Should De-Ionized Water Be Used with an Ultrasonic Cleaning System?

De-ionized (DI) water is plain water that lacks ions or particles because of the purification process. It is used to remove contaminants like metals and salts (ions).

Should DI water be used with an ultrasonic cleaning system? The answer is yes, depending on the parts being cleaned or the degree of their contamination. When DI water is used in the ultrasonic cleaning system, it can improve the cleaning performance. Such cleaning performance is especially important for parts that cannot tolerate detergents, solvents or other cleaning solution.

Ultrasonic cleaning systems can also use plain water – a mild detergent can be added to enhance the cleaning process. However, delicate tools and parts could not tolerate these detergents, that’s why cleaning them with DI water is often recommended. For parts contaminated with heavy, stubborn dirt and grease, a mild detergent or cleaning solvent (that do not cause damage to the parts themselves) can be added to the DI water for more effective and quick cleaning.

When an ultrasonic cleaning system has removed dirt from the parts to be cleaned, the cleaning solution is drained away but they still must undergo thorough rinsing. Plain water has dissolved minerals the parts and other impurities so that rinsing can leave a deposit. When the parts are dried, spots or films left over from the evaporated plain water can remain in these parts – even the tiniest spot or impurity left over can lead to the malfunction of these parts. That’s why the use of DI water is often recommended for rinsing them since it contains no impurities, leaving these parts spotless and clean.

Learn more about using de-ionized water for ultrasonic cleaning by reading the complete article entitled “Should De-Ionized Water Be Used with an Ultrasonic Cleaning System?”. You may also send an email to info@kaijo-shibuya.com if you have questions or want a free consultation.