The “Cola” Method Taken to Another Level That Works

[RickB]

Has anyone tried Beer/Soda line cleaner or PBW?

Here is a description of PBW which was originally developed by Coors Brewing.

P.B.W. is a buffered alkaline detergent that has been proven to be more than an
effective substitute for caustic soda cleaners. Because of its unique formulation of
buffers and mild alkalis, it is safe on skin as well as soft metals such as stainless steel,
aluminum, and on plastics. P.B.W. uses active oxygen to penetrate carbon or protein
soils and is not effected by hard water. The oxygen also helps in reducing B.O.D. and
C.O.D. in wastewater, which is an added environmental benefit.
P.B.W. has been formulated as a C.I.P. cleaner and is very effective in removing protein
soils found on brew kettles, fermenters, conditioning tanks, filters and all packaging
areas. The concentrations to remove these soils are typically in the 1% range.
However, due to soil and water conditions this concentration will vary. To help in hard
water areas P.B.W. has been formulated with enough chelators to tolerate hard water
over 17 grains.
P.B.W. is an excellent choice as a soak cleaner because it does not require
excessive heat as do most caustic based cleaners. This product has cleaned
brass and copper filters, and industrial aluminum surfaces successfully.


I've been using it for cleaning homebrew equipment for a couple of years.
Going by the general thinking that if it's safe enough to be used for cleaning bottles and
other sundries that come into contact with consumable liquids. I would think that
with a good rinse and maybe a soak in some fresh clean water after the initial soak to remove the deposits that it should safe. The benefit is that it can be found in any local homebrew shop or online fairly cheap.

[exogenesis]

....
A minus is (after seeing the actual construction of these things) I'm seriously wondering how you would ever completely remove all the Nu-Calgon from it. Especially if it remains within the casing.

My feelings exactly, the retention ability of the that metal mesh
is quite amazing.

Will be doing some tests soon to show how well/badly simple water
flushing actually removes anything that the coil was immersed in.
(whether e-liquid or strong phos.acid).

[exogenesis]

PBW safety data sheet:

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/msds/pbw.pdf

Is that the right one ?
it doesn't list percarbonates which would be the 'active oxygen' bit.

Metalsilicates again, a little worrying, but how much so?

I'm guessing it's not up to cleaning anything off a heavily carbon-gunked
atomizer coil/wick,
but might be useful as a 'regular' cleaner - as long as it can be flushed out completely.

[Princessdee]

Hubby has tried everything and can not get a 901 atomizer (intact)

It seems the threads are recessed inside the outer case a tiny bit and he can't grab them with vise-grips and trying to over-screw it to a battery didn't loosen it up.

Any ideas?

TIA ! dee

[crazyhorse]

I can't tell you anything about a 901 atomizer but I can tell you there are no threads securing the outer casing of a 801. There is a knurl at the bottom end and otherwise, it's only secured by some sort of white glue.

Edit: All 801 atomizers are not glued equally. The safest way to separate the atomizer from the outer casing appears to be pushing the inner casing out from the top with an appropriate instrument. If you try to separate them externally, you have an equal opportunity to separate them where you don't want them to separate and then you'll have to re-solder the coil wires.

[Princessdee]

Thanks.
Found it here:

How the Ecig works..

And here:

atomizer disection and re-assembly

Cool threads

[Sun Vaporer]

Hubby has tried everything and can not get a 901 atomizer (intact)

It seems the threads are recessed inside the outer case a tiny bit and he can't grab them with vise-grips and trying to over-screw it to a battery didn't loosen it up.

Any ideas?

TIA ! dee

Princess--take an awe or thin nail and put it in the middle hole of the atomizer threading and pull out--the threading is press fitted--there is no glue---that is why it is important not to tighten down the batteries when you screw them on----Sun

[Princessdee]

Yeah, he got it with a straightened paper clip

[busted7]

Alright, so I've spent the better part of the last two evenings reading through this entire thread. Upon reading, some things have stood out:
1: weak acids - mixed results/don't work.
2: strong acids - mixed results/don't work.
3: weak bases - mixed results/don't work.
4: strong bases - mixed results/don't work.

I may be wrong here, but I think we've established that we need a non-polar solvent to clean the deposits. My guess is that the carbons we're dealing with are long chain, non-polar organic compounds. Sorta like how oil and water don't mix, polar and non-polar compounds don't mix. Like dissolves like... and the like.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me the only true non-polar solvent anyone has tried is acetone, and it's a no-go because it dissolves the plastic bits. So what is non-polar that isn't as nasty a solvent as acetone? (Real question, I don't remember too much else from organic chem)

[kinabaloo]

Alright, so I've spent the better part of the last two evenings reading through this entire thread. Upon reading, some things have stood out:
1: weak acids - mixed results/don't work.
2: strong acids - mixed results/don't work.
3: weak bases - mixed results/don't work.
4: strong bases - mixed results/don't work.

I may be wrong here, but I think we've established that we need a non-polar solvent to clean the deposits. My guess is that the carbons we're dealing with are long chain, non-polar organic compounds. Sorta like how oil and water don't mix, polar and non-polar compounds don't mix. Like dissolves like... and the like.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me the only true non-polar solvent anyone has tried is acetone, and it's a no-go because it dissolves the plastic bits. So what is non-polar that isn't as nasty a solvent as acetone? (Real question, I don't remember too much else from organic chem)

Heat degraded, so all kinds of fragments, possibly with haphazard cross-bonding; over time, mostly amorphous carbon, perhaps bonded with high temperature resins. Might get some surfactant leverage, othewise very little chance of dissolving it, I'd say.

But don't want to put you off from trying. It would amaze everyone if you came up with a simple and consistent answer - is that any encouragement?