Vertrel Solvents - Frequently Asked Questions

From time to time, customers may wish to obtain a clean sample of the Vertrel^® solvent for analytical testing. But specific proper procedures must be used to obtain a clean sample of solvent. Customers may require analytical testing when accepting delivery of materials, or as a regular task during a qaulity control process, or as a tool for trouble-shooting operational problems. This FAQ outlines the best procedure for safe and effective sampling and is applicable to all Vertrel^® products.

In general, in order to obtain accurate results users must take extreme care in sample handling to minimize the potential for contamination (particularly for moisture and NVR analysis). This can be an issue due to the high purity of Vertrel^® specialty fluids in comparison to the typical handling of samples from aqueous cleaning systems.

After obtaining a sample of the Vertrel^® fluid, users may desire to conduct a test for non-volatile residues (NVR). The proper procedure for this test is available on this web site.

The following equipment is strongly suggested for proper and accurate testing of solvent samples:

Clean, dry 4-oz (125 ml) glass sample bottle with polypropylene cap lined with Teflon^® (e.g., Fisher Scientific, Cat. No. 05-719-160 or VWR Scientific Products, Cat. No. 36319-765) or 32-oz (1 liter) glass sample bottle with polypropylene cap lined with Teflon^® (e.g., Fisher Scientific, Cat. No 05-719-86 or VWR Scientific Products, Cat. No 36319-768).
Sampling devices include Teflon® FEP or polypropylene drum sampler (Cole-Parmer Instrument Co., Cat. No. E-99200-00 or E-99150-00, or VWR Scientific Products, Cat No. 66174-260), drum thief, laboratory pipette or drum pump. In all cases, sampling apparatus should be clean and dry before introducing into the product container.
Do not use sample equipment, bottles or tubing that contain plasticizers. For example, Tygon tubing is known to contain an ingredient -- dioctylphthalate (DOP) -- which is readily extracted by Vertrel^®. Many common laboratory sample bottle caps contain glues or plasticizers beneath the cap liner. Specify pressure-insertable cap liners, such as TeflonVertrel^®, polyethylene or certain polypropylene products, that do not contain plasticizers.

Prepare all sampling equipment, as well as the drum or pail to be sampled, in an area protected from precipitation, high humidity and atmospheric dust. A drum or pail should only be opened when the product is ready to be used or sampled. Otherwise, the container should be tightly sealed. Product exposed to atmospheric moisture can absorb water, con-taminating the product.

When sampling a drum or pail, use one of the sampling devices specified in the previous section. Impervious gloves of nitrile or Neoprene elastomer should be worn.

Flush the sample bottle three times with the product being sampled to remove any moisture or particulate.

Fill the sample bottle to 80 percent capacity to minimize humid air in the head space.

When finished sampling, use a drum wrench to tighten the drum or pail closure 1/2-3/4 turn past hand tight. This will generate about 25-30 ft-lb torque, which is recommended by the manufacturer. A torque wrench can be used to ensure the exact torque.

When drawing a sample from within degreasing equipment, in addition to the above guidelines, label or identify as to where the sample was obtained, i.e. "Boil", "Rinse", etc. If the equipment uses a common drain line, allow sufficient solvent to pass or flush through the line in order to obtain a representative sample. Ideally, the solvent should be at ambient temperature when sampling.

Flush the sample bottle three times with the product being sampled to remove any moisture or particulate.

Fill the sample bottle to 80 percent capacity to minimize humid air in the head space.

Because the moisture content and the NVR specifications of Vertrel^® specialty fluids are extremely low, care must be taken to avoid water contamination from the syringe, needle and other sampling equipment. All equipment must be thoroughly dried before contacting the product. If equipment or sample containers contain residual moisture from cleaning, flush three times with product before filling the sample bottle.

As residual Vertrel^® fluids on the sampling equipment evaporates, atmospheric moisture is likely to condense on the surface of the cooled equipment. This can result in sample contamination if the equipment is not thoroughly dry prior to sampling.

When shipping samples, care should be taken to ensure the sample bottle is tightly sealed. Caps should be secured with vinyl tape to prevent leaking. Pack sample securely using packing material such as vermiculite or bubble wrap. A Material Safety Data Sheet of the product being sent should be included with the shipment.

Vertrel® specialty fluids are clear, colorless liquids. Use only with proper ventilation and avoid breathing vapors or mist. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing. Store these materials in a clean, dry area. Refer to the appropriate MSDS sheet for product-specific information.

Please call, fax or email us at Micro Care Marketing Services
for more information about our full line of cleaning answers.


About \| News
	How Do I Quantify Non-Volatile Solvent Residues?
		From time to time, customers may wish to obtain a clean sample of the Vertrel^® solvent for analytical testing. But specific proper procedures must be used to obtain a clean sample of solvent. Customers may require analytical testing when accepting delivery of materials, or as a regular task during a qaulity control process, or as a tool for trouble-shooting operational problems. This FAQ outlines the best procedure for safe and effective sampling and is applicable to all Vertrel^® products. In general, in order to obtain accurate results users must take extreme care in sample handling to minimize the potential for contamination (particularly for moisture and NVR analysis). This can be an issue due to the high purity of Vertrel^® specialty fluids in comparison to the typical handling of samples from aqueous cleaning systems. After obtaining a sample of the Vertrel^® fluid, users may desire to conduct a test for non-volatile residues (NVR). The proper procedure for this test is available on this web site. Required Equipment The following equipment is strongly suggested for proper and accurate testing of solvent samples: Clean, dry 4-oz (125 ml) glass sample bottle with polypropylene cap lined with Teflon^® (e.g., Fisher Scientific, Cat. No. 05-719-160 or VWR Scientific Products, Cat. No. 36319-765) or 32-oz (1 liter) glass sample bottle with polypropylene cap lined with Teflon^® (e.g., Fisher Scientific, Cat. No 05-719-86 or VWR Scientific Products, Cat. No 36319-768). Sampling devices include Teflon® FEP or polypropylene drum sampler (Cole-Parmer Instrument Co., Cat. No. E-99200-00 or E-99150-00, or VWR Scientific Products, Cat No. 66174-260), drum thief, laboratory pipette or drum pump. In all cases, sampling apparatus should be clean and dry before introducing into the product container. Do not use sample equipment, bottles or tubing that contain plasticizers. For example, Tygon tubing is known to contain an ingredient -- dioctylphthalate (DOP) -- which is readily extracted by Vertrel^®. Many common laboratory sample bottle caps contain glues or plasticizers beneath the cap liner. Specify pressure-insertable cap liners, such as TeflonVertrel^®, polyethylene or certain polypropylene products, that do not contain plasticizers. Procedure for Sampling from Drums or Pails Prepare all sampling equipment, as well as the drum or pail to be sampled, in an area protected from precipitation, high humidity and atmospheric dust. A drum or pail should only be opened when the product is ready to be used or sampled. Otherwise, the container should be tightly sealed. Product exposed to atmospheric moisture can absorb water, con-taminating the product. When sampling a drum or pail, use one of the sampling devices specified in the previous section. Impervious gloves of nitrile or Neoprene elastomer should be worn. Flush the sample bottle three times with the product being sampled to remove any moisture or particulate. Fill the sample bottle to 80 percent capacity to minimize humid air in the head space. When finished sampling, use a drum wrench to tighten the drum or pail closure 1/2-3/4 turn past hand tight. This will generate about 25-30 ft-lb torque, which is recommended by the manufacturer. A torque wrench can be used to ensure the exact torque. Procedure for Sampling From A Degreaser or Other Piece of Equipment When drawing a sample from within degreasing equipment, in addition to the above guidelines, label or identify as to where the sample was obtained, i.e. "Boil", "Rinse", etc. If the equipment uses a common drain line, allow sufficient solvent to pass or flush through the line in order to obtain a representative sample. Ideally, the solvent should be at ambient temperature when sampling. Flush the sample bottle three times with the product being sampled to remove any moisture or particulate. Fill the sample bottle to 80 percent capacity to minimize humid air in the head space. Notes Because the moisture content and the NVR specifications of Vertrel^® specialty fluids are extremely low, care must be taken to avoid water contamination from the syringe, needle and other sampling equipment. All equipment must be thoroughly dried before contacting the product. If equipment or sample containers contain residual moisture from cleaning, flush three times with product before filling the sample bottle. As residual Vertrel^® fluids on the sampling equipment evaporates, atmospheric moisture is likely to condense on the surface of the cooled equipment. This can result in sample contamination if the equipment is not thoroughly dry prior to sampling. When shipping samples, care should be taken to ensure the sample bottle is tightly sealed. Caps should be secured with vinyl tape to prevent leaking. Pack sample securely using packing material such as vermiculite or bubble wrap. A Material Safety Data Sheet of the product being sent should be included with the shipment. Safety Considerations Vertrel® specialty fluids are clear, colorless liquids. Use only with proper ventilation and avoid breathing vapors or mist. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing. Store these materials in a clean, dry area. Refer to the appropriate MSDS sheet for product-specific information.