Today we’re going to be talking about de-gassing, what it is, and why you need to do it to get the best performance out of your ultrasonic tank.When you fill your tank with fresh cleaning solution, that liquid has a lot of air trapped in it. So long as it’s in there, you’ll be using ultrasonic energy to drive it out – instead of cleaning your parts.
The solution is to de-gas your tank, by running the ultrasonics and heat for 3-8 minutes before you put your parts in. The time needed will vary depending on your tank size and power level.
Simply fill your tank with hot water, or run the heat to get it up to cleaning temperature. Then turn on the sonics just as you would for cleaning.
Let’s take a look at the difference in thisGemoro 2.6. Here we are with fresh solution. Notice the bubbles and the lack of surface action. Now let’s take a look after 3 minutes of de-gassing. What a difference! Remember to do this every time you put fresh solution in your tank.
So what is actually happening and why does degassing work?
When you first fill your tank with cleaning solution, the gases trapped In the liquid interfere with the bubbles created by ultrasonic cavitation. Since ultrasonic cleaning is actually performed by the energy released from collapsing cavitation bubbles – you can see why this is an issue.
How do I get rid of the trapped gases in my tank?
If your tank doesn’t have a De-gas mode, then you can simply proceed as in our video above. Run the tank for 5-10 minutes (depending on size and solution) and you’ll be OK.
It helps to have the solution at your cleaning temperature as well, if possible.
If you have a digital ultrasonic cleaner, you most likely have a special degas mode included. If so, take advantage of it! You’ll get your degassing done more quickly.
How does degas mode work?
Essentially, it is a pulse mode of ultrasonic cleaning. High intensity ultrasonic pulses are produced. In between pulses, the gases have time to coalesce into bubbles and float to the top of the tank, where the bubbles pop and the gases are released into the air.
When should I degas my tank?
After you fill the tank with fresh cleaning solution, and BEFORE you put your parts in. Why? Because your parts will simply interfere with the degassing process – in fact, depending on their geometry, they can introduce more gas into the tank.
Also, if you are trying to establish your cleaning process, it’s best to do it with already degassed solution. After all, once you degas, you won’t be doing it again until you change your cleaning solution.
In this article we discuss ultrasonic degassing, and why and how we do it. If you still have questions about other aspects of ultrasonics, take a look at our Ultrasonic INfo Center and fill in the blanks in your knowledge
Comments 1
Matthew Gordon
Hello,
I have an ultrasonic Cleaners without the degas mode. How do I remove air bubbles in Solution since I do not have the degas mode.