As the first manufacturer of a dry chemical cleaning technology, acp systems AG has received Clean Production Action’s GreenScreen Certified for Cleaners & Degreasers for its quattroClean snow jet technology in combination with CO2 gas from Linde. The independent, non-profit organization identifies and certifies “green” cleaning media with chemical properties that are safe for humans and the environment, based on scientifically sound, transparent criteria.
Since mid-April, acp has been able to clearly prove that the liquid carbon dioxide from Linde used for full-surface or partial dry cleaning with the quattroClean snow jet technology is a “green” cleaning medium. The company is the first manufacturer of a dry cleaning process to be awarded GreenScreen Certified for Cleaners & Degreasers, which applies to all industrial applications, especially electronics manufacturing. The certificate confirms that the process gas does not contain any chemical substances that are harmful to humans or the environment.
Safe cleaning media to protect workers and the environment
GreenScreen is a globally recognized tool for evaluating and benchmarking chemicals based on their hazard potential. With GreenScreen Certified for Cleaners & Degreasers, Clean Production Action (CPA) has created a benchmark specifically for cleaning media used as process chemicals in manufacturing, with a focus on the electronics industry. The background is the IPC-1402 Standard for Green Cleaners Used in Electronics Manufacturing, jointly developed by IPC (Association Connecting Electronics Industries), Apple and other international companies, which has been available since mid-2022. This defines the criteria that a “green” cleaner must meet in the electronics industry. Well-known manufacturers were also among CPA’s partners when the certification standard for cleaning media was developed. Certification guarantees that the products tested by an independent organization according to scientifically sound and freely-accessible criteria are free from PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) and other chemicals of concern. The test limits are 100 ppm.
Safety for users from all industrial sectors
The scalable quattroClean snow jet technology uses recycled liquid carbon dioxide produced during chemical manufacturing processes and energy generation from biomass, which is fed through a wear-free two-substance ring nozzle. On exiting, the CO2 expands to form fine snow particles, which are bundled by a jacket jet of compressed air, accelerated to supersonic speed and directed precisely onto the surface to be cleaned. In the process, the jet triggers four mechanisms of action that reliably remove particulate contamination down to the sub-micrometer range as well as filmic contamination. The process is deployed in the electronics & semiconductor industries and in communications technology, as well as in medical & pharmaceutical technology, battery & fuel cell production, microsystems technology and other sectors. The GreenScreen certification ensures that the health of personnel and the environment are not endangered when using the process.
