  When asked for a good degreaser it is important to know the following types of degreasers and how they work to help guide your customer to the degreaser best for their need.

   

  DEGEASER TYPES

  Butyl Degreaser – This is the most common water based degreaser that gets its name from a solvent ingredient called ethylene glycol mono butyl ether.  Butyl degreasers are best for cleaning petroleum grease such as motor oil. It can also clean fatty oils but not as aggressively as some non-butyl degreasers shown below.  These degreasers can be used on multiple surfaces, but may harm some plastics if allowed to sit too long. Example products in this category from Emtech Labs are: XT-4000, Blast-It, Spray & Wipe, and EM-1. All of these products contain butyl, but vary in strength, and other ingredients.  

  Non-Butyl Alkaline Degreaser – Because butyl has been associated with similar solvents that have been found to be health hazards, there became a need for a degreaser that does not have butyl. To achieve degreasing without butyl, commonly high alkaline ingredients are added. These high alkaline ingredients such as caustic soda or sodium metasilicate, work better than butyl degreasers on fatty oils commonly found in restaurants. On the negative side, high alkaline degreasers can attack aluminum and similar soft metals. Also some ingredients can be corrosive to the eyes and skin. The best use for this type of degreaser is cleaning grease off of stainless steel surfaces.  An example of a high alkaline degreaser from Emtech Labs is Cutter, also called ZIP. Traditional oven cleaners are also non-butyl, and are very high in caustic ingredients. Products similar to Emtech Labs’ Oven & Grill Cleaner are the best selection when cleaning baked on grease in ovens, on grills, and vent hoods.

  Butyl Alkaline Degreasers – These products combine butyl solvent, and high alkaline ingredients to effectively degrease both petroleum, and fatty grease. While these tend to be better overall degreasers, precautions have to be taken as stated above for both butyl and non-butyl degreasers. The Emtech Labs product in this category is EM-10.

  Citrus Solvent Degreasers – A solvent derived from oranges or similar citrus fruit called d-Limonene is formulated into a water based solution. This solvent is found to be more effective than butyl for degreasing petroleum based soils. It is also effective on fatty oils. These type degreasers may be combined with butyl to lessen product cost. These degreasers can harm plastics, and resins. Emtech Labs products in this category include Tropi-Solv (Desolv All), Tropical Force, Nature Solv Plus, and Emsolv 1-D.

  Specialty Degreasers – These degreasers are specifically formulated based on the application surface, type of grease, and environmental and safety considerations, Emtech Labs has a variety of degreasing formulations that address these areas. Some examples are environmentally friendly or “Green solvent degreasers”, Non VOC (Volatile Organic Compound), floating degreasers, and powdered degreasers. 

  

  In Conclusion

  After exploring different types of degreasers it can be seen that selecting the right degreaser for your customer should be done with full understanding of some of the factors covered such as, the type of grease the customer wants to remove, the surface it is on, environmental and safety concerns, and performance in relation to cost. Because these factors are not always simple to determine, we are here to help you determine the right degreasing product. Please contact us at info@emtechlabs.com for assistance.

   

  Emtech Laboratories, Inc. believes the information contained herein is accurate.  The information should not be taken as warranty or representation for which Emtech Laboratories, Inc. assumes legal responsibility.  They are offered solely for your consideration, investigation and verification.  Any use of this information must be in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations.