Environmentally Friendly Cleaning for Titanium Welds and Brazing

The first critical step in welding or brazing is cleaning to remove surface contamination. The Air Force has a need for an environmentally cleaning method that has no waste stream, minimal requirements of personal safety protection, and does not impact component integrity. The Arc Scrubber is an emerging non-chemical cleaning technology that utilizes and electrical arc to remove surface contamination. The technology, commonly referred to as thermionic cleaning, is believed to offer an environmentally friendly cleaning alternative to conventional chemical cleaning methods. The technology is hand held and user friendly and can be used in the weld both immediately prior to welding or brazing.