Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution: Which Chemical for Which Metal and Soil
An ultrasonic bath needs water plus a cleaning concentrate matched to the dirt and the metal, usually 2.5 to 10% at 50 to 70 °C. Alkaline for oil and grease, acid for scale and rust, neutral for delicate parts. Never a flammable solvent.
Solution, fluid or liquid, it is the same thing. The ultrasonic waves do the scrubbing. The solution does the dissolving, and it decides which metals the bath is safe on. Pick it by the metal first and the dirt second.
An ultrasonic cleaner makes millions of tiny cavitation bubbles that collapse against the part. That knocks dirt loose. What happens to the dirt next is down to the solution.
The waves scrub
Collapsing cavitation bubbles break up the dirt on every wetted surface, including blind holes and threads.
The solution dissolves and holds
It gets under oil and grease, breaks it down and keeps it off the part so it does not settle back.
The solution protects
Inhibitors protect the metal while it is in the bath. Plain hot water leaves steel flash rusting within minutes.
Before you buy
Three questions pick the right cleaning fluid
1What is the part made of?
Steel and iron take strong cleaners. Aluminium, brass, zinc and magnesium do not. This rules products out before anything else.
2What is the dirt?
Oil and grease want a degreaser. Carbon and paint want a stripper. Rust, scale and ash want an acid or a near-neutral descaler.
3How hot can the part go?
Heat speeds every cleaner up. It also speeds up attack on soft metals. Run at the lower of the solution’s range and the metal’s limit.
Pick by the job
The best ultrasonic cleaning solution for each job
Each card gives the working strength, the temperature, the metals it is safe on and the ones to keep out. Press Buy now to order, or Data sheets for the TDS and SDS (safety data sheet).
Best is a claim we make about the chemistry as well as the tanks. The Brulin AquaVantage range we run carries the approvals that matter: 815 GD holds more than forty OEM approvals from Boeing to NASA oxygen service, 815 QR-NF carries Pratt & Whitney approval, and FX Degreaser is AQIS-approved. Every product below is Misonics Tank Approved, run in our own tanks at the published dilution and temperature, and the Misonics-branded chemistry is toll-manufactured for the application rather than relabelled from a shelf.
Degreasers: oil, grease and everyday workshop dirt
Steel and iron
FX Degreaser
The workshop all-rounder for oil, grease and grime. AQIS food-grade approved. The lowest price in the range.
5–15% (typ. 10%) · 45–65 °C
Steel, cast iron, stainless. Aluminium only at 5%, 50 °C, 5 minutes, rinsed at once.
Zinc, galvanised, magnesium. Brass and copper tarnish.
pH figures are for the concentrate, from each TDS. The working bath is diluted, so it sits a little closer to 7.
Mixing the bath
How much concentrate to add
The dose is a percentage of the working volume: the liquid up to the fill line, plus the weir on machines that have one. The space above the fill line does not count: about 25 mm on the bench machines, 80 to 100 mm on the floor machines. An MSX 70 holds 129 L, so at 5% it takes 6.45 L of concentrate and 122.55 L of water. The common doses are shaded.
All prices include GST, delivered within Australia. 200 L and 1,000 L on the product pages. Ordering for New Zealand or Papua New Guinea? Ask for a delivered price.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask
What is the best cleaning solution for an ultrasonic cleaner?
It depends on the metal and the dirt. For oil and grease on steel and iron, FX Degreaser at 10%. For aluminium, brass or a mixed basket, AquaVantage 1696 GD at 5%. For carbon on cast iron, MetalTek 100.
Can I use plain water?
For light dust only. Water does not dissolve oil or grease, and steel flash rusts when it comes out of hot water. A cleaning solution dissolves the dirt and protects the metal.
Can I use dish soap?
It will shift a little light oil. It foams, and foam soaks up the cleaning power. It has no inhibitor, so steel rusts and aluminium can mark. It is not made for workshop dirt.
How much solution do I add?
The dose is a percentage of the working volume, the liquid to the fill line. An MSX 70 holds 129 L, so at 5% it takes 6.45 L of concentrate. The mixing table covers the MSX tanks, and the dosage calculator covers any tank.
What temperature should the bath be?
Inside the range on the product’s TDS. Heat speeds up the clean, but strong alkaline cleaners also attack aluminium faster when hot. Run at the lower of the two limits.
Which solutions are safe on aluminium?
AquaVantage 1696 GD, 815 GD, 815 QR-NF and 1990 GD, CoreKleen HX and the Alloy System. FX Degreaser only at 5%, 50 °C for 5 minutes. Never MetalTek 100, Descale or RegeniK.
How often do I change the bath?
When the clean takes noticeably longer than it did, or oil and sludge build up. Skimming oil and filtering the bath make it last longer.
Can I put petrol or a solvent in the tank?
No. The bath is heated and cavitation turns a solvent into a fine vapour. Use a water-based solution only. Read why.
Do I rinse after cleaning?
Yes, in clean hot water, then dry. The exception is Anti-Rust, which is left on the steel to stop rust.
Is a jewellery cleaning solution any good for parts?
Jewellery and glasses cleaners are made for skin oil on gold, silver and lenses. For grease, carbon or scale on metal parts, use a workshop solution.
