Electronic device component washing agent

Abstract

To provide a washing agent useful for removing deposits of an un-desirable polymer material adhered to the inside of a small bore hall of an electronic component, as well as a device and a method for performing washing of such components.SOLUTION: A cleaning agent composition for an electronic device components essentially consists of or comprises: A) water, preferably deionized water; B) alkaline sources; C) detergent builders different from any of the above components; D) chelating agents different from any of the above components; E) nonionic surfactants, preferably a combination of nonionic surfactants: E1) cleaning agents; E2) foaming agents; and E3) wetting agents; F) anionic surfactants different from any of the above components; G) dispersants different from any of the above components, preferably anionic polymer dispersants; H) hydrotropes, preferably aromatic hydrotropes different from any of the above components; and I) an organic solvent different from any of the above components.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial cleaning agent composition for electronic device components that is particularly useful in the manufacturing process. The components to be cleaned can include any material having a bare, ceramicized, or anodized metal surface, including electronic device components having a metal surface with an oxide layer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cleaning agent composition that can be formulated to have a low level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is effective in removing polymer materials adhered within small boreholes of electronic components, as well as an apparatus and method for cleaning such components.

Background Art

[0002] During the manufacture of electronic devices and their fabricated metal components, unwanted substances, including but not limited to adhesives and sealants, can adhere to their surfaces. Since electronic devices, such as mobile phones, contain various delicate electronic components that are susceptible to damage by moisture, manufacturers need to waterproof (hereinafter also referred to as "seal") the devices by various means including polymer sealants, and in some cases, employ a vacuum impregnation process. The accumulation of the adhesive polymer materials used to seal electronic devices can be harmful, especially to the small bores for accommodating screws in subsequent assembly steps. Therefore, it is desirable to remove such unwanted polymer materials from the body and components, especially from the small screw holes made for the subsequent assembly of electronic devices. Considering that conventional cleaning materials and methods are often insufficient to remove the adhered polymer materials from bores and other small gaps without damaging the seal or components, there is a need in the art for an alternative composition that has a low volatile organic compound (VOC) level, does not corrode the surface of the electronic device, can be easily removed from the cleaned surface so as not to interfere with subsequent processing, has a short cycle time, and has effective cleaning performance for small holes. The present invention addresses this need.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In the waterproof treatment of mobile phones using vacuum impregnation (VI), a polymer dispersion is introduced into the gaps between the individual components (such as components and assemblies) that make up the outer surface of the mobile phone. After drying, whether or not there is curing or crosslinking, the mobile phone is sealed to prevent water intrusion. During the VI process, the polymer dispersion undesirably penetrates into small holes (such as screw holes) for receiving screws in later assembly. The polymer material remains in the bore, aggregates, and deposits of solid polymer material adhere to the surface of the hole, preventing the insertion of screws during subsequent assembly. Another area where deposits of polymer material accumulate is found where dissimilar metals are in contact.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] The present invention provides a cleaning agent and a cleaning method that effectively clean polymer deposits from the surface of electronic components, penetrate into inaccessible places such as small holes for screws, decompose deposits of solid polymers, facilitate the removal of residues of polymer materials from the bore, and prevent reattachment of the polymer material to the surface of the components. The aqueous cleaning agent contains at least one chelating agent that binds to inorganic contaminants such as polyvalent cations that contribute to the aggregation of polymers, at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one anionic surfactant, and one or more solvents. These components act synergistically to extract inorganic contaminants from the polymer, decompose deposits of solid polymers, and promote removal from the bore. The dispersant in the cleaning agent stabilizes the removed polymer material and prevents reattachment of the polymer material to the surface of the cleaned components.

[0005] (Summary of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to provide a liquid detergent concentrate composition and a liquid working detergent bath useful for removing a plurality of different types of polymer deposits, typically from a vacuum impregnation process, which are collectively referred to herein as "polymer material deposits" or "polymer deposits", such as gum-like solids containing associative cations and hard adherent solids and polymer material deposits at different metal contact points. Another object is to provide a method for removing polymer deposits from bores, holes, ends, corners, gaps on an article, without damaging other surfaces of the article, desirably in a short treatment time.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention ("Aspect 1"), A) water, preferably deionized water; B) at least one alkali source; C) at least one detergent builder different from any of the foregoing components; D) at least one chelating agent different from any of the foregoing components; E) one or more nonionic surfactants different from any of the foregoing components, preferably a combination of at least two nonionic surfactants: E1) detergent; E2) antifoaming agent; and E3) wetting agent; F) at least one anionic surfactant different from any of the foregoing components; G) at least one dispersant different from any of the foregoing components, preferably an anionic polymer dispersant; H) at least one hydrotrope different from any of the foregoing components; I) at least one organic solvent different from any of the foregoing components, preferably water-soluble There is provided a detergent composition for electronic device components comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of.

[0007] Further exemplary aspects of the present invention can each be independently combined with one or more other aspects and can be summarized as follows.

[0008] Aspect 2: D) The at least one chelating agent includes at least two chelating agents including a polycarboxylic acid chelating agent and a phosphonic acid chelating agent, preferably, the polycarboxylic acid chelating agent and the phosphonic acid chelating agent are hydroxy-substituted, the detergent composition of Aspect 1.

[0009] Aspect 3: Component E) The one or more nonionic surfactants are E1) At least one detergent selected from alkoxylated monoalcohols different from any of the foregoing components (the alkoxy group is selected from ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, and combinations thereof); E2) At least one defoaming agent different from any of the foregoing components selected from ethers, alcohols, and glycols, preferably an alcohol that is a diol; and E3) At least one wetting agent different from any of the foregoing components including two or more C8-C14 ethoxylated alcohols The detergent composition of Aspect 1 or 2.

[0010] Aspect 4: The one or more nonionic surfactants are at least three nonionic surfactants different from any of the foregoing components, E1) The detergent includes a plurality of nonionic surfactants including ethoxylated secondary alcohols and aromatic ethoxylated alcohols, E2) The defoaming agent includes a C8-C18 saturated or unsaturated branched diol, E3) The wetting agent includes a plurality of saturated C8-C14 alcohols having 2-20 moles of ethoxylation, preferably of the general formula: R3-(OCH 2 CH 2 ) n OH (E3) wherein R3 is an alkyl of C6-C18, preferably an alkyl of C8-C14, n is in the range of 1-30, preferably 2-24, more preferably 1-12) including one or more ethoxylated alcohols corresponding to The detergent composition according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3.

[0011] Aspect 5: F) The detergent composition according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein at least one anionic surfactant is selected from alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl phosphonates, alkyl sulfosuccinates, and their ethoxylated analogs.

[0012] Aspect 6: G) The detergent composition according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, comprising an anionic organic polymer dispersant, wherein at least one dispersant has an MW in the range of about 5,000 to about 10,000 grams / mol and contains one or more polar or dissociable functional groups selected from hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), sulfonate, sulfate, amino (-NH 2 ), imino (-NH-), and polyoxyethylene (-CH 2 CH 2 O-). Desirably, the anionic organic polymer dispersant is selected from condensed naphthalene sulfonic acid, condensed 1-naphthol 6-sulfonic acid, fatty alcohol ethylene oxide condensate, alkyl aryl sulfonate; lignin sulfonate; sulfonic acid polyacrylic acid (PAA), polymethacrylic acid (PMAA); and their salts.

[0013] Aspect 7: H) The detergent composition according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein at least one hydrotrope comprises one or more of butylbenzene sulfonate, sodium benzoate, sodium benzene sulfonate, sodium benzene disulfonate, sodium m-nitrobenzene sulfonate, sodium butyl monoglycol sulfate, sodium cinnamate, sodium cumene sulfonate, sodium p-toluenesulfonate, sodium salicylate, sodium xylene sulfonate, and combinations thereof.

[0014] Aspect 8: I) A cleaning agent composition according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein at least one organic solvent comprises a glycol ether, a glycol ether ester, or a combination thereof. The general term "glycol ether" includes monoglycol ethers and polyglycol ethers, and the general term "glycol ether ester" includes monoglycol ether esters and polyglycol ether esters. Desirably, at least one organic solvent may comprise one or more of ethylene glycol phenyl ether, propylene glycol phenyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate; diethylene glycol monohexyl ether; bis-dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether adipate; and combinations thereof.

[0015] Aspect 9: A method for cleaning an electronic device component, comprising the following steps, · contacting the surface of a product, component, or assembly (parts) thereof with a cleaning agent composition according to any one of the foregoing aspects, · optionally, inducing movement of the cleaning agent composition over the surface of the parts, · maintaining contact between the cleaning agent composition and the surface of the parts for a time sufficient to remove polymer material residues from the surface of the parts, particularly from the holes and bores of the parts, · removing the parts from the cleaning agent composition, · rinsing the residual cleaning agent composition and polymer material residues from the surface of the parts, · optionally drying the parts, A method comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of the above.

[0016] Aspect 10: The method according to Aspect 9, wherein the electronic device component has a low mass in the range of about 2 grams to about 50 grams and / or a complex shape, and the contacting step is carried out at a temperature of less than 90°C, desirably from about 15°C to about 75°C, most preferably from about 20°C to about 40°C.

[0017] Aspect 11: The method according to aspect 9 or 10, wherein the contacting step is for a time in the range of about 0.5 to 15 minutes, preferably about 1 to 10 minutes, and most preferably about 2 to 7 minutes.

[0018] Aspect 12: The method according to aspect 9 or 10 or 11, wherein the electronic device component comprises a bare, ceramized or anodized metal surface, and the metal surface comprises at least one of aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or stainless steel.

[0019] Desirably, the liquid detergent composition is environmentally friendly and does not contain alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) having a C8 - C9 chain of carbon atoms bonded to a phenol ring, such as nonylphenol ethoxylate; does not contain formaldehyde, and does not contain unsubstituted aromatic solvents such as benzene, toluene, xylene, etc., and is a low-content volatile organic compound. As used herein, the term "volatile organic compound" (VOC) is defined as a carbon-containing compound excluding methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metal carbides or metal carbonates, ammonium carbonate, and other excluded compounds based on 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §51.100(s) - having a vapor pressure of at least 0.01 kPa at standard room temperature (EC Directive 1999 / 13 / EC). The measurement of the VOC emission of the composition of the present invention should be carried out in accordance with ASTM standard test method D2369 - 90.

[0020] For ease of use and safety, the detergent concentrate composition desirably has a high flash point, preferably higher than 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, 98, 99 °C in order.

[0021] The term "solvent" means a liquid other than water that functions as a medium for at least partially dissolving a solute, such as a component of a cleaning composition or a cleaning concentrate according to the present disclosure, such as a nonionic surfactant, and / or at least partially dissolving or dispersing a contaminant, such as an aggregated polymeric material. The solvents used herein can include organic molecules, inorganic molecules, and mixtures thereof, unless otherwise defined in the description.

[0022] The term "soluble" with respect to any component means that the component acts as a "solute" that dissolves in water, a solvent or a solvent system or composition to form a solution that does not form a separate phase, whether liquid or solid, e.g., a precipitate.

[0023] For various reasons, the compositions and concentrates disclosed herein preferably substantially do not contain many components that can be used in compositions for the same purpose in the prior art. Specifically, at least some embodiments of the coating compositions or concentrates according to the present invention, independently for each of the components preferably minimized as listed below, in the given order, 1.0, 0.5, 0.35, 0.10, 0.08, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.001, or 0.0002 percent, more preferably grams / liter, and even more preferably ppm, each component below said numerical value: By way of non-limiting example, organic materials containing any silicon or fluorine atoms, fluorinated surfactants, organosilanes and similar molecules; cationic surfactants; aromatic solvents such as benzene, toluene, xylene; and likewise other volatile organic compounds such as d-limonene, acetone, ethanol, 2-propanol, hexanol; imidazole; insoluble solids such as fillers, abrasives, for example calcium carbonate, silica, oxidizing agents such as peroxides and peracids, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorates, chlorites, hypochlorites, perborates, hexavalent chromium, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and nitrate ions; likewise, formaldehyde, formamide, cyanides, cyanates; rare earth metals; boron, for example borax, borates; strontium; and / or free halogen ions, for example fluorides, chlorides, bromides, or iodides. Also, at least some embodiments of the surface to be cleaned according to the present invention, independently of each of the components preferably minimized listed above, in the given order, 1.0, 0.5, 0.35, 0.10, 0.08, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.001, or 0.0002 percent, and even more preferably each component below said numerical value at one thousandth (ppt). In certain embodiments, the compositions of the present invention do not contain one or more of the minimal components listed above.

[0024] The simple terms "metal" or "metallic" are understood by those skilled in the art to mean a material composed of atoms of a metallic element, such as aluminum or iron, whether an article or a surface, and the metallic element is more preferably present in an amount of at least 55, 65, 75, 85, or 95 atomic percent, in the given order. A bare metal surface is understood to mean a metal surface without a coating layer, excluding the naturally occurring oxides derived from the metal surface due to aging in air and / or water. An anodized metal substrate is understood to mean a metal substrate having a layer of metal oxide formed on the bare metal surface of the metal article by passing an electric current through the metal article as an anode in the presence of an electrolyte, and the oxide coating includes metals from the electrolyte in addition to the metal from the metal substrate. A ceramicized metal substrate means a metal surface having a coating containing oxides, carbides, borides, nitrides, or silicides, and these coatings can be deposited by various means known in the art, such as plasma spray, HVOF, chemical vapor deposition, etc.

[0025] Except in the case of operating examples or unless otherwise instructed, all numerical values defining the amounts of ingredients, reaction conditions, or ingredient parameters used in this specification should be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." Throughout the description, unless otherwise stated, percent, "parts," and ratio values are by weight or mass, and the description of a group or class of materials suitable or preferred for a given purpose related to the present invention means the following. That any mixture of two or more of the members of the group or class is equally suitable or preferred; the description of a constituent in chemical terms means the constituent when added to or in situ in any combination specified in the description within the composition by a chemical reaction between one or more newly added constituents and one or more constituents already present in the composition when other constituents are added, and the specification of an ionic constituent further means the presence of sufficient counterions to create electrical neutrality for the entire composition and any substances added to the composition; the counterions thus implicitly specified are preferably selected from among the other constituents explicitly specified in ionic form as much as possible; otherwise, such counterions can be freely selected except to avoid counterions that have an adverse effect on the purpose of the present invention; the molecular weight (MW) is the weight average molecular weight unless otherwise specified; the term "mole" means "gram mole," and all of the word itself and its grammatical variations can be used for any chemical species defined by all types and numbers of atoms present therein, regardless of whether the species is an ion, neutral, unstable, hypothetical, or actually a stable neutral substance with a clearly defined molecule.

[0026] This section provides a general overview of the disclosure and does not disclose it in its full scope, including all features, aspects, and purposes. These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The drawings accompanying the detailed description will be described below.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] (Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments) In a first embodiment of the present invention, a cleaning agent is provided that is useful for removing polymer deposits adhering from hard-to-reach locations on metal components of an electronic device. In certain embodiments, the cleaning agent penetrates into small diameter (e.g., dead-end screw holes in a cellular phone assembly made of anodized aluminum having a diameter of 0.5 - 2 mm or an average diameter of 1 mm) and removes polymer deposits / aggregated latex particles adhering to the surface of the bore of the screw hole.

[0028] The cleaning agent operates under mild cleaning conditions as described herein. Examples of non-limiting operating conditions include an ambient temperature of 20 - 38 °C, short immersion times, low cleaning agent concentrations, and do not require ultrasonic or electrolytic energy. Another advantage of the cleaning agent and the process using it is that the mild cleaning conditions do not adversely affect other parts of the metal component assembly. For example, the surfaces of anodized or ceramized metals, particularly aluminum, are not affected by the cleaning process. The mild processing conditions also allow the polymer deposits of a cellular phone waterproofed by vacuum impregnation (VI) to be cleaned without damaging the polymer seals of the phone generated by VI.

[0029] This cleaning agent is useful in the process of waterproofing a mobile phone using vacuum impregnation (VI) of a polymer composition. In one embodiment, a viscous high solids latex polymer composition is forced into the gaps between the individual components that make up the outer surface of the mobile phone. As used herein, latex means a dispersion of fine polymer particles in water, and it is desirable that the particles do not separate or aggregate due to ionic or steric stability. Ionic stability is the result of ionic charges on the particles, which creates a repulsive force that prevents aggregation. Steric stability occurs when the surface of the polymer particles spreads in the solution and the particles are kept physically separated. After drying, this polymer forms a flexible seal that prevents water intrusion. However, during the VI process, the polymer solution also penetrates into hard-to-reach places (such as screw holes) that are not sealed before further assembly. When the latex polymer composition is forced into holes, bores, and other hard-to-reach places, it tends to adhere to the sides and form blockages that cannot be removed with conventional cleaning agents.

[0030] Another problem occurs with articles pretreated in a previous process. Due to limitations in mass transfer, in VI-impregnated articles, chemicals from these same hard-to-reach places from a previous process (such as anodization or sealing of aluminum) are often not completely removed, and as a result, polyvalent cations, such as Al from anodization +3 and / or Ni from an anodization seal +2There may be residual contamination. When the inert polymer latex is pushed into these hard-to-reach places, the residual polyvalent cations crosslink between the anionic functional groups of the adjacent latex particles, reducing the electrostatic repulsive force between the latex particles. If the electrostatic repulsive force is insufficient, the latex particles may aggregate into solid polymer deposits. These polymer deposits are usually almost impossible to remove using ordinary detergents and / or washing processes due to the chemical stability (i.e., equilibrium) of the deposits and / or the limitation of mass transfer (i.e., kinetics) when the chemicals of the detergent reach hard-to-reach places. When the polymer deposits in these hard-to-reach places, further assembly of the mobile phone is hindered. For example, it is impossible to easily pass a screw through a clogged screw hole.

[0031] The detergent according to the present invention effectively penetrates into these hard-to-reach places. Although not bound by a single theory, it is believed that the chelating agent in the formulation binds more strongly to the polyvalent ions than the anionic functional groups of the polymer deposit, thereby extracting the polyvalent cations from the deposit into the chelating agent-ion complex in the liquid detergent phase, decomposing the solid deposit, and enabling the removal of the polymer material from the hard-to-reach places. The dispersant in the detergent tends to stabilize the residue of the removed polymer material and prevent it from redepositing on the washed article. These advantages are particularly important in the mass production of mobile phones because individual mobile phones cannot be inspected due to the production speed. Furthermore, since the detergent is very effective, it does not require extreme process conditions (such as high temperature, long immersion time, ultrasonic energy, etc.) in the detergent tank. Without such extreme process conditions, the removal of the polymer from the places that need to be sealed to maintain water tightness is minimized.

[0032] This detergent is a particularly effective combination of a plurality of functional components including an alkali source, a detergent builder, a chelating agent, a dispersant, a surfactant, a wetting agent, a nonionic surfactant including an antifoaming agent, a hydrotrope, a solvent, etc. The liquid detergent composition can be a detergent concentrate composition or a working detergent bath composition as described in more detail below and defined in the appended claims.

[0033] The liquid detergent bath composition comprises A) water; B) at least one alkali source; C) at least one detergent builder different from any of the foregoing components; D) at least one chelating agent different from any of the foregoing components; E) one or more nonionic surfactants, preferably a combination of at least two nonionic surfactants, different from any of the foregoing components: E1) a surfactant; E2) an antifoaming agent; and E3) a wetting agent; F) at least one anionic surfactant different from any of the foregoing components; G) at least one dispersant different from any of the foregoing components, for example, an anionic polymer dispersant; H) at least one hydrotrope different from any of the foregoing components; I) at least one organic solvent different from any of the foregoing components comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of.

[0034] The composition may further comprise additives including, but not limited to, oxidizing agents, emulsifiers, acidic pH adjusters, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, preservatives, etc.

[0035] In the cleaning composition, components containing Si or F that tend to interfere with downstream processing and / or subsequent adhesion are minimized. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition does not contain organic materials containing silicon or fluorine atoms such as, by way of non-limiting example, fluorinated surfactants, organosilanes, and similar molecules.

[0036] Component A) of water may be tap water as long as the mineral content or other contaminants do not interfere with the objectives of the present invention, and may desirably be filtered water, deionized water, or distilled water. Component A) is desirably minimized in the cleaning concentrate composition in a state where there is sufficient water to dissolve the water-soluble components and maintain a stable dispersion. Desirably, the water in the cleaning concentrate composition is in the range of about 50 to 75% by weight, optionally, the water may be present in amounts of at least preferably 30, 35, 40, 50, 55, 60, 65, or 70% by weight in order of preference. In some embodiments, the cleaning concentrate may contain about 75 to 80% by weight or more. An amount of water in the cleaning concentrate composition in excess of 80% by weight may be included under the condition that appropriate cleaning performance and stability are achieved at 1% to 10% by weight in the cleaning working bath. In one embodiment, the water is present in an amount of at least 50, 51, 52, 53, or 54% by weight, in order of preference, based on the weight of the cleaning concentrate composition, and is present at a maximum of 68, 66, 64, 62, 60, or 58% by weight, in order of preference. In a cleaner working tank, the water may be present in an amount of about 99, 97, 95, or 90% by weight or less.

[0037] Component B) At least one alkali source can be an inorganic or organic alkali component soluble in the cleaning concentrate that does not interfere with the objectives of the present invention. Suitable materials that can serve as the alkali source include NaOH, KOH, NH 4Alkanolamines such as OH, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and similar alkaline components can be mentioned. In one embodiment, the alkali source includes inorganic and organic compounds. Desirably, component B) is present in an amount sufficient to achieve a cleaner concentrate pH in the range of about 4 to about 10, and desirably, the concentrate can have a pH range of about 6 to about 9. The total amount of the alkaline component contained in the concentrated detergent varies depending on the type and amount of the acidic component used in the concentrated detergent. Desirably, the amount of component B) is from about 1 wt% to less than 10 wt%; preferably in the range of about 1 wt% to about 5%. In one embodiment, at least one alkali source is present in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH of the concentrated detergent within the range of about 8.0 to 8.5. In some embodiments, an acidic pH adjuster can be used in addition to component B), or an acidic pH adjuster may not be present.

[0038] Component C) For example, hardness ions (e.g., Ca ++ and Mg ++) having one or more functions for reducing the harmful activity of at least one water-soluble detergent builder aids in the removal (optionally the emulsification) of non-polar components of the polymer material deposit, peptizes particulate polymer material residues, buffers in the desired pH range, and reduces the redeposition of polymer material residues by stabilizing the dispersed polymer material in the detergent. The choice of builder can be made based on the solubility of the builder in water and in the concentrate, as well as the deposits of the polymer material to be removed. Suitable detergent builders are water-soluble and can include inorganic phosphates, inorganic silicates, inorganic carbonates, zeolites, etc. Water-soluble silicates and phosphates having Na, K, Li, and quaternary ammonium counterions are preferred. Non-limiting examples of inorganic silicates include sodium silicate and potassium silicate. Non-limiting examples of inorganic phosphates include monophosphates such as trisodium phosphate (TSP), sodium metaphosphate (SMP), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP), tetrapotassium pyrophosphate (TKPP), metaphosphates, polyphosphates, and pyrophosphates. Component C) is present in an amount of at least preferably in order of preference 0.1 to 5.0% by weight, preferably about 0.2 to 4.5% by weight, preferably about 0.5 to 3% by weight, based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, component C) is present in an amount of at least preferably in order of preference 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 or 0.7% by weight, and at least preferably economically 7.0, 6.0, 5.0, 4.7, 4.0, 3.5 or 2.5% by weight or less in order of preference.

[0039] Component D) At least one chelating agent is a water-soluble compound different from any of the aforementioned components and containing polar functional groups capable of chelating metals and / or metal ions. The chelating agent of component D) may be of various types, including organic materials such as carboxylic acids or inorganic materials such as polyphosphates. The chelating agent tends to form water-soluble polycoordination complexes with metal ions, especially polyvalent metals (non-limiting examples include aluminum, magnesium, or nickel), thereby promoting the removal of metal ions from solid polymer materials in areas where pores, holes, and other regions where the contact between the detergent and the surface is restricted. The ability of about 25 different chelating agents to affect solid polymer materials was tested. The test results, as further described below, showed that chelating agents useful in the present invention induce the desorption of metal ions associated with the polymer materials adhering to the surface of the article being cleaned. While the metal ions are being chelated, other components of the detergent composition act synergistically with the chelating agent to remove the solid polymer materials. In one embodiment, component D) includes a plurality of different chelating agents, preferably at least two chelating agents.

[0040] Suitable chelating agents include aminoalkanoic acids and their salts, such as alkylene poly tertiary amine polycarboxylic acids and their salts; more specifically, amine main chain molecules having acid functional groups such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, sodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and trisodium N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetetraacetate. Other alkylene polyamine alkanoic acids include ethylenediaminediacetic acid, ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriamine diacetic acid, diethylenetriamine triacetic acid, diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid, triethylenetetramine diacetic acid, triethylenetetramine triacetic acid, triethylenetetramine tetraacetic acid, triethylenetetramine pentaacetic acid, triethylenetetramine hexaacetic acid, tetraethylenepentamine diacetic acid, tetraethylenepentamine triacetic acid, tetraethylenepentamine tetraacetic acid, tetraethylenepentamine pentaacetic acid, tetraethylenepentamine hexaacetic acid, tetraethylenepentamine heptaacetic acid, N-hydroxymethylethylenediamine diacetic acid, N-hydroxymethylethylenediamine triacetic acid, N-hydroxyethylethylenediamine diacetic acid, N-hydroxypropyl ethylenediamine diacetic acid, N-hydroxypropyl ethylenediamine triacetic acid, N-hydroxypropyl propylenediamine diacetic acid, N-hydroxypropyl propylenediamine triacetic acid, N-hydroxybutyl ethylenediamine diacetic acid, N-hydroxybutyl ethylenediamine triacetic acid, N-hydroxypropyl propylenediamine diacetic acid, N-hydroxypropyl propylenediamine triacetic acid, and N-hydroxyalkyl alkylene polyamines containing the same; similarly, the corresponding propionic acid derivatives, butyric acid derivatives, and sodium salts of the above compounds are also included.

[0041] Other non-limiting examples of chelating agents that can be used in the present invention include phosphorus-containing chelating agents containing phosphonic acid, such as EDTA-like phosphonic acids and their salts, those in which the phosphonic acid functional group is replaced by a carboxylic acid functional group, for example, ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid), unsubstituted or substituted bisphosphonic acids and their salts, such as, methylenephosphonic acid; methylenediphosphonic acid; 1-hydroxyethylidene bisphosphonic acid; 3-amino-1-hydroxypropylidene-diphosphonic acid; 4-amino-1-hydroxybutylidene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid; 6-amino-1-hydroxyhexylidene)diphosphonic acid, etc.; Similarly, phosphorylated alcohols such as phytic acid and its salts are also included. Other suitable chelating agents include alkyl carboxylic acids and their salts, hydroxy-substituted carboxylic acids and their salts, etc.; polycarboxylic acids and their salts that may have hydroxy substitution. In one embodiment, the alkyl carboxylic acid includes acids having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, preferably 4 to 6 carbon atoms, at least one carbon having a carboxylic acid functional group (-COOH), and preferably further including at least one hydroxy (-OH) functional group. Non-limiting examples thereof include citric acid, gluconic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid. In one embodiment, ascorbic acid ((2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-3,4-dihydroxy-2H-furan-5-one) acts as a chelating agent.

[0042] Component D) may be present in an amount of about 0.2 to 25% by weight, desirably about 0.5 to 10% by weight, preferably about 1.0 to 4.0% by weight, based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, component D) is present in an amount of at least 0.5, 0.75, 0.8, 1.0, 1.4, 1.8, or 2.0% by weight, in preferred order, and is 25.0, 23.0, 21.0, 19.0, 17.0, 16.0, 12.0, 10.0, 8.0, 6.0, or 4.0% by weight or less, in preferred order.

[0043] Component E) of one or more nonionic surfactants is different from any of the aforementioned components and preferably contains at least one, and more preferably at least two, of the following components. E1) A detergent composed of an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, which means having both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic uncharged region. Examples of nonionic surfactants include glycosides (sugar alcohols); sorbitol fatty acid esters; polyoxyethylene such as polyether alcohols, castor oil ethoxylates, and tallow amine ethoxylates; and esters such as phosphate esters and polyethylene glycol esters. Generally, polyether alcohols may contain alkoxylated C6 - C14 aromatics or alkanes, and primary or secondary alcohols. Preferably, E1) can contain a nonionic detergent containing an alkoxylated alcohol containing an alkoxy group selected from ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, and combinations thereof. The alkoxylation can be, preferably, an ethoxylated alcohol, such as a PO - EO block, random alkoxylation, or an alkoxy group block with a hydrophilic EO end - cap. Primary alcohol ethoxylates, secondary alcohol ethoxylates, and benzyl alcohol ethoxylates are preferred. In a preferred embodiment, the detergent contains a plurality of nonionic surfactants, and one of the plurality of surfactants is an aromatic ethoxylated non - APE alcohol.

[0044] An antifoaming agent containing a nonionic surfactant different from other components of the present specification. The antifoaming agent is added to prevent or inhibit the generation of foam in the detergent formulation. Generally, these agents are poorly soluble or partially soluble in the detergent, spread easily on the foamy surface, have an affinity for the gas-liquid surface, where the agent destabilizes the lamella of the foam, causing the bubbles to rupture and destroying the surface foam. The entrained bubbles coalesce, and the larger bubbles rise to the surface of the bulk liquid more quickly. Commonly used antifoaming agents contained in detergents, such as nonionic surfactants, include stearates, hydrophobic insoluble particles, ethers, alcohols, and glycols, as long as they do not overly interfere with performance, leave residues on the part surface, or have an adverse effect on subsequent processing. Desirably, E2) does not include silicon-containing and fluorine-containing antifoaming agents. In one embodiment, the antifoaming agent may include a C8-C18 saturated or unsaturated branched diol. Preferred antifoaming agents include amphiphilic nonionic surfactants, such as saturated polyhydric alcohols, such as propane 1,2,3-triol; unsaturated polyhydric alcohols, such as acetylene diols, such as so-called gemini surfactants, 2,5,8,11-tetramethyl-6-dodecine-5,8-diol; saturated linear polyhydric alcohols and unsaturated linear polyhydric alcohols, such as diols, triols, etc.

[0045] A wetting agent consisting of one or more nonionic surfactants selected from molecules having 1 mol or more of ethoxylation, different from any of the other components of the present specification. Suitable wetting agents include polyether alcohols, typically ethoxylated alkyl alcohols having at least 1 mol of ethoxylation, such as C8-C18 alcohols having 2-25 mol of ethoxylation. The wetting agent may include diethylene glycol monoesters of fatty acids having 8, 9, and 10 carbon atoms, and triethylene glycol monoesters of fatty acids having 9 and 10 carbon atoms. Component E3 may include a mixture of suitable wetting agents. Desirably, component E3 includes a mixture of C8-C14 alcohols having 2-20 mol of ethoxylation.

[0046] In one embodiment, the wetting agent comprises one or more ethoxylated alcohols corresponding to general formula E3: R3-(OCH 2 CH 2 ) n OH (E3) wherein R3 is C6 - C18 alkyl, preferably C8 - C14 alkyl, and n ranges from 1 to 30, preferably from 2 to 24, more preferably from 1 to 12.

[0047] The wetting agent desirably has a static surface tension of less than about 34, 33, 32, 31, or 30 and less than or equal to about 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, or 27, and a Draves wetting time of 75, 72, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, or 10 seconds or less. Preferably, the Draves wetting time is minimized in the range of 1 to 30 seconds, most preferably in the range of 3 to 10 seconds.

[0048] Component E) of the one or more nonionic surfactants is present in a total amount in the range of about 1.0 to 30.0 wt%, preferably about 2.0 to 25.0 wt%, more preferably about 2.5 to 21.0 wt%, even more preferably 5.0 to 15.0 wt% based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, component E) is present in an amount of at least 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 or 7.0 wt% in order of preference and in an amount of 28.0, 26.0, 25.0, 23.0, 20.0, 19.0, 17.0, 16.0, 13.0, 11.0 or 10.0 wt% or less in order of preference. The aforementioned amounts of component E) are the sum of the amounts of detergents, antifoaming agents, wetting agents, or nonionic surfactants present as a combination of two or more of E1), E2) and E3). In one embodiment, at least 0.01 to 5.0 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 2.0 wt% of component E) present in the concentrate composition is the antifoaming agent E2). Also, the nonionic surfactants of component E are described as if each has a single distinct function for clarity, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the chemical nature of a single nonionic surfactant can fulfill several functions, such as detergency, dispersibility, wetting, etc., simultaneously, albeit to a greater or lesser extent. In some embodiments, the nonionic surfactant compound can provide a combination of two or more of the antifoaming effect, wetting effect, and cleaning effect.

[0049] Component F), at least one anionic surfactant, is, unlike any of the aforementioned components, a water-soluble compound containing a functional group capable of dispersing the polymer material and / or metal ions removed from the surface of the part and preventing the residues of these polymer materials from redepositing on the cleaned surface of the part. The anionic surfactant of component F) may be of various types such as alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl phosphonates, alkyl sulfosuccinates, and their ethoxylated analogs, and examples include sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate. Component F) may be present in an amount of at least preferably 1.0 to 10.0% by weight, desirably about 2.0 to 8.0% by weight, in order of preference, based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, component F) is present in an amount of at least preferably 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0% by weight, and is preferably 13.0, 12.0, 11.0, 10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, or 6.0% by weight or less, in order of preference.

[0050] Component G), at least one dispersant, is, unlike any of the aforementioned components, hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), sulfonate, sulfate, amino (-NH 2 )), imino (-NH-), and polyoxyethylene (-CH 2 CH 2It may contain an anionic organic polymer dispersant having one or more polar functional groups or dissociable functional groups such as an O-) group. The polymer dispersant may have an MW in the range of about 5,000 to about 10,000 grams / mole. Contaminant particles, for example, polymer materials removed by a detergent and present in an aqueous working detergent bath, may tend to aggregate if the polymer van der Waals attraction is greater than the electrostatic repulsion. A suitable dispersant causes steric hindrance and electrostatic stabilization between the residual particles of the polymer material and prevents aggregation of the particles. Suitable anionic polymer dispersants include formaldehyde condensates of any of naphthalene sulfonic acid, cresol, 1-naphthol 6-sulfonic acid, fatty alcohol ethylene oxide condensates, alkyl aryl sulfonates or lignin sulfonates, and condensed naphthalene sulfonic acid and its salts are preferred. Further examples of anionic polymer dispersants include polyacrylic acid (PAA), polymethacrylic acid (PMAA), and other suitable polyacrylates and polymethacrylates. Component G) is present in an amount of at least preferably 1.0 to 10.0% by weight, desirably about 2.0 to 8.0% by weight, based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, component G) is present in an amount of at least preferably 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.5 or 6.0% by weight, and is preferably 15.0, 14.0, 13.0, 12.0, 11.0, 10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0% by weight or less, in that order.

[0051] Component H) is at least one organic hydrotrope, which is different from any of the aforementioned components, and one of its functions is to increase the ability of water to dissolve poorly soluble organic molecules, thereby enhancing the stability of the detergent concentrate and the detergent bath. As used herein, a hydrotrope refers to a water-soluble anionic compound containing small, typically C6-C10, desirably C6-C9 molecules. These non-polymer molecules have a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion that increase the solubility of organic materials in the aqueous phase. The hydrotropes used herein are distinguished from the anionic surfactants of Component F) by their size differences. Surfactants have long hydrocarbon chains, while hydrotropes are characterized by an essentially hydrophobic, short and compact portion (not necessarily an aromatic ring in many cases). The weight average molecular weight of the hydrotrope is in the range of about 100 g / mol to about 250 g / mol or less, which is smaller than both the molecules of Component F) and Component G).

[0052] In some embodiments, the hydrotrope can increase the solubility of the organic solvent in water by 20-fold or more, which can help to stabilize the solution, change the viscosity, increase the cloud point, limit low-temperature phase separation, and / or reduce foaming. Suitable hydrotropes can be composed of an alkyl, aromatic or alkoxy hydrophobic moiety, preferably aromatic, substituted by one or more hydrophilic groups such as a sulfate group, a sulfonate group, a nitro group, or a carboxylic acid group, with aromatic sulfonates being preferred. Non-limiting examples of hydrotropes include butylbenzene sulfonate, sodium benzoate, sodium benzene sulfonate, sodium benzene disulfonate, sodium m-nitrobenzene sulfonate, sodium butyl monoglycol sulfate, sodium cinnamate, sodium cumene sulfonate, sodium p-toluenesulfonate, sodium salicylate, sodium xylene sulfonate and combinations thereof. Component (H) is present in an amount sufficient to stabilize the detergent concentrate composition. Generally, the hydrotrope can be present in an amount of at least preferably in order of preference 2 to 20% by weight, desirably about 4 to about 18% by weight, preferably about 5.0 to 15% by weight, based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, component (H) is present in an amount of at least preferably in order of preference 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 13% by weight, and preferably in order of preference at least economically 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, or 14% by weight or less.

[0053] Component I) At least one organic solvent different from any of the aforementioned components can be selected from glycol ether esters such as glycol ethers, monoglycols or polyglycol ethers, monoglycols or polyglycol ether esters, and combinations thereof. Suitable organic solvents include ethylene glycol phenyl ether, propylene glycol phenyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether; diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate; diethylene glycol monohexyl ether; bis dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether adipate, non-HAP, glycol ether esters with a typical VOC content of less than 0.5% according to ASTM D6886; dibasic ester derivatives of short-branched alkyl chain dicarboxylic acids such as dimethyl (2-methylglutarate), etc. Component I) can be present in an amount of at least preferably 1.0 to 20.0% by weight, desirably 2.0 to 10.0% by weight or 2.5 to 9.5% by weight, in order of preference, based on the weight of the detergent concentrate composition. In one embodiment, Component I) is present in an amount of at least preferably 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9% by weight, and in order of preference, is at most 20.0, 19.0, 17.0, 16.0, 15.0, 14.0, 13.0, 12.0, 11.0 or 10.0% by weight.

[0054] The composition may further contain additives including, but not limited to, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, preservatives, etc. The pH adjuster may be an organic acid or an inorganic acid that does not contain Si, Cl, or F as long as it does not interfere with the object of the present invention. Preferably, a thickener or an abrasive is not contained in the composition.

[0055] The above concentrations represent the amounts of the components in the detergent concentrate composition. Although the concentrate can be used without dilution, it is desirable to achieve the use concentration of the detergent by diluting the concentrate, at least considering economy. Preferably, the working bath of the detergent composition may be reduced to a 10.0 wt% dilution of the concentrate or, if the cleaning performance is sufficient, down to a 1.0 wt% dilution. Any dilution of the concentrate that does not interfere with the object of the present invention, for example, incomplete rinsing or precipitation during use, can be used, but it is generally unnecessary and uneconomical.

[0056] The detergent concentrate composition of the present invention can be prepared by mixing its components with the water of component A). Desirably, components with low solubility in water can be added simultaneously with or after the hydrotrope. If necessary, a solvent is finally added and the composition is mixed until a homogeneous solution or dispersion is obtained. An additional component B) at least one alkali source can be added regardless of the presence or absence of an acidic pH adjuster for correcting the pH.

[0057] Products, components, or assemblies thereof (hereinafter, parts) having surfaces with adherent polymeric materials to be removed (hereinafter, contaminants or polymeric material deposits), particularly electronic device components, are also provided with a method of cleaning. Desirably, a working liquid detergent bath at a concentration in the range of about 1 wt% to about 10 wt% of the liquid detergent concentrate composition disclosed herein is used in this process. The surface to be cleaned can comprise any material, but typically comprises at least one of metal, anodized metal, ceramized metal, or similar metal-coated surfaces. Generally, the metal can be selected from aluminum, titanium, magnesium, stainless steel, and other metals desirable for use in outer portions of handheld electronic devices such as mobile phones. The part may in some cases have tapped holes or bores, or other orifices having deposits of polymeric material therein, which are particularly difficult to remove. Further, due to consumer demands for lightweight handheld electronic devices, the substrate to be cleaned may have a low mass (about 2 to 50 grams) and / or a complex shape, for which a detergent is required and a process that desirably avoids harsh conditions and / or long immersion times is required.

[0058] The method according to the present invention utilizes the detergent composition described herein, and the method comprises the following steps: 1) contacting the surface of the product, component, or assembly thereof (the part) with the detergent composition described herein, 2) optionally, inducing movement of the detergent composition over the surface of the part, which can desirably be achieved by bubbling air through the detergent or vibrating the rack to which the part is fixed, 3) maintaining contact between the detergent composition and the surface of the part for a time sufficient to remove polymeric material residues from the surface of the part, particularly from the holes and bores of the part, 4) removing the part from the detergent composition, 5) rinsing the residual detergent composition and polymeric material residues from the surface of the part, 6) optionally drying the part.

[0059] A typical cleaning agent line contains 3 to 10 tanks. The first few contain various dilutions of a cleaning agent concentrate that forms the working cleaning agent bath, and the last few contain water that functions to wash away residual cleaning agent and residues of the polymeric material from the parts. The temperature, immersion time, and type of agitation vary from tank to tank, but generally the conditions are more severe at the beginning of the line (higher temperature, type of agitation, etc.) and become milder towards the end of the line. Usually, the assembly to be cleaned is removably attached to a rack for transport through the processing line. Desirably, the rack with the removably attached assembly is immersed in a tank containing at least one of the above-mentioned working cleaning baths. Various means are provided to induce movement of the cleaning agent bath relative to the part surface. Typical means include a bubbling device that passes air or an inert gas through the operating cleaning device, and ultrasonic energy that can be applied during the cleaning process as long as it does not adversely affect the parts being cleaned. A rack that is movable within the tank during the contacting step is also useful and can be in the form of rotational, vibrational, pendulum-type, wavy, etc. motions, which may include motion in any of the x, y, or z directions relative to the longitudinal axis of the rack. Although not economically preferred, there is a possibility that the tank containing the cleaning agent bath or the parts stored in the rack may move or vibrate. During the residence time in the washer, a device that induces movement of the cleaning liquid bath relative to at least between the parts and the part surface for the contact time can be operated.

[0060] This process is desirably carried out at ambient temperature (about 20 - 40 °C) for economic and environmental protection purposes, but can also be carried out at low temperatures down to about 5 °C or high temperatures up to a maximum of 90 °C, provided that the temperature does not interfere with the objectives of the present invention, for example, does not adversely affect the waterproof material or other base materials within the assembly being cleaned, or does not induce phase separation of the cleaning agent or excessive solid precipitation. For example, the cleaning temperature can desirably be, in descending order of preference, from at least about 4.5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 32, 35 or 38 °C, and, in descending order of preference, up to about 90, 80, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, or 42 °C. The temperature refers to the average working cleaning agent bath temperature during the contact step of the cleaning. In one embodiment, the temperature can be in the range of about 15 °C to about 75 °C. Since the processing time in electronic device manufacturing is short, the contact time between the parts and the working cleaning agent bath is desirably in the range of about 1 - 10 minutes, preferably 2 - 4 minutes. Shorter cleaning times can also be used if the requirements of the manufacturing line are met.

[0061] In one embodiment, the contact step includes the step of immersing the parts in the cleaning agent composition. In some embodiments, the cleaning process may not apply ultrasonic and / or electrolytic energy. In another embodiment, ultrasonic energy may be applied during the cleaning process, provided that it does not adversely affect the polymer seal that is intentionally introduced into the gaps between the individual parts constituting the parts and dries the seal assembly after drying.

[0062] Inducing the movement of the cleaning agent composition relative to the surface may include bubbling air into the cleaning tank containing the cleaning agent composition and the parts to be cleaned, moving the parts within the cleaning agent composition such as by ultrasonic waves, and / or stirring the cleaning agent composition.

[0063] In certain embodiments, the "polymer material deposit" to be cleaned may be a solid or semi-solid organic polymer material, and may include a solid polymer material containing an organic polymer and a transition metal element.

[0064] In this specification, embodiments are described so that clear and concise descriptions can be provided, but it is intended and understood that the embodiments can be variously combined or separated without departing from the present invention. For example, it will be understood that all the preferred features described in this specification are applicable to all aspects of the present invention described herein.

[0065] In some embodiments, the present invention can be construed as excluding elements or process steps that do not substantially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the composition, article, or process. Further, in some embodiments, the present invention can be construed as excluding any element or process step not specifically identified as present herein.

[0066] In this specification, the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications can be made in detail within the scope of the claims and the scope of equivalents without departing from the present invention.

Examples

[0067] Example 1 For each example, the detergent concentrate for testing was prepared by mixing the components listed in Table 1. Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials in the examples were not diluted. For the raw materials shown as being present at specific weight percentages in the table (e.g., 50 wt% NaOH), it is understood that the raw materials were diluted with water.

[0068] The pH of the detergent concentrate is shown in Table 1. The detergent concentrate did not show phase separation or precipitation.

Table 1

[0069] The cleaning agent complex was tested for its performance in removing deposits of polymer materials and aluminum cations from 1 x 3 inch coupons cut from an anodized aluminum panel purchased from ACT Corp. The deposition of the polymer material on the test coupons was created as follows. A small amount of 1% Al(NO 3 ) 3 was pipetted onto a horizontal anodized aluminum coupon to form three droplets up to 1 cm in diameter. The coupon was then dried in an oven at 70 °C for 30 minutes. Next, the coupon with a thin film of solid Al(NO 3 ) 3 circular deposits was immersed in an aqueous adhesive containing a latex polymer commercially available from Henkel Corporation for 5 minutes. During the immersion of the panel, the latex polymer became unstable and an adhesion ring of polymer material deposits formed at the locations where the Al(NO 3 ) 3 circular deposits were applied. The coupon was removed from the adhesive and rinsed with water for 1 minute to remove the unadhered adhesive that had not been destabilized. Each cleaned coupon was immersed in a beaker containing a 10 wt% solution of the cleaning agent concentrate that formed each respective working cleaning agent bath. The coupon was immersed in the cleaning agent bath until the circular deposit was removed from the coupon or until a residence time of 60 minutes, whichever was earlier. The coupon was then removed from the cleaning agent solution, rinsed with deionized water, dried by blowing air, and the cleanliness was evaluated. Panels where the circular deposit was completely removed without film were scored as 10, and the coupons were given scores that were deducted down to 1 depending on the percentage of the circular polymer ring remaining on the panel.

[0070] Table 2 below compares the effectiveness of seven formulations. It should be noted that overall the cleanliness has improved, the time until spots fall off has been shortened, and the time until removal from the beaker has been shortened.

[0071]

Table 2

[0072] The detergents were evaluated based on the average time for polymer spot removal and relative overall cleanliness (10 being good, 1 being poor).

[0073] Example 2 The above test results indicated that the solvent has a significant impact on the effectiveness of the detergent. The influence of the solvent on the detergent system was investigated by creating a series of detergent concentrates using different solvents. The solvents for testing were selected based on criteria such as water solubility and flash point.

[0074] For each example in Table 3, the test detergent concentrate compositions were prepared by mixing the listed components. Formulations 13A, B, C, D, E, and F were substantially the same except that the solvent varied, and for G and H, the amounts of the solvent and surfactant varied. The detergent concentrates were evaluated for phase separation or precipitation and tested for pH. The results are shown in Table 4 below. Despite having similar pH values in the range near neutrality, three of the detergent concentrates showed precipitation.

[0075] Formulations 13A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H were diluted into a working detergent bath diluted with 10 wt% deionized water. The detergent formulations were tested as follows. Test coupons from ACT anodized aluminum panels were prepared for testing according to Example 1. The coupons were immersed in a beaker of the detergent working bath containing a 10 wt% dilution of the detergent concentrate. Thanks to the washing rates brought about by using Formulations 13A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H, the test time was reduced from 60 minutes to 15 minutes. The coupons in the detergent were shaken for 20 seconds every 3 minutes. After 15 minutes, the coupons were removed from the wash liquor, rinsed with deionized water, and air dried to evaluate cleanliness.

[0076] [Table 3]

[0077] [Table 4]

[0078]

Table 5

[0079] The working cleaning agent bath was evaluated based on the average time to polymer spot removal and relative cleanliness. Panels with circular deposits completely removed were scored as 10, and coupons were given a score that was reduced from 10 depending on the percentage of circular polymer rings remaining on the panel. Some cleaning agents showed faster spot removal, but the overall cleanliness (such as surface haze) was inferior to that of some slower cleaning agents. Even at high concentrations of some surfactants, the performance does not necessarily improve. See 13G and 13H.

[0080] The above disclosure is described in accordance with relevant legal standards, and thus this description is not inherently limiting but is exemplary. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are included within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by considering the following claims.

Claims

1. A) water, preferably deionized water; B) at least one alkaline source; C) at least one detergent builder different from any of the preceding ingredients; D) at least one chelating agent different from any of the preceding components; E) one or more of the following nonionic surfactants, preferably a combination of at least two nonionic surfactants: E1) detergent; E2) antifoaming agents; and E3) wetting agents; F) at least one anionic surfactant different from any of the preceding components; G) at least one dispersant different from any of the preceding components, preferably an anionic polymeric dispersant; H) at least one hydrotrope, preferably an aromatic hydrotrope different from any of the preceding components; I) at least one organic solvent, preferably water-soluble, different from any of the aforementioned components A cleaning composition for electronic device components comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of.

2. 2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein B) the at least one alkaline source comprises an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkanolamine, or a combination thereof, and C) the at least one detergent builder comprises a water soluble detergent builder selected from phosphate builders, silicate builders, and mixtures thereof.

3. 2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one chelating agent comprises at least two chelating agents comprising a polycarboxylic acid chelating agent and a phosphonic acid chelating agent.

4. 4. The cleaning composition of claim 3, wherein one or both of the polycarboxylic acid chelating agent, the phosphonic acid chelating agent, are hydroxy-substituted.

5. Component E) one or more nonionic surfactants, E1) at least one cleaning agent selected from alkoxylated monoalcohols, different from any of the preceding components, wherein the alkoxy groups are selected from ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, and combinations thereof; E2) at least one defoamer selected from ethers, alcohols and glycols, different from any of the preceding components, preferably an alcohol which is a diol; and E3) at least one wetting agent, different from any of the preceding ingredients, comprising two or more C8-C14 ethoxylated alcohols; The cleaning composition of claim 1 , comprising:

6. at least three nonionic surfactants, one or more of which is different from any of the preceding components; E1) The cleaning agent comprises a plurality of nonionic surfactants including ethoxylated secondary alcohols and aromatic ethoxylated alcohols; E2) The defoamer comprises a C8-C18 saturated or unsaturated branched diol; E3) Wetting agents are multiple saturated C8-C14 alcohols having 2-20 moles of ethoxylation, preferably having the general formula: R3-(OCH) ２ CH ２ ) ｎ OH (E3) (Wherein, R3 is C6 to C18 alkyl, preferably C8 to C14 alkyl; n is in the range of 1 to 30, desirably 2 to 24, and preferably 1 to 12.

6. The cleaning composition of claim 5, comprising one or more ethoxylated alcohols corresponding to:

7. 10. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one anionic surfactant is selected from alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl phosphonates, alkyl sulfosuccinates, and their ethoxylated analogs.

8. G) At least one dispersant has a MW in the range of about 5,000 to about 10,000 grams / mole and is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), sulfonate, sulfate, amino (-NH ２ ), imino (-NH-), and polyoxyethylene (-CH ２ CH ２ 2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, comprising an anionic organic polymeric dispersant containing ...

9. 9. The cleaning composition according to claim 8, wherein the anionic organic polymeric dispersant is selected from condensed naphthalene sulfonic acids, condensed 1-naphthol 6-sulfonic acids, fatty alcohol ethylene oxide condensates, alkylaryl sulfonates, lignin sulfonates, sulfonic acid polyacrylic acid (PAA), polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) and salts thereof.

10. H) The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one hydrotrope comprises one or more of butyl benzene sulfonate, sodium benzoate, sodium benzene sulfonate, sodium benzene disulfonate, sodium m-nitrobenzene sulfonate, sodium butyl monoglycol sulfate, sodium cinnamate, sodium cumene sulfonate, sodium p-toluene sulfonate, sodium salicylate, sodium xylene sulfonate, and combinations thereof.

11. 2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein I) the at least one organic solvent comprises a glycol ether, a glycol ether ester, or a combination thereof.

12. 12. The cleaning composition of claim 11, wherein I) the at least one organic solvent comprises one or more of ethylene glycol phenyl ether, propylene glycol phenyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monohexyl ether, bis-dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether adipate, and combinations thereof.

13. 1. A method for cleaning an electronic device component, comprising the steps of: 1) contacting a surface of a product, component, or assembly thereof with a cleaning composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12, 2) optionally inducing transfer of the cleaning composition to the surface of the part; 3) maintaining contact between the cleaning composition and the surface of the part for a time sufficient to remove polymeric material residues from the surface of the part, particularly from holes and bores in the part; 4) removing the parts from the cleaning composition; 5) washing residual cleaning composition and polymeric material residues from the surface of the part; 6) Optionally, dry the parts; The method includes:

14. 14. The method of cleaning an electronic device component according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device component has a low mass in the range of about 2 grams to 50 grams and / or a complex shape, and the contacting step is carried out at a temperature below 90°C, desirably from about 15°C to about 75°C, and most preferably from about 20°C to about 40°C.

15. The method of cleaning an electronic device component according to claim 13, wherein the contacting step is for a period ranging from about 0.5 to 15 minutes, preferably from about 1 to 10 minutes, and most preferably from about 2 to 7 minutes.

16. 14. The method of cleaning an electronic device component of claim 13, wherein the electronic device component comprises a bare, ceramized or anodized metal surface, the metal surface comprising at least one of aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or stainless steel.

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