New atomizer cleaning method (Contrex). worked AWESOME!

[ShMiGgY]

Hey all,

Well, i work in a lab first off, so i'm not sure if this stuff would be readily available. BUT, I tried my first experiment at cleaning a super mini atomizer (one that would not hit, or when it did, gave that burnt plastic taste every draw whenever it would try)... It was about a month old, and was used by two people at the same time when my wife and i only had one NPRO to quit with between us. No prior cleanings and basically in the junk pile but as much use on it as humanly possible (well, two humans worth).

We have an acid based detergent at work used for cleaning glassware and removing metal oxides called Contrex.. It is some pretty good stuff i gotta say...

I tried making a 2% solution (2ml contrex/100ml DeIonized water) with it today in DI water and placed the atomizer in a beaker with the solution. Then placed the beaker in a Branson laboratory Sonicator (fancy ultrasonic cleaner).

I gave it 30 minutes in the contrex solution. Then rinsed under DI water, And sonicated again, but this time with DI water for 15 minutes. Rinsed again with DI water and sonicated again in straight DI water for another 30 minutes with another DI rinse after it was done.

I am happy to report that after 2 or 3 primer puffs, it is hitting FULL BORE now.. Acutally better than it ever has to tell the truth. No plastic taste at all, just pure e juice (currently it is atomizing Red Tea for me)... No off flavors at all, and the red tea is a more subtle flavor to boot, all the flavor is there ...

I am very happy with this method, only took an hour and the atomizer looked brand new when i was all said and done. The metal looks cleaner than my new atomizers even do, and the coil is buildup free and a nice white color to the ceramic... It looks brand new.

I saw Contrex on Amazon, but they didn't have it for sale anymore. I'm sure it can be found online somewhere though or through a lab supply chain. Only other things needed would be some DI water and a sonicator...

I'm going to wash all my other crapped out atomizers using this method. being sure to rinse like mad and sonicating pure DI after the cleaning is done.

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

First, and most important question - how dangerous is this chemical?

 

[exogenesis]

Quite a few different formulations:

Decon Labs - Product List, MSDS, Technical Data Sheets

The only acid one is just 10-30% Citric Acid
(as in 2x to 6x strength lemon juice)

edit: so 2ml in 100ml water would be pretty weak.

 

[ShMiGgY]

just a quick update.

Have now gotten up to about 20 puffs worth with it. It is working kickingly. Excellent "gurgle" on the priming puff every single time with a good, easy draw too. Still no burnt plastic taste at all.

I thought this atomizer was done. It is now going back into rotation with the new atomizers i just got in today...

I'm thrilled b/c this will save me a lot of $$$ and atomizers too.

If anyone wants to try it. I'll post up exactly what contrex i used (they have different versions, i.e. an alkaline version and an acid version)... I used the acid type, but can't remember the exact name. Only other thing you'd need is an ultrasonic cleaner. Distilled water would work just fine too if you don't have DIUF water.

 

[ShMiGgY]

2% is what the directions state for metal oxide and de-scaling applications. This isn't lemon juice, i can tell you that...

It's also approved for food and dairy machine use.

 

[kinabaloo]

Perhaps that ultrasonic cleaner is much more powerful than the home use ones and it was that that did the trick?

Any noticeable black specks after in the beaker?

 

[Darlene7]

Would love the names of products used and exact directions (mixture), also, where do you get a sonicator and what is it exactly (is it expensive?) Thanks so much for the info, interested in watching this thread for others to reply and see what they think.
Darlene

 

[ShMiGgY]

It's very possible that the sonicator was the key. It does scream like a banshee while it is running. I'm sure it runs a bit stronger than the home versions.

I wouldn't suggest the Contrex here if it had anything bad or poisonous in it, or if it wasn't free rinsing. Hell, i wouldn't take a draw off that atomizer if it was anything bad. I rinsed the hell out of it too just in case. I work in a lab. I'm not going to put my health in jeapordy to clean an atomizer. I'm sure the 2% soln was a bit weak, but, i figured that's what they call for in the instructions. It does seem to be a good mix of essentials though b/c for my needs, it was pretty damn effective.

The solution turned a brownish color (more than i thought it would). I had cleared the atomizer out of all the juice so i don't think it was left over juice. No specks, everything was pretty much in solution but it was definitely getting something out of that atomizer. i watched the atomizer in solution, it was dancing around with bubbles effervesing out of it the whole time...

 

[bizzyb0t]

So, if we could get the exact same Contrex solution and perhaps one of those sonic jewelry cleaners we could replicate these results? Y/N?

This is exciting news, especially considering the state of your atomizers.

 

[Ramblin]

Hey all,
(currently it is atomizing Red Tea for me)..

Ha! Where did you get the red tea?

 

[ShMiGgY]

i'm not sure if a jewelry cleaner would replicate it. I imagine it could, but would need more time. The dial on the lab sonicator only goes to one hour, i figure it works at a pretty high rate to clean most anything in an hour. Maybe a jewelry cleaner left on overnight would get pretty close.

As far as the contrex, i think it helped quite a bit. They have a version with enzymes too, but, i can't vouch to its usefulness. Seems like the enzymes may be able to help out with some of the work... They use that version in DNA labs, etc for proteins and bound organics. If you guys do decide to ever try it PLEASE PLEASE check out the MSDS and cross reference all the components b/c i can't vouch for any version i haven't tried..

I do know that the stuff i used is pretty benign with no hazardous warnings on it or the MSDS (aside from the usual use gloves, etc. etc.). I checked the label/literature before i used it.

I can't remember where i got the Red Tea. It was actually one i put away b/c it lacked the kick of the others i had at the time, just dug it back out today... I tried googling it, only found a place called BestEcig that had it, not sure if they're any good or not (i know i didn't get it from them though)... It's nice, very subtle, but a definite tea flavor and it is very true to a tea flavor. It's nice to try it in between all of those heavy juices...

 

[kinabaloo]

Ha!

Just worked out why this worked

2 clues: the strong shaking achieved by the industrial piezoelectric sonic machine is critical. Diluting the chemical even more would result in even better performance.

Especially if you diluted it so much that not even one molecule of citric acid was left.

Worth a try ...

Isn't it ??

 

[ShMiGgY]

i don't get it. not sure i follow.

We use this method to clean the nickel cones on an ICP-MS torch. It's basically a $500,000 atomizer/nebulizer that uses super heated plasma instead of a nickel-chromium resistance wire like in an e-cig atomizer, only this one reaches 10,000 K!. You think i didn't think this through before i tried it? If it works on something reaching sun-like temperatures to clean off the in-organic/organic residues left... I'd bet it's doing something here too.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[kinabaloo]

ShMiGgY - no disparagement intended. Just a whimsical post

The result is interesting. If it got a 2 month old atomizer coil shiny, we need to take it seriously. I like to joke a bit sometimes that's all, especially after some Sauvignon Rouge

After some initial excitement at cleaning wth acids, it is generally agreed now that this approach doesn't work well, if at all, with atomizers not cleaned for a long time. So I suspect that the result is at least in part, if not largely, down to the super-sonic bath (although home jewelry cleaner types are generally said not to achieve much).

Some might think I'm maligning homeopathy, but really - I am not; just a little levity

 

[ShMiGgY]

oh, no worries, lol.

i'm not sure, but the darn thing is still hitting well... been working all night. Maybe it's a fluke, not sure... it's working better than it has in weeks.

Sorry if i was touchy. My wife and my cat is on his last days here, we're trying to decide if we take him to be put down or not right now at 12:30 a.m....... I was just here to distract myself i guess.... sorry if i came off a bit harsh...

sigh..

 

[kinabaloo]

No problem; I realise how it could sound. Sorry to hear your news. Best wishes ...

 

[ShMiGgY]

Hey, just wanted to post an update.

I cleaned out about 6 of my atomizers with this method (did up the solution to 20%). It has gotten all atomizers looking new and they all draw REALLY damn nice... I'm going with it.
I wish you guys could use this method...

It's possible one could get the same results with a very strong citric acid soln. (although contrex has a lot of other stuff going on, i.e. detergents and enzymes), but in an ultrasonic bath overnight-ish.

I do know pure ascorbic acid crystals are used for canning, so that might be a good place to look (basically would be the active ingredient in lemon juice, concentrated to 100%). It would be a good alternative and no worries about chemicals...

I don't let my atty's get too caked these days, and this process gets them to brand new status..

Good luck all

 

[vaporize me]

Would this be the stuff?

https://www1.fishersci.com/wps/port...ut=true&brCategoryId=55331&hlpi=y&fromSearch=

Also found this contact lens cleaner. Good size for attys? What does the hz mean, the higher the better?

http://www.jewelsmall.com/ulcoleclcd.html

 

[kinabaloo]

Hey, just wanted to post an update.

I cleaned out about 6 of my atomizers with this method (did up the solution to 20%). It has gotten all atomizers looking new and they all draw REALLY damn nice... I'm going with it.
I wish you guys could use this method...

It's possible one could get the same results with a very strong citric acid soln. (although contrex has a lot of other stuff going on, i.e. detergents and enzymes), but in an ultrasonic bath overnight-ish.

I do know pure ascorbic acid crystals are used for canning, so that might be a good place to look (basically would be the active ingredient in lemon juice, concentrated to 100%). It would be a good alternative and no worries about chemicals...

I don't let my atty's get too caked these days, and this process gets them to brand new status..

Good luck all

It's great that you achieved good results. Sounds like you used the high-power utrasonic meachine again (which obviously makes sense if you have one). But it doesn't tell us if the Contrex can work without the ultrasonics - or if the utrasonics would work with just water and no Contrex. Remember that this is a powerful laboratory ultrasonic bath, not one of the home-use ones. Can you say what power it is (power consumption would give a ballpark idea).

 

[surbitonPete]

It's great that you achieved good results. Sounds like you used the high-power utrasonic meachine again (which obviously makes sense if you have one). But it doesn't tell us if the Contrex can work without the ultrasonics - or if the utrasonics would work with just water and no Contrex. Remember that this is a powerful laboratory ultrasonic bath, not one of the home-use ones. Can you say what power it is (power consumption would give a ballpark idea).

Those are exactly the same thoughts I am having.