How to choose a dust-free wipe? Comparison of 10cm cleaning solutions in medical and semiconductor industries

In highly sensitive clean rooms and controlled environments, dust-free wipes are a dual mission as key consumables – ensuring that the working surface meets microbial control standards and effectively deal with accidental spill accidents. This type of wipe cloth is mainly divided into two categories according to the substrate structure: knitted wipe cloth and nonwoven wipe cloth. The difference in performance directly affects the selection decisions of different industrial scenarios.

From the perspective of material engineering, high-quality dust-free wipes need to meet three core indicators: fiber shedding is less than 0.1 mg/m² (according to the IEST-RP-CC004.3 test standard), non-volatile residues (NVRs) less than 10 μg/cm², and ion pollution levels are controlled below 0.3 μg/cm². Taking the semiconductor manufacturing workshop as an example, staff prefer to use a knitted wipe cloth with 100% continuous polyester fiber. Its unique warp and weft knitted structure is like a precision filter, which can not only effectively capture 0.5 micron particles, but also has the durability characteristics of resistant to 120 autoclave cycles.

Nonwoven wipes have outstanding cost-effectiveness, and the three-dimensional fiber network formed by its hydros puncture process can achieve a liquid absorption of 200%. Medical packaging companies often choose nonwoven products made of polypropylene. When used with quaternary ammonium salt disinfectant, the surface tension can be reduced to below 30dyn/cm to ensure complete wetting. However, it should be noted that when such materials are exposed to organic solvents such as isopropanol, they may experience a dimensional shrinkage of 5-8%.

In contrast, knitted wipes have significant advantages in cleanliness. A 9"x9" specification product using laser edge sealing technology has been released through dynamic particle release tests, and only 12 particles ≥0.3μm per minute per square foot. Biopharmaceutical companies mostly choose polyester/nylon blended knitted models on the filling line. Their electrostatic dissipation characteristics can stabilize the surface resistance in the range of 10^6-10^9Ω, perfectly comply with the requirements of camp specifications.

When making procurement decisions, comprehensive evaluation of usage scenarios is required: it is recommended to use an anti-statically treated 12"x12" knitted wipe cloth, which has a unique honeycomb fiber arrangement to avoid friction charges of >0.1pC. For conventional laboratory cleaning, 6"x6" spun lace nonwoven fabric can be selected. This product that uses hydraulic entanglement technology can still withstand the mechanical strength test of 5kg/cm² while maintaining a low weight of 2.3g/m².

In the field of industrial-grade cleaning consumables, multiple professional series have achieved standardized size upgrades. Taking precision electronic manufacturing scenarios as an example, the industry-leading x6 (4-inch x 6-inch) and x10 (8-inch x 10-inch) rectangular specifications have now become the preferred configuration for semiconductor workshops and optical laboratories. This golden ratio rectangular design not only adapts to the clamping system of automatic cleaning equipment, but also reduces material folding losses during cleaning.

In the internationally certified dust-free wipes series, the single cleaning area of x6-sized products that meet ISO 14644-1 standards can reach 16 square inches, especially suitable for surface maintenance of wafer vehicles.

The x10-specification product made by electro spinning process has been shown to be 40% higher than conventional products by testing by ASTM F2100, and it has demonstrated excellent particle capture capabilities in the field of medical equipment cleaning.

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