Solvent-Based Oil Stain Removers
Some oil stains will not emulsify. High-viscosity machine oil, grease and part-polymerised silicone have to be dissolved first. A solvent-based stain remover does that with its solvent phase, while the emulsifier phase carries the dissolved oil into the bath.
When is a solvent needed?
Light spin finish and lubricating oil will emulsify with an ordinary washing agent at the right temperature. The trouble starts with heavier soil: knitting machine oil, grease off a stenter chain, compressor oil and silicone carried over from plant.
Those residues are either very viscous or partly polymerised. A surfactant will adsorb onto their surface but cannot break up the bulk. The solvent dissolves the oil and drops its viscosity first; only then can the emulsifier do its part.
Spot application or bath?
These are two different techniques and mixing them up spoils the result.
Spot application happens at the inspection table or in the garment unit. The product goes straight onto the stain, sits briefly, then is blotted or rinsed out. The usual failure on dry cloth is a ring mark: the solvent dissolves the oil, carries it outwards and leaves it at the edge. Wetting the area around the stain first and working from the outside in avoids that.
Bath application treats the whole lot before dyeing. The aim is not one stain but the scattered oil load across the batch. Dosage is calculated on fabric weight: pending from the client.
Must oil come off before dyeing?
Yes, and there is almost no exception. Oil blocks dye from reaching the fibre. After dyeing the same area stays pale, and what you have is no longer an oil stain but missing colour. Removing the oil at that point does not bring the shade back.
Disperse dyeing adds a second failure mode: oil dissolves disperse dye into itself and leaves a dark mark in that area. Reduction clearing rarely takes it out completely.
What has to be watched when running solvent products?
Flash point is the figure that governs storage and handling. Solvent that flashes off in the machine can build up in an enclosed space, so ventilation is reviewed separately for any application ahead of a stenter or dryer. Flash point and handling data are read from the safety data sheet: pending from the client.
On the effluent side, solvent load can disturb biological treatment. Where a solvent-free product does the job, that is usually the way the choice goes.
Product comparison
Comparison
| Product | Description | Application | Dosage | Temperature | Flash point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK CLEAN BR | Solvent-based oil stain remover | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK CLEAN BR 33 | Solvent-based oil stain remover | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK CLEAN BR C | Concentrated solvent-based oil stain remover | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK CLEAN BR CONC | Concentrated solvent-based oil stain remover | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
Products
- DK CLEAN BR
Solvent-based oil stain remover that dissolves machine oil and grease and carries them into the bath.
- DK CLEAN BR 33
Solvent-based oil stain remover with strong solvency, the second standard grade for spot and bath application.
- DK CLEAN BR C
Concentrated solvent-based oil stain remover giving the same solvency at low dosage, with fewer drums used.
- DK CLEAN BR CONC
Concentrated solvent stain remover, a dense formulation for lines that often meet heavy oil and silicone marks.
Common questions
Will a stain remover shift the shade on dyed cloth?
It can. Solvent dissolves some disperse and pigment colours, and spot application then shows as a lightened ring. On dyed goods, always try it on a hidden area first.
Do these products take out silicone marks?
Fresh silicone contamination usually comes out. Silicone that has been through the stenter and cured has changed chemically and cannot be removed fully. That is why silicone marks are dealt with before drying, not after.
What separates the concentrated grades from the standard ones?
The concentrate gives the same effect at a lower dosage, so shipped and stored volume falls. The per-product conversion is given on the product pages: pending from the client.
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Not finding what you need?
We develop custom formulations. Tell us your process, machine type and the result you are after, and the lab will set up a trial and send a sample.