AEO-7 vs AEO-9 for Metal Degreasing: A Supplier Trial Guide

Kemaix · Metal-cleaning formulation trials

An AEO-7 vs AEO-9 metal degreasing trial should compare identified grades under documented conditions, then assess cleaning, foam, rinse residue and metal effects separately. A lower foam level alone does not establish the preferred cleaner.

This proposed workflow helps formulation engineers and purchasing teams plan metal-coupon screening. Define acceptance criteria with the process owner, use the matrix to prepare comparable samples, then retain individual observations for review. No Kemaix trial results are presented. For grade-property questions, start with the AEO-7 and AEO-9 technical comparison.

Define the metal, soil and cleaning process

Start with the part that must leave the cleaning line ready for its next operation. Record the alloy, coating or finish, surface condition and downstream requirement. Keep different metals identifiable throughout the trial.

Build the process brief around these inputs:

• Soil: oil identity, source, loading approach and time between soiling and cleaning.
• Equipment: spray or immersion, agitation or circulation, and how the coupon represents the actual part.
• Bath: water source, hardness information where available, formulation, concentration basis, temperature and contact time.
• After cleaning: rinse water, rinse sequence, drying and inspection timing.

Choose operating conditions within the site's approved process limits. Do not transfer an immersion result directly to a spray line. Agree in advance what acceptable cleaning, residue, foam behavior and metal appearance mean for this application; document missing inputs before interpreting differences.

Prepare comparable candidates and controls

Identify each sample by supplier, exact grade and batch. Request its current TDS and SDS, plus a batch COA if available. Record document versions and unresolved specification questions; an AEO-7 or AEO-9 label alone does not identify a sample.

State whether concentration means supplied-product mass or a documented active-content basis. Equal product additions do not establish equal active additions. If content information is unavailable or incompatible, record it as unknown and label the comparison accordingly.

Prepare equivalent coupons using the same recorded surface preparation, soiling approach, aging period, handling and inspection procedure. Assign repeat coupons to each condition and retain individual observations.

Define controls explicitly. A water-only blank tests water and mechanical action without cleaner. A base-formulation control omits the candidate AEO; record how its omission is balanced and keep other ingredient concentrations constant. The incumbent is the current approved cleaner at its documented use conditions. Choose and label controls according to the question each answers.

Build the metal-degreasing trial matrix

Use separate candidate arms before exploring a blend. These are illustrative planning labels, not test results.

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For A7 and A9, fix other ingredient concentrations and operating conditions. Record the complete mass balance, including water adjustment and final batch mass, when matching documented active content. Record any unavoidable difference. An incumbent at its own use conditions is an operational benchmark, not an isolated comparison of surfactant chemistry.

Fix and record whether each run uses fresh solution or a predefined soil-loaded bath. Randomize run order where practical; group comparisons by day or soil preparation when these differ. NIST's randomization and blocking guidance explain these principles. Identify concentration, temperature or blend changes as follow-up trials.

Evaluate cleaning, foam, residue and metal effects separately

Keep separate observations for each outcome. Combining them into one unexplained score can hide a candidate that cleans but leaves an unacceptable surface.

Cleaning: Define the endpoint, instrument or inspection method, coupon handling and measurement timing. If using weighing, document what contributes to the measured change. A coupon's mass change alone cannot distinguish removed oil from lost substrate or retained material.

Foam: Observe behavior under the selected agitation or spray conditions, including persistence after stopping. Record the operating consequence, such as interference with circulation or rinsing. Do not rank cleaning ability from foam height alone.

Residue: Inspect after the same rinse and drying sequence. Record films, streaks and downstream acceptance separately from visible soil removal. The public ASTM F22-21 scope describes a nonquantitative water-break assessment for hydrophobic surface films. It cannot establish oil-removal percentage, absence of all residues or corrosion compatibility. This guide cites the public scope, not the full procedure, and makes no ASTM compliance claim.

Metal effects: Record discoloration, staining, etching or other visible changes against appropriate reference coupons. Where the application requires corrosion or material-compatibility evidence, arrange a separately defined assessment.

Report repeat variation and conflicting endpoints. Treat inconsistent results as unresolved, then investigate preparation, bath carryover or measurement differences before selecting a candidate for a process-representative trial.

Record a reproducible decision

Complete a record for each trial arm and each repeat. Keep photographs, instrument files and observations attached to the corresponding coupon ID. This is a blank planning record, not a Kemaix laboratory report.

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State which application and conditions the conclusion covers. A bench-screening preference does not approve every alloy or production line. Use the general comparison worksheet for a wider record, and the measurement-planning guide when selecting endpoints.

Trial questions and exact-grade document requests

Should AEO-7 and AEO-9 be compared at equal product or active additions?

State the question first. Equal supplied-product additions compare products on that basis. An active-content comparison requires compatible, documented content information. If it is missing, identify the gap rather than describing the additions as matched.

Can I include an AEO-7 and AEO-9 blend?

Yes, as a separately identified trial arm. Record both exact grades, their individual additions and the total comparison basis. Keep the single-grade arms so you can interpret the blend result. No blend ratio is prescribed here.

Does less foam mean better metal degreasing?

No. Evaluate cleaning, rinse residue and metal effects independently. Foam behavior matters where it affects the selected process; it does not replace the other acceptance criteria.

For a Kemaix grade inquiry, send the alloy, soil, spray or immersion process, water information, operating conditions and trial question. Identify documents needed for the exact candidate; availability and suitability require confirmation. Browse the AEO collection before requesting grade documents.

Send your trial conditions and document request