Particulate Measurement in Materials Sciences Applications
Washing Fluid Cleanliness Testing
Task: Measure the concentration of suspended particulate in a washing fluid after successive washes of a production vessel to determine optimal cleaning cycles.
Sample: Oil used to rinse grease production vessels prior to grease production runs.
Run Conditions: Samples were analyzed directly (no special preparation or additives) at 5X magnification. Particle size, transparency, circularity, and concentration were measured.
Analysis: The time required to reach acceptable levels of vessel cleanliness was found to be 20 minutes. Filters for size, transparency, and circularity permitted isolation and enumeration of particles responsible for cross-contamination.
