Vapor degreaser process employing trichlorotrifluoroethane and ethanol

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF CLEANING ARTICLES IN A VAPOR DEGREASER WHICH IS OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND COMPRISES: A. A BOIL SUMP CONTAINING A BOIL SUMP LIQUID, B. AT LEAST ONE RINSE SUMP WHICH CONTAINS A RINSE SUMP LIQUID AND HAS AN OVERFLOW MEANS SO THAT OVERFLOW RINSE SUMP LIQUID GRAVITATIONALLY FLOWS INTO THE BOIL SUMP, C. A MEANS FOR CONDENSING VAPORS OF THE BOIL SUMP LIQUID D. A MEANS FOR DIVERTING CONDENSED VAPORS TO THE RINSE SUMP, AND E. A VAPOR SPACE BETWEEN THE CONDENSING MEANS AND THE BOIL AND RINSE SUMPS, SAID BOIL AND RINSE SUMP LIQUID CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 1,1,2TRICHLORO-1,2,2-TRIFLUOROETHANE AND ETHANOL AND SAID METHOD COMPRISING: A. BOILING THE BOIL SUMP LIQUID, B. INTRODUCING ARTICLES TO BE CLEANED INTO THE DEGREASER AND PASSING THE ARTICLES THROUGH AT LEAST THE VAPOR SPACE OF THE DEGREASER; C. CONDENSING THE VAPORS OF THE BOIL SUMP LIQUID; D. ADDING 1,1,2-TRICHLORO-1,2,2-TRIFLUOROETHANE AND ETHANOL AS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE LIQUID VOLUME OF THE SYSTEM; AND E. REMOVING THE ARICLES FROM THE DEGREASER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREBY THE VAPORS OF THE BOIL SUMP LIQUID ARE MAINTAINED IN A NONFLAMMABLE CONDITION BY: A. EMPLOYING A BOIL SUMP LIQUID CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 35-85 WEIGHT PERCENT OF 1,1,2-TRICHLORO-1,2,2TRIFLUOROETHANE AND 15-65 WEIGHT PERCENT OF ETHANOL; B. EMPLOYING A RINSE SUMP LIQUID CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 88-100 WEIGHT PERCENT OF 1,1,2-TRICHLORO-1,2,2TRIFLUOROETHANE AND 0-12 WEIGHT PERCENT OF ETHANOL; C. ADDING TO MAINTAIN THE LIQUID VOLUME OF THE SYSTEM A MAKE-UP LIQUID MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 90-97 WEIGHT PERCENT OF 1,1,2-TRICHLORO-1,2,2-TRIFLUOROETHANE AND 3-10 WEIGHT PERCENT OF ETHANOL IN SUCH AMOUNT THAT THE VOLUME OF THE BOIL SUMP LIQUID IS AT LEAST THE VOLUME CALCULATED FROM THE EQUATION FFIG-01 WHEREIN VM = MINIMUM PERMISSIBLE VOLUME OF BOIL SUMP LIQUID, VI = INITIAL VOLUME OF BOIL SUMP LIQUID, CB = INITIAL WEIGHT PERCENT CONCENTRATION OF ETHANOL IN THE BOIL SUMP LIQUID, AND CR = INITIAL WEIGHT PERCENT CONCENTRATION OF ETHANOL IN THE RINSE SUMP LIQUID; AND D. MAINTAINING THE LIQUID VOLUME IN THE RINSE SUMP AND CONDENSATE DIVERTING MEANS AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE INITIAL LIQUID VOLUME IN THE BOIL SUMP.