FAQs

Cleaning Procedures/Recommendations

• Is that true that you use less material with a chemical purging compound compared to a mechanical type purging compound?
• How much ASACLEAN do I need to purge out my previous resin?
• How much resin does it take to displace ASACLEAN?
• How long does it take to purge with ASACLEAN?
• Should ASACLEAN be left in the barrel to soak during purging?
• Do I need to raise the machine temperatures when purging with ASACLEAN?
• How much ASACLEAN is required to clean out hot runners?
• We use ASACLEAN only when we need to purge out tough resins such as PC or Ultem. For everything else, we just run regrind or virgin PP to purge because our company feels it's cheaper than using a purging compound. On the floor though, we find that regrind or PP doesn't always cut it. Any recommendations?
• Can I use a styrenic-based grade of ASACLEAN for purging out resins that are not styrenic? Similarly, can I use an olefinic grade of ASACLEAN for purging out resins that are not olefinic?
• Can we mix ASACLEAN with our resin in order to cut purging cost?
• We have black specks (carbon contamination) in our parts. What do you recommend for this?
• Can ASACLEAN be used for high temperature resins?
• Can ASACLEAN be used in conjunction with a machine's auto purge cycle?
• Do we really need to perform short, high-velocity injection shots each time we purge with ASACLEAN?
• What can we do to lessen the potential of ASACLEAN residue?

Question
Is that true that you use less material with a chemical purging compound compared to a mechanical type purging compound?

Answer
That’s not exactly true. The amount of purging compound required to clean a machine is based not only on the machine (barrel) size but also on the degree of contamination within the barrel. From customers’ experiences, and as stated even by chemical purging compound suppliers, it often requires a second or even a third purge to clean the machine if contamination is severe. In most cases, purging one time is all that is required when using ASACLEAN.

Question
How much ASACLEAN do I need to purge out my previous resin?

Answer
Our rule of thumb:  for screw and barrel cleaning, usually 1-3 barrel capacities do the trick.  For very tough jobs, such as machines that haven’t been cleaned in a while, an additional 1-2 barrel capacities may be necessary.

Question
How much resin does it take to displace ASACLEAN?

Answer
Another rule of thumb is it takes the same amount of the next processing resin to displace as the amount of ASACLEAN used.

Question
How long does it take to purge with ASACLEAN?

Answer
Purge time is affected by several key factors such as machine size, condition of screw and barrel, resins being purged, etc.  Therefore it’s difficult to predict how long a purging application could take.  However, ASACLEAN consistently reduces the amount of purge time required in comparison to most other purging methods.

Question
Should ASACLEAN be left in the barrel to soak during purging?

Answer
No.  Since ASACLEAN is not a chemical or surfactant-type purging compound, there is no need to let it sit in the barrel for an extended “soak period” for general purging.

Question
Do I need to raise the machine temperatures when purging with ASACLEAN?

Answer
In most cases, no!  Our general-purpose grades have a wide service temperature range (350°F-680°F).   ASACLEAN also offers specialty high-temperature and low-temperature grades for any applications above and below the temperature range of our general purpose grades.

Question
How much ASACLEAN is required to clean out hot runners?

Answer
While there is no exact answer for this, as every application is different, a loose rule of thumb is that an additional 1-3 barrel capacities of ASACLEAN is required to purge out hot runner tooling once the screw and barrel are cleaned.

Question
Can I use a styrenic-based grade of ASACLEAN for purging out resins that
are not styrenic?  Similarly, can I use an olefinic grade of ASACLEAN for
purging out resins that are not olefinic?

Answer
Generally, yes.  Our styrenic grades are considered “General Purpose”, meaning they can purge out a variety of materials in a wide temperature range, including olefinic materials (PP, PE).  And although our olefinic UP Grade is specially designed for purging out PP, it has proven quite effective for other materials such as Nylon and PVC.

Question
Can we mix ASACLEAN with our resin in order to cut purging cost?

Answer
ASACLEAN should NOT be diluted with resin as it only cuts cleaning performance.  As a result, purging time increases and so does material use,  ultimately lowering overall cost savings.

Question
We have black specks (carbon contamination) in our parts.  What do you recommend for this?

Answer
EX Grade is our strongest ASACLEAN solution.  It is a glass-filled version which offers superior scrubbing and cleaning.  EX Grade is only recommended for screw and barrel cleaning.   To prevent carbon build-up and to maintain a clean machine, we recommend using one of our general-purpose grades as part of a preventive-maintenance program.

Question
Can ASACLEAN be used for high temperature resins?

Answer
Our high-temperature SX Grade has a service temperature range of 570°-735°F, making it able to purge high-temperature resins that most other commercial purging compounds can’t.  SX Grade works exceptionally well for resins such as PEEK and Ultem.

Question
Can ASACLEAN be used in conjunction with a machine’s auto purge cycle?

Answer
ASACLEAN certainly can be used with an injection molding machine’s auto purge setting.  However, if the cycle is not programmed to incorporate high backpressure and high-screw speed while maintaining the screw completely forward, you will not receive the full purging benefits of ASACLEAN.  Remember, ASACLEAN is  a mechanical type purge so the afore-mentioned settings should be maximized.

Question
Do we really need to perform short, high-velocity injection shots each time we purge with ASACLEAN?

Answer
Yes, this part of the purging procedures should be standard each and every time you purge with ASACLEAN.   This step ensures better cleaning of the nozzle area and check-ring, which are common areas for contamination hang-up.

Question
What can we do to lessen the potential of ASACLEAN residue?

Answer
When displacing ASACLEAN with the next processing resin, it’s crucial to maximize the backpressure and screw speed, which keeping the screw in the fully-forward position.  This will ensure the quickest and most thorough displacement of ASACLEAN.   If working with particularly residue-sensitive resins, it may be necessary to use our low-residue E Grade as a “chaser” after having used the cleaning grade.   This two-grade combination provides maximum cleaning with minimum residue.