Cleaning PCBs

[alm]

Note that the permissible exposure limit for hexane is quite close to ethanol. Make sure to only drink beer in a fume hood with gloves and a respirator if you get exposed to it daily . As you state, it's not really much worse than many other common organic solvents. They're not harmless, but not worth worrying about for occasional hobbyist use.

[IanB]

I just think it's a bit strange to include hexane into a standard flux remover

Hexane would come under the general category of petroleum distillates, and solvents like these are a common constituent of "Goo Gone" and similar products. In other words, they tend to be really good at dissolving stuff...

[Wim_L]

Oh, absolutely, but heptane would fit in the same solvent category, and doesn't get metabolised to things that (with chronic exposure) damage the peripheral nervous system.

[poorchava]

I'm using either isopropyl or turpentine. The latter i use mainly when using flux-paste (which is designed for soldering extremely thick, heavy and oxidized stuff, works like a charm but leaves sticky, oily residue which won't come off with isopropyl). Turpentine you can but from paint shop. It has a downside of extremly strong odor of pine.

[IanB]

Turpentine you can but from paint shop. It has a downside of extremly strong odor of pine.

You could try turpentine substitute instead, perhaps? It is sometimes called white spirit or mineral spirit. It is generally clear and odourless.

[free_electron]

terpentine is not a good idea ...

[T4P]

turpentine not the best idea , really .
I had turpentine damage the plastic cases of DIP/SOIC and my skin .

[Alex_arg]

Hi!, i use regular alcohol 96% to clean new and old resine an d flux from PCBs, the key to success here it's time, very volatile solvents like hexane or thinner evaporates before flux starts to dissolve, so you got to protect it from air, i do so by wetting a piece of cotton and applying it over the board and wait a while, old fluxes require more time.
In case a white layer still on the pcb (it's only the dissolved flux) , you must repeat the process with a new piece of cotton and voilá! . You could use a nylon brush in hard cases previous wetted with alcohol.
In other times i've used a contact cleaner from Philips, that do the same job in much less time, but i think they don't produce this spray anymore. The one i mention has a clear smell of turpentine.   

[Ajahn Lambda]

Acetone is fairly safe to us humans, aside from its flammability.


But hoo boy, it will melt the shit out of any plastics in the area!  Even the vapors can make some plastics gooey.

[free_electron]

Acetone is a non-no as it can attack the casings of components !

Use rubbing alcohol / isopropylalcohol or real flux remover. Nothing else !