Aqueous Cleaning

A Choice for Every Challenge℠

Whether you are using high pressure, soak/immersion, spray, ultrasonic, electrocleaning, etching, or mass finishing technologies, Hubbard-Hall offers over 70 aqueous cleaners – more than any other US-based industrial cleaner company. This gives you the confidence that you can remove any type of soil (organic or inorganic), from every type of metal, with any application or cleaning process.

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A before and after photo of brass parts after aqueous cleaning. The top row is before; the brass is dark in color, dirty, and rusted. The bottom row is after aqueous cleaning; the brass is lighter in color, shiny, and polished.

Why Aqueous Cleaning Works

Aqueous cleaners are widely used because they are cost effective, relatively safe, readily available and able to remove both organic and inorganic soils. Unlike solvents, which work by dissolving organic compounds, aqueous cleaners remove both organic and inorganic compounds through a number of mechanisms: solubilization, saponification, wetting, emulsification, and chelation.

Applications for aqueous cleaning include: precision parts cleaning, heat treatment, metal stripping, chemical polishing, paint stripping, pre-treatment, metal finishing, deburring, deep draw, impact extrusion and degreasing.

Reduce Rework. Reduce Rejects. Reduce Cost.

70

More Options

70 aqueous cleaners and surfactants

25+

More Expertise

Cleaning experts averaging 25+ years experience

40%

More Innovation

+40% production gain using -50% less chemistry

73%

Did You Know? 73% of metal parts finishing operations say they primarily use aqueous cleaners.*

*Based on a study of 285 metal parts cleaning operations and job shops, sponsored by Hubbard-Hall and conducted by Gardner Intelligence, October 2020.

Which Parts Cleaner is Right for You?

Picking the right industrial cleaner isn’t just about the chemistry. Effective cleaning is a process, and many factors go into deciding which cleaner is right for your specific process to achieve optimal cleaning results. These factors include:

Cleanliness requirements
Part geometry
Available footprint
Throughput requirements
Energy demands
Environmental, Health, Safety and Regulatory requirements
Waste Handling Needs & Disposal Costs
Substrate (Alloy) and Soils
Total cost

Organic Soils, Elminated

Buffing compounds
Corrosion-prevention compounds
Drawing compounds
Fingerprints
Machining oils
Polishing compounds
Spinning lubricants
Stamping oils

Inorganic Soils, Solved

Carbonaceous soils
Flux
Metallic compounds
Mold
Oxidation/corrosion/rust/tarnish
Paints and coatings
Salts
Scale/Heat/Weld
Smuts

A photo of a worker wiping a metal cylinder after its been cleaned after aqueous cleaning

With an average of 30 years of experience, our dedicated cleaning experts conduct on-site or virtual complimentary process consults to map out how you can get better results with less chemistry and total cost.

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"Hubbard-Hall's chemicals are safer for our employees to handle, better for the environment, and allow for more control in the overall process."

- Steve Leonetti, VP/IMC

Hero Products

Maximize your time and enhance process performance with our chemical and filtration systems products—tailored with industrial use in mind.

Aquaease 2289

Clean metal in fewer steps. Clean, dioxide and brighten in one step. Gain 60% productivity.

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Glass sphere of earth sitting in grass, reflecting the sunlight

Aquaease Infinity

Lower your total cleaning costs by 35%. Rethink how chemistry and technology work together.

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3 glass beakers and an eyedropper containing an amber liquid.

AquaEase PL 72 A32

Safely and reliably address your cleaning needs without necessitating extensive testing.

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Tank-Tested and Expert-Approved

	pH 10% Solution	pH Concentrate	Temperature	Concentration	Substrates	Soils
AquaEase 2289	1.0 to 2.0	<1.0	Ambient - 170°F (77°C)	5% - 15%	Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Monel and Other High Nickel Alloys	Variety of soils & oxides
AquaEase PL 72 A32	7.5 - 8.5	8.0 - 9.0	130°F – 160°F (55°C – 72°C)	1% - 5%	Ferrous metals, Copper/Brass, Bronze, Aluminum Alloys, Nickel Clad Steel, Stainless Steel, Zinc Die-Castings	Synthentic lubricants & coolants, quench oils, stamping & drawing lubricants
AquaEase SL 916	12.0 – 13.0	14.0	100ºF – 180º F	5% - 20%	Ferrous metals, Copper/Brass Alloys, Magnesium and Titanium Alloys	Forming lubricants and carbonaceous type soils
AquaEase SL 917	12.0 – 13.0	14.0	90ºF – 200ºF	5% – 25%	Steel, Stainless Steel, Nickel, Copper, and Copper Alloys
Luster Clean 40 LF	8.0	8.5 – 9.5	150°F – 200°F (65° – 93°C)	3% – 10%	Ferrous Metals, Copper, Brass Alloys, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Nickel Coated Stock and Nickel Alloys	Lard oil, sulfurized and chlorinated oils, general shop oil and synthetic lubricants