Material surface cleaning before metal etching

Etching of metal products, whether it is copper, aluminum plates, stainless steel, nickel sheets,etc. after the material manufacturer produces metal materials, some will apply a layer of anti-rust oil on the surface, and some will only attach a layer of protective film to the surface. The surface of the product can reduce surface oxidation in a short time. In particular, copper is easy to be oxidized. If it is not cleaned 、deoxidized and degreasing before the ink is applied, it will seriously affect the adhesion of the ink.

After the stainless steel sheet is cut and cut, fingerprints or other dirt will remain on the metal surface due to the environment and operation. If the surface grease is not cleaned, the defective rate of the back-end process will be greatly improved. Therefore, you should be sure to carry out degreasing cleaning of the sheet surface before ink printing.

The general process is as follows:

1. Choice of cleaning degreaser/powder:

Copper: Choose an acidic degreasing cleaning agent, one is to remove the surface oxide layer, and the other is to remove the surface oil and fingerprints.

Aluminum/stainless steel: Alkaline degreasing powder/agent (our company CL-228 alkaline cleaning agent) can quickly and effectively remove surface oil stains.

No matter what type of cleaning agent it is, it contains strong decontamination factors and surfactants, so there are certain requirements for the use temperature. Generally, the cleaning agent is used at a temperature between 35 and 45 degrees. This is because many surfactants The cloud point is in this temperature range.

Cleaning methods are as follows:

1. Horizontal spray type: cleaning, good effect and fast speed.

2. Vertical immersion: slow speed, low output, better cleaning effect with ultrasonic.

3. Cleanliness test: water breaking time is greater than 15 seconds.

4. Test method: Hold the cleaned board with both hands (with gloves), put the board into clean water, and then pick it up at a 45-degree angle. The water film on the board must be maintained for more than 15 seconds without breaking. If the water film immediately breaks from the edge or the middle, it means that the cleaning is not enough, and the reason may be that the concentration of the cleaning agent is too low or has reached saturation.

Failure to clean the surface or cleaning can result in the following:

1. The adhesion of the ink on the board surface is not good, and the ink is dropped in a large area after etching; the product is directly scrapped.

2. There are many blisters after development, increase the amount of repair;

3. The subsequent film attached is not firm, and it is prone to seepage, which will lead to the scrapping of the product.