Degreasers

Mineral oils and lubricants, drawing and stamping compounds, animal and vegetable fats, polishing residues and general shop dirt. These arrive on steel from rolling, forming and machining operations and must be removed before any coating or conversion process.

Coatings bond only to chemically clean metal. Residual oil or grease causes bare spots and poor adhesion in galvanizing, blistering in enamel and coarse, patchy crystals in phosphating — defects that appear after coating, when rework is most expensive. Thorough degreasing is the cheapest quality insurance in the pretreatment line.

Immersion suits complex shapes, baskets of small parts and heavy soil, giving long contact at higher concentration. Spray adds mechanical impact, so it cleans faster at lower concentration and fits in-line, conveyorised production. Many plants combine both, and the operating window of the degreaser covers each method.

Control concentration by regular titration and top up as the bath depletes, hold the recommended temperature, and skim or separate floating oil. Monitor rinse quality with the water-break test, and dump and remake the bath once the accumulated oil load starts to impair cleaning.