Presenter: Eric Krause | Date: 04/02/2019

Measurement of Residual
Particulate Contamination on
Components
Component Cleanliness – Introduction
Measurement of residual particulate contamination on
components is increasingly becoming a requirement for
manufactures.
These measurements can predict future component
reliability, provide conformance to customer cleanliness
specifications and monitor performance of current
component cleaning processes.
Component Cleanliness - Measure to control
Measurement allows us to ensure that processes are capable and in
control
Component cleanliness is measured to a given standard, against a
given specification
The standard describes how to test a component, and how to report
the findings. This is to ensure the test is repeatable and meaningful
The specification is the value of the desired result, the maximum level
of dirt allowed, and is specific to the component
Component Cleanliness - Specifications
Most companies develop or are asked to meet component cleanliness
specification based on
Gravimetric Levels – mg per part or surface area
1.2 mg/part or 1.2 mg/1000 cm2
Maximum particle size assessment
no particles > 100 µm
Particle size distribution
30 particles > 50 µm
5 particles > 100 µm
1 particles > 500 µm
Component Cleanliness - Standards

The most commonly used international standard is ISO

16232 Road Vehicles - Cleanliness of components of fluid
circuits
Other standards exist for example ISO 18413 – Hydraulic
fluid power – Component cleanliness – Sample collection,
analysis and data reporting
ISO 16232 – General overview

Inspection : Component / system

Extraction :
Pressure Test Select
Agitation Ultrasonic bench
rinsing one method

Analysis :
Gravimetry Microscopy SEM-EDX Counting * Select
one method

* Automatic Particle Counting

Reporting :
Component Cleanliness Code
 ISO 16232 – Extraction method by agitation (slosh test)

Liquid

Particle

Plugged
component

Main parameters impacting the effectiveness of the agitation method:

. Type of agitation . Choice of the test liquid
. Duration of agitation . Amplitude of agitation
 ISO 16232 – Extraction method by pressure rinse (example)

Particle
Often particles adhere to a
surface helped by moisture,
grease, oil, etc

Component

Main parameters impacting the effectiveness of the pressure rinse method:

. Pressure . Distance . Geometry of the nozzle
. Flow rate . Volume of solvent . Solvent properties
 ISO 16232 – Extraction method by Ultrasonic techniques
(mainly used for small components)
Direct immersion
Component
Immersion bath
Transducer

Sonotrode
Indirect immersion Transducer
Sonotrode
Beaker Components
Component
Bath

Main parameters impacting the effectiveness of the ultrasonic method:

. Power of vibrations . Frequency
. Duration of the vibrations . Types of applications (bath, sonotrode)
 ISO 16232 – Extraction method by ‘end-use simulation’
Functional test bench
(flushing under pressure)

Simplified schematics Test membrane filter

Air breather

Test reservoir
Recirculating Clean-up Test component
pump filter

Main parameters impacting the effectiveness of the end-use simulation method:

. Flow rate . Flow condition . Component geometry
. Test fluid . Viscosity . Test rig design (flushing under pressure or vacuum)
Extraction Equipment
Pans and Funnels
Stainless steel pans and filter funnels are used to collect contamination
rinsed off parts.
Solvent dispensing tanks are used to supply solvent.
Equipment open to atmosphere and prone to background contamination
Extraction Equipment
Cleanliness Cabinet
Cleanliness Cabinets provide a controlled, clean environment to ensure that
tests are repeatable by controlling the air quality in a laminar flow HEPA filtered
cabinet, and by using a defined set volume of filtered solvent for each test.

The Cleanliness Cabinet can clean itself

between tests to ensure that the “blank
value” (background contamination level) is
within specification.

“Blank”:
Analysis performed with the same procedure but without
the component. The blank test qualifies the background of
the overall procedure (environment, method & equipment).
Blank Value

Use of extraction methods to inspect the cleanliness of components

involves the risk background particles are introduced into the test.

If the background particles (blank level) are too high, this could lead to a
faulty assessment of component cleanliness.

The blank level represents the total value of contamination that does
not originate from the component.
Background Contamination Sources

Test fluid
Extraction equipment (baths, basins, tubing, valves, etc.)
Objects coming into contact with the component and test liquid
Handling processes during preparation, extraction and analysis
Environment

The blank level may not exceed 10 % of the required/expected cleanliness

values for the component
ISO 16232 – Validation of the extraction method

Determine the volume of fluid and procedure required for testing

each specific type of component – ‘the 90% rule’

The same component is measured many times using the same

method until 90% of the contaminants are extracted

This is achieved when a result of any single test is 10% or less of the
total sum achieved in all tests
 ISO 16232 – Validation of the extraction method

Example:
A component was measured using the same volume
of solvent (1 L) for each test
Cleanliness levels (Ci)

The results are shown below.

10 mg On the fifth measurement, the result was <10% of
sum total of all the tests
Therefore, the fluid volume required to test the
component is defined as 5 x 1 L = 5 L
8 mg

6 mg C5 < 10% (C5+C4+C3+C2+C1)

2 mg < 10% (2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10) mg
4 mg If six extractions have been performed
2 mg without reaching a
value ≤ 10%, then the extraction
1 2 3 parameters must be modified
4 5
Extraction steps (i)
Component Cleanliness Measurement – Extraction Example

Percent
Initial Final Net remaining based
Rinse
Part # Membrane membrane membrane membrane on previous
volume
weight weight weight extractions
1 2,000 ml 123.1 mg 132.2 mg 9.1 mg --
1 2 2,000 ml 123.5 mg 125.5 mg 2.0 mg 22.0%
3 2,000 ml 123.0 mg 123.6 mg 0.6 mg 7.7%
1 6,000 ml 123.3 mg 134.3 mg 11.0 mg --
2
2 6,000 ml 123.6 mg 124.3 mg 0.7 mg 6.4%
1 6,000 ml 123.0 mg 134.1 mg 11.1 mg --
3
2 6,000 ml 123.0 mg 123.8 mg 0.8 mg 7.28%
 ISO 16232 – Analysis of the extraction fluid
Apart from the automatic particle counting method ,
the 3 techniques used to quantify and qualify solid contaminant levels
require a filter membrane.
Technique Standard equipment Result
Filter
membrane Gravimetry Laboratory balance Mass of contaminants

Microscopy Image analyzer Particle counting

Microscopy MEB-EDX * Nature of contaminants

* ScanningElectron Microscope associated with a X-ray

detection system
Photomicrograph showing built-in
contaminants captured on a membrane
after extraction from the component
Microscope Imaging System
The Microscope Imaging System is a complete system
to size and count particulate contamination on analysis
membranes.

System includes microscope, digital camera, computer,

software, setup and training. The system will automatic
scan back to specific particles for examination.

All images and test conditions are saved for future

reference. The unit is ISO 16232 compatible.
Setting Up Component Cleanliness Testing Procedure

Determine specifications that need to be met

- Gravimetric
- Particle size and distribution
Determine equipment to extract contamination – Pans and funnels,
Cleanliness Cabinet, Other
- Meet extraction validation requirements
- Consistant blank values
Determine analysis equipment
- Ovens and scales
- Microscope imaging systems