EP0649461A1

EP0649461A1 - Grease removing composition

Info

Publication number: EP0649461A1
Application number: EP94909967A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pascal Michaud
Original assignee: Elf Atochem SA
Current assignee: Arkema France SA
Priority date: 1993-03-26
Filing date: 1994-03-15
Publication date: 1995-04-26
Also published as: WO1994023007A1; CA2136761A1; FI945544A0; FR2703068B1; FR2703068A1; FI945544A; JPH07507597A; NO944508L; NO944508D0; KR950701678A; CN1106614A

Abstract

The invention relates to grease removing compositions comprising a) at least one product selected amongst the hydrochlorofluorocarbons, the hydrofluorocarbons or the perfluorocarbons; (b) at least one alcochol; (c) at least one ether having an OH function; d) optionally at least one product selected amongst water and esters.

Description

DEGREASING COMPOSITION

The present invention is a degreasing composition based on fluorinated solvents and containing no chlorinated products such as for example trichloroethane 111 (T 111), perchlorethylene or methylene chloride.

Until now, T 111 has formed the basis of degreasing compositions. T 111 will no longer be authorized in a few years because it is dangerous for the ozone layer.

The object of the invention relates to new degreasing compositions no longer containing these chlorinated products but having the same advantages.

T 111 is used both hot and cold in metal degreasing with the following advantages: - rapid evaporation,

- good cleaning property,

- non-flammable,

- not very toxic,

- easy to use. The present invention is a degreasing composition characterized in that it comprises: a) at least one product chosen from hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons or perfluorocarbons, b) at least one alcohol, c) at least one ether having an OH function , d) optionally at least one product chosen from water and esters. As examples of products a), mention may be made of 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (141 b), 1,1-dichloro-2,2,3,3,3pentafluoroρropane (225ca), perfluorohexane, perfluoro-N-methylmorpholine, 1, 1, 1, 2,2-pentafluoropropanol, 1, 1, 1, 3,3-pentafluorobutane or 1 -hydroperfluorohexane.

Examples of products b) include alcohols having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Advantageously, secondary butanol is used.

Examples of products c) include ethers of ethylene glycol and ethers of propylene glycol. The product of formula CH3 0 CH2 CH-CH3 (1-methoxy-2-propanol) is advantageously used.

OH As examples of esters d), mention may be made of alkyl formate, acetate and propionate having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

The proportions of products a), b), c) and d) are determined by a person skilled in the art and can vary widely. However, by choosing the proportions of a), b), c) and d) in the following ranges:

- 20 to 50 parts of a),

- 5 to 75 parts of b), - 15 to 60 parts of c), - 0 to 25 parts of d), the skilled person can easily prepare the compositions of the invention having the desired criteria.

The criteria being: evaporate quickly, have good cleaning properties, are not toxic, are non-flammable and easy to use. An advantageous composition contains:

- 30 to 40 parts of 141b,

- 10 to 25 parts of secondary butanol,

- 25 to 40 parts of 1-methoxy-2-propanol,

- 5 to 15 parts of water. The compositions of the invention may also contain a hydrocarbon or an petroleum cut.

Examples of hydrocarbons that may be mentioned include those having a boiling point between 100 and 200 ° C. Diethycyclohexane is used, for example.

By way of examples of petroleum cut, mention may be made of that having a distillation range of 100-200 ° C. The Cg-C- cut is used for example. The composition of the invention:

- degreases, cleans whole oils as well as water-soluble oils,

- works by solubilization of dirt, - is easy to use,

- has no flash point (ASTM-D-3828 standard),

- evaporates quickly.

The compositions are effective in degreasing, this is carried out in a few seconds. This allows a treatment or a mechanical operation (touch-up, machining) immediately since the evaporation of the composition on the surface of the parts is comparable to that of butyl acetate (2 minutes 30 sec. To 3 min).

The composition allows degreasing parts with complex geometry. Thus the whole oils (parafinics, naphthenic, mixed, synthetic) and the emulsifiable oils can be cleaned with the composition.

The composition can be stabilized especially if it is in the presence of so-called sensitive metals known to a person skilled in the art such as aluminum or magnesium. The composition containing a compound with an OH group, this tends to give undesirable reactions during its use such as the evolution of hydrogen.

Among the inhibitors, effective LEWIS bases will be chosen such as:

- Nitroparafins such as nitromethane, nitroethane, or nitropropane, the preference is nitromethane.

ethers and / or acetals such as tetrahydrofuran, 1, 4-dioxolane, diethyl ether, 1, 3-dioxolane, 2-methyl-1, 3-dioxolane, dimethoxymethane, 1, 1-dimethoxyethane, the preference is 1, 3-dioxolane and dimethoxymethane.

Example 1

A stainless steel plate and an aluminum plate of 100 x 30 mm are weighed after coating with a whole or water-soluble oil or a thick grease supplied by CASTROL or SHELL or MOBIL or ELF and are degreased at room temperature (21 ° C) by immersion in a container containing one of the mixtures in Table 1 by manual stirring or in combination with a mechanical action (brushing with a brush). In a few seconds, no trace of dirt remains. The excess solvent is evaporated to ambient air and the weight of the plate is found to be the same as before coating with dirt. The surface condition of the plate is examined with a binocular magnifying glass in grazing light and shows no characteristic irradiation of greasy dirt.

Table 1

Mixtures (expressed as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 parts by weight)

Solvents

141b 25 25 25 25 10 35 35

Butanol Sec 25 25 25 20 25 20 15

1-methoxy-2-propanol 25 25 50 25 35 30

Butyl glycol 40

Hexylene glycol 10

H ₂ 0 5 10 10 10

N-butyl acetate 25

Diethyicyclohexane 25 5 10 10 10

Example 2

Evaporation index of the mixtures in Table 1 compared to butyl acetate (1):

Mixtures Indices Butyl acetate 1

1 1

2 0.02

3 1.1

4 0.02 5 0.01

6 1

7 0.02

The efficiency of degreasing solutions is real, but it will be preferable to choose mixtures with an evaporation index close to 1. Example 3

A composition is produced containing by weight 35% of 141b, 20% of dry butanol and 45% of 1-methoxy-2-propanol. This composition is effective and has an evaporation index of 1.

Example 4

0.3% of nitromethane is added to the composition of Example 3 relative to the total composition.

In the presence of magnesium shavings the composition remains unchanged after one week.

Example 5

0.3% of dimethoxymethane is added to the composition of Example 3 relative to the total composition. In the presence of magnesium shavings the composition remains unchanged after one week.

Example 6

In Example 3, 141b is replaced by 225ca. Degreasing is equivalent. The evaporation index is 1, 2.

Example 7

In Example 3, 141b is replaced by 1, 1, 1, 2,2-pentafluoropropanol. Degreasing is equivalent. The evaporation index is 1.3.

Example 8

In Example 3, 141b is replaced by 1-hydroperfluorohexane. Degreasing is equivalent. The evaporation index is 1.2.

Example 9

A composition is produced containing by weight 35% of 141b, 10% of 1-hydroperfluorohexane, 20% of dry butanol and 35% of 1-methoxy-2-propanol. This composition is effective and has an evaporation index of 1, 1.

Example 10

In Example 9, 1-hydroperfluorohexane is replaced by 1, 1, 1, 2,2-pentafluoropropanol. Degreasing is equivalent. The evaporation index is 1, 2. Example 11

If diethylcyclohexane is replaced in mixture 2 of Table 1 by a petroleum cut C9-C12, the degreasing is always equivalent, but the evaporation index is 0.02.

Claims

1. Degreasing composition characterized in that it comprises: a) at least one product chosen from hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons or perfluorocarbons. b) at least one alcohol, c) at least one ether having an OH function, d) optionally at least one product chosen from water and esters.

2. Composition according to claim 1 characterized in that the hydrochlorofluorocarbon is 1, 1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (141b) or 1,1- dichloro-2,2,3,3,3, -pentafluoropropane (225ca ).

3. Composition according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the alcohol is an alcohol having from 1 to 6 carbons and is preferably secondary butanol.

4. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the product C is CH3 0 CH2 CH-CH3 (1-methoxy-2-propanol).

I

OH

5. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that it contains:

- 30 to 40 parts of 141b,

- 10 to 25 parts of secondary butanol,

- 25 to 40 parts of 1-methoxy-2-propanol,

- 5 to 15 parts of water.

6. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that it also comprises a hydrocarbon or an oil cut.

7. Composition according to claim 6 characterized in that the boiling point of the hydrocarbon is between 100 and 200 ° C.

β.Composition according to claim 6 characterized in that the distillation interval of the petroleum fraction is: 100-200 ° C.