Guide for removing the G-series calibrating oil from Gardco viscosity cups.
Any remaining material in the cup must be removed by flushing with a suitable solvent. Light naphtha,
heptane, octane, highly aromatic solvents, and or any other petroleum-derived hydrocarbon solvent
can be used. Varsol® is a commercial solvent that works very well for this purpose.
Completely dry the viscosity cup with a lint free cloth. Use a highly volatile solvent for a second cleaning
as since any remaining hydrocarbon solvents from the first process will evaporate quickly after the
sample has been flushed from the cup. Hypersolve, MEK and Alcohol can be used in aluminum cups
and Hypersolve and Alcohol for the stainless steel cups. Acetone is commonly used as the second
solvent because of its high volatility and its ability to dissolve traces of petroleum solvents and water.
In the third process a low velocity stream of clean air will be sufficient to evaporate remaining traces of
any volatile solvent. Be aware, avoid rapid evaporation of these solvents as this can cool the surface
to such an extent that humid air may be brought below the dew point, causing a film of water to form
on the cup.
Varsol is a registered trademark of the Exxon Company |