Neutral Aqueous Overview Neutral aqueous solutions are mixtures of water and other chemical compounds with a pH near 7. The chemical compounds may include surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, and other additives. Neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions are the most commonly used aqueous solutions. They will work for most solvent substitution applications. Neutral solutions clean well where a high degree of chemical solvency is not required. They are good at removing light oils, particles, chlorides, and other salts. Neutral aqueous solutions are excellent for use in spray and ultrasonic applications and may be used in steam equipment. They are not ideal for immersion processes without agitation because the neutral solutions are not strong enough. Most existing solvent degreasers can be converted for use with neutral aqueous solutions with few equipment changes. One concern is corrosion of parts. This can be addressed by changing the process or adding corrosion inhibitors. Incoming water quality may affect the process quality. A drying system probably will be needed. Coordination with the local publicly owned treatment works (POTW) is recommended when setting up an aqueous process. Also check the current in-house water system to ensure that it can supply the additional water needed and can handle the discharge. State Information | Glossary | Conversion Checklist | Comments Home | Process Advisor | Alternatives | Links | Search All SAGE material, Copyright© 1992, Research Triangle Institute Last Update: 16 March 1995 sage@rti.org http://clean.rti.org/alt.cfm?id=neu&cat=ov