Low Pressure Sprays (Rotary Spray Washers) General Information Low-pressure spray is very effective for gross removal of loose contaminants, solid or liquid. Low-pressure spray cleaning may use any of the following chemistries: Water Neutral aqueous solutions Alkaline aqueous solutions Acidic aqueous solutions Ethyl lactate Alcohol Acetone N-methyl pyrollidone Terpenes Dibasic esters Glycol ethers Petroleum distillates Low pressure spray can be used for all levels of cleanliness. It is commonly used as a rinse cycle within a larger sequence of cleaning steps. A basic cleaning system consists of: Tank or booth Spray wand or spray header Liquid reservoir Pump and filter. The process uses kinetic energy to move material. This implies that there is little chemistry effect from different cleaning solvents. Low-pressure spray systems usually operate below 300 psi. Any chemical additives to cleaning liquids must be low foaming. Nozzle design will affect cleaning efficiency. Process optimization involves: Nozzle design Nozzle configuration within spray header (spray pattern) Liquid flow rates Cleaning liquid selection Dwell time. Low pressure sprays may be manual or automated. Low pressure spray may require a secondary drying process. State Information | Glossary | Conversion Checklist | Comments Home | Process Advisor | Alternatives | Links | Search All SAGE material, Copyright© 1992, Research Triangle Institute Last Update: 17 May 2001 sage@rti.org http://clean.rti.org/alt.cfm?id=lp&cat=gi