Brake cleaner
A brake cleaner , often also called parts cleaner , is a mostly colorless cleaning agent that is mainly used to clean the brakes, the engine compartment and the underbody of motor vehicles . An important property is that the brake cleaner evaporates without leaving any residue after use .
Almost all brake cleaners contain hydrocarbons as their main ingredient; Either low-boiling aliphatics or higher-boiling hydrocarbon mixtures are used which also contain aromatics such as benzene , toluene or xylenes . All hydrocarbons used are obtained through partial hydrogenation of naphtha . The lipophilic liquids dissolve fat-soluble lubricants or oils. Some products also contain other polar solvents such as ethanol , isopropanol and acetone in order to also dissolve non-lipophilic substances. Due to the constituents, there are incompatibilities with other substances or materials that must be taken into account during use.
use
The main area of application of brake cleaners is the degreasing and cleaning of metal parts or metallic surfaces. They are used to remove oils, fats, resins, tar and dust.
In Germany around 10 million liters are used every year.
danger
Brake cleaners are harmful to health and may only be used in well-ventilated rooms or outdoors. Some of them are extremely flammable and dangerous for the environment , which must also be taken into account when storing them.
Brake cleaners break down rubber and some types of plastic by removing binding components. As a result, the rubber initially appears unchanged after exposure, but becomes brittle and cracks and breaks form after a few weeks to months .
Alternatives
With frequent and industrial use, supercritical (also supercritical) carbon dioxide or dry ice blasting with an abrasive effect can alternatively be used for cleaning and degreasing . This requires the purchase of an appropriate system. This eliminates the harmful vapors, but the CO 2 must also be vented. During use, electrostatic charge arises and the dust is not bound in the liquid, which must be taken into account with brake dust .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Explosion protection when handling flammable cleaning agents in the car workshop (PDF; 762 kB). Technical committee information sheet No. 048 of the BGHM , draft 06/2010.