Molten Salt Cleaning

of Engine Components

by

James C. Malloy
Kolene Corporation
Detroit, MI

Prepared for presentation at

PRODUCTION ENGINE REMANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

Spring Marketing & Technical Seminar

Copyright Kolene® Corporation
All rights reserved.
 Molten Salt Cleaning of Engine Components
An Alternative Cleaning Technology

James C. Malloy
Kolene Corporation • Detroit, Michigan

Introduction

Molten salt cleaning processes find broad applications in the cleaning of used engine
components in preparation for inspection and remanufacturing. Molten salts offer a
combination of performance, speed, thoroughness, and flexibility not available in other chemical
or thermal cleaning technologies. This paper will describe the characteristics of the process in
detail.

Molten Salts - What are they?

They are simply a class of inorganic chemical compounds, heated to some temperature above
their melting points to form a working fluid. There are literally thousands of chemical
compounds that fall into the general classification of a salt. Table salt, or sodium chloride, is
probably the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the term molten salt. While it is
indeed a salt, common table salt finds little use in the formulation of cleaning molten salts due to
its high melting point and low reactivity. A salt is formed when an acid and a base react:

HCl + NaOH  NaCl + H2O

hydrochloric acid sodium hydroxide sodium chloride water

By combining the building blocks of inorganic salt compounds, a variety of melting points,
chemical reactivities, and degrees of stability can be achieved for a working bath. These baths
find broad industrial applications for the treatments of metals:

• neutral heat transfer medium

• heat treating (carburizing, nitriding, etc) medium
• chemically active cleaning medium

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 What are they used for?
Salt Bath
Applications You may already be familiar with the results of some molten
salt processes. Salt bath carburizing processes are widely
Casting Cleaning used for engine gears, pinions, and other heavily loaded
for removing functional components. Salt bath nitriding (SBNTM) finds
• sand broad use in components that require exceptional wear and
fatigue resistance. Typical applications of SBN treated
• scale
parts include automotive engine valve stems and gas spring
• graphite rods (to replace chrome plating), and high performance
• shell crankshafts and camshafts (for upgrading wear and fatigue
• core resistance).
• facecoat
The use of molten salt for cleaning components is widely
Descaling accepted by industry. In foundries, components routinely
to condition and descale cleaned range in size from dental castings to locomotive
• stainless steels cylinder liners. Aerospace components range from forged
• superalloys titanium blades in jet engines to superplastically - formed
• titanium airframe structural components. See the sidebar summary
• refractory metals (left) for a brief overview of salt bath applications.

Organic Stripping
to strip parts & racks of Molten Salts as a Cleaning Medium
• paint
The formulations involved with chemically active, cleaning-
• powder coatings type molten salts are generally based on alkaline hydroxides
• polymers and select additives. They may be broadly classified as
chemically reducing, neutral, or oxidizing depending on their
Engine Remanufacturing formulation and intended use. The chemically reducing
cleaning used cores of baths find little application in engine manufacturing or
• oils / soils remanufacturing. The neutral-type baths are generally used
• carbon for dissolving or leaching sand, quartz, and ceramics from
• paint castings at the foundry level. They may be used “as-is”, i.e.
a simple immersion-type process, or with the application of
Jet Engine Overhaul direct current for more sophisticated cleaning applications.
cleaning blades, buckets of An example of the electrolytic molten salt process is Kolene®
• carbide coatings Kastech® Electrolytic®. It is used for sand, scale, and
• service scale graphite removal from cast iron at the foundry or OEM stage
• sulfidation of manufacturing. This facilitates improved heat transfer,
allows brazing and babbitting of cast iron, and prevents in-
service failures due to scoring and seal failures from retained
Salt Bath Nitriding sand.
to upgrade engineering
properties such as
• fatigue resistance
Molten Salts in Engine Remanufacturing
• wear resistance
• gall resistance Molten salt bath cleaning of used heads, blocks, cranks, etc
• lubricity in preparation for remanufacturing is a fast, thorough, and
versatile process. It is unique, in that it is a 100% active
chemical melt; there are no solvents, diluents, water, etc
involved with the molten bath. It is liquid solely because of

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its operating temperature. There is no evaporation or loss of “liquid” from the bath as it has
negligible vapor pressure at normal operating temperatures. It’s important to note that there are
no evaporative energy losses from the working bath, either. In many instances, the energy
requirements for a molten salt cleaning system are actually less than the hot boiling aqueous
cleaners they supplant.

One of the unique properties of molten salts is their high heat capacities. Typically around 0.5
(water = 1), they are an excellent heat source to bring workloads up from ambient temperature
to working bath temperature in only a few minutes, without any chance of temperature
overshoot. As the cleaning reaction begins and energy is liberated, the bath acts to absorb the
heat and prevent any overheating or “hot spots” and their associated metallurgical changes
during the process cycle. The high heat transfer rate, in concert with the high chemical
reactivity of the bath, yields very short cycle times. Depending on the size of the workload and
component geometry, cleaning cycles can range from as short as 10 minutes, with cycle times
of 20 to 30 minutes being typical.

Any organic compounds that may be present on the used components - oils, soils, greases,
paints, carbon - are quickly and completely converted to inorganic compounds by
thermochemical oxidation. More volatile components may vaporize rapidly and escape to the
surface of the bath, while higher boiling point organic liquids are consumed in the bath.
Inorganic deposits such as water scale are moderately affected by the bath. Thick metal scales
such as rust and heat scales are not removed by the bath, but any organic oils or soils that were
absorbed into them during service are removed; this greatly increases the efficiency and
effectiveness of subsequent chemical brightening or pickling operations after salt bath cleaning.

Due to the speed of the process, specialized air handling equipment is needed for salt bath
remanufacturing cleaning systems. Since all of the volatile compounds are generated in a very
short period of time, wet scrubbers are usually used to capture and clean the exhaust air.
Typical exhaust air flow rates of up to 20,000 scfm help to assure that a negative pressure is
maintained within the system hooding. These requirements for a 15 to 20 minute start-to-finish
cleaning cycle contrast to a thermal bakeoff cycle of 6 hours or more with its afterburner or
catalytic converter.

While molten salt processes are capable of removing all of the organics and soils which may be
present on a used engine, the best use of the molten salt is as a scavenger or finishing tool. It
will quickly remove the remainder of any oils, sludges, and paint left on the component after
minimal precleaning and, at the same time, completely digest high-temperature stable deposits
such as coke and carbon. While not capable of completely digesting gasket materials, it does
degrade the gasket-to-metal bond.

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 Process Flow
The following flowchart summarizes the cleaning process:

TEARDOWN

STEAM / WASH TO REMOVE GROSS OILS / SOILS

LOAD IN BASKETS

SET-ASIDE / TUMBLE / AIR DRY / OVEN DRY

SALT BATH CLEAN

POSTCOOL (optional)

WATER QUENCH / RINSE

POST-TREAT TO BRIGHTEN

Due to the rapid heat-up rates inherent with molten salts, it is imperative that all components
introduced into the bath be free of water. The rapid evolution of steam from water - especially if
it occurs beneath the surface of the molten salt - may result in the expulsion of the hot salt and
damage and/or injury to process equipment and personnel.

When a load of components is first immersed in the molten salt, a “cocoon” of solidified salt
forms on the cold workload. As the load heats up, the solid salt remelts and the reaction
between the soils and salts begins. Low boiling point / high vapor pressure organics will
vaporize and react with the salt; depending on the amount present, some of the vapor will
escape from the bath and ignite above its surface. Unignited vapors condense upon cooling
and are removed in the air exhaust wet scrubber. More thermally stable species such as paint,
coke, and carbon are thermochemically oxidized by the bath to inorganic byproducts:

C + 2O  CO2
carbon active oxygen carbon dioxide

CnH2n+2 + (3n+1) O  nCO2 + (n+1)H2O

hydrocarbons active oxygen carbon dioxide water vapor

The carbon dioxide formed during the “chemical combustion” of the paints, oils, and carbon
deposits further reacts with the alkaline hydroxides present in the bath to form alkali carbonates:

CO2 + 2 OH-  CO3 = + H2O

carbon dioxide hydroxide carbonate water vapor

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It is the unique combination of the molten salt bath’s temperature and chemistry which allows
these cleaning reactions to take place very rapidly, thoroughly, and at temperatures well below
those needed with simple thermal cleaning methods. As more and more organics are
introduced into the bath, alkali carbonates continue to form as the principal reaction byproduct.
Inorganic contaminants which may be present on the used components may take many forms.
These include heavy metal paint pigments, bearing wear fines, water scale, etc. All of these
remain in the bath, and eventually accumulate in the sludge or byproduct collection system for
subsequent removal. One of the important characteristics of molten salt processes is their
ability to react even when saturated with reaction byproducts. The working baths never need to
be “dumped”. Through the routine removal of accumulated reaction byproducts and additions of
fresh process chemicals, the working bath continues to perform in a predictable, dependable
manner.

Process Equipment

Due to the chemical, thermal, and operational characteristics of molten salt processes,
specialized equipment is required. The basic requirements include the salt bath and its heating
system, byproduct collection and discharge modules, and at least one rinse tank. For operator
safety and to collect and vent reaction offgasses, hooding with observation windows is a
necessity. The basic minimal elements are sketched below:

Work Flow

Hooding & Observation Windows

Sludge Salt Bath Furnace Water Quench / Rinse Tanks

Discharge
Basic elements of and workflow for a typical molten salt bath cleaning system.

In practice, each unit is custom designed, engineered, and fabricated to a specific customer’s
requirements. Some of the more important design input criteria are:

• largest component geometry • required throughput

• operating hours per day • manual or automated handling
• post-treatment tanks under hood • amount of soils / oils

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 These criteria - along with basic design considerations such as floorspace, line configuration
(straight-line, “U”, or loop monorail), and degree of automation desired - help to shape the final
design. Actual equipment sizes vary from very small systems for low volume work, to very
large, fully automated systems. The range of size can be seen in the photos below.

Equipment size is based on required throughput and

component dimensions. Handling systems range from
manual hoists to fully automated “pick and place”
transfer units.

Remanufacturing Applications

After teardown, draining, and minor precleaning, the dry workload is immersed into the molten
salt for stripping of all organics - oils, greases, paints, and coke/carbon deposits. Orientation of
the parts is important. Air pockets will prevent salt contact and result in incomplete cleaning.
Large dished or cupped areas unnecessarily drag out large amounts of salt and impact both
operating expenses and quench/rinse water cleanliness. The relatively small amount of time
spent in properly fixturing or orienting the parts is well worth the effort.

After a predetermined time, the workload is removed and any excess salt is allowed to drain
back into the bath. Depending on the quench sensitivity of the parts being cleaned, the work is
either directly quenched into water, or allowed to air cool before quenching. After water rinsing,
there will be a thin, tight iron oxide coating on ferrous materials. This is due to the oxidizing
nature of the cleaning bath. Chemical post-treatments such as chelated alkaline derusters or
inhibited acid pickling solutions are commonly used to complete the cleaning process and
produce a clean, metallic appearance.

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Ferrous components are the most common parts to be cleaned in molten salt. Select non-
ferrous parts such as aluminum can be successfully cleaned, but it should be noted that the
temper or hardness of the aluminum will be reduced because of the bath’s operating
temperature of ca. 700° - 800° F. If the design of the component is such that the reduction in
temper will not adversely affect it in service, it is a good candidate for salt bath cleaning.
Certain metals such as magnesium or zinc die cast may not be processed in an oxidizing
molten salt. Magnesium will ignite and burn, while zinc die cast may exhibit excessive surface
blistering or “pimpling” as a result of dissolved gasses building up pressure.

Below is a series of “before and after” photos of typical components.

Cast iron engine blocks & heads and

alloy engine valves are typical of the
components which are salt bath
cleaned.

In these three photos, the left

components are after teardown.

In the middle are the results of salt

bath cleaning and water rinsing. The
red iron oxide is the result of the
oxidizing nature of the molten salt.

The right components are after salt

bath cleaning and subsequent
chelated alkaline brightening, and
represent the “finished” product of the
cleaning operation.

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 The aluminum turbocharger
bearing housings at the right
represent an instance where
salt bath cleaning replaced
mechanical shot blast
methods. Shot blast - while
successful in cleaning the
components - was masking
hairline cracks and other
defects that were leading to
warranty claims. Salt bath
processing was able to
thoroughly clean the used
components and allow for
easy and accurate inspection
for potential flaws.

Process and Environmental Overview

In order for the process to continue to clean components in a consistent and predictable
manner, reaction products (sludge) must be routinely removed from the bath. Formed in
proportion to the organic loading, sludge consists of inorganic compounds resulting from the
thermochemical oxidation of the paints, oils, greases, and carbons present on the work. Also
included in the sludge are any inorganic compounds that were originally present: dirt, sand,
metal oxides, scales, metal fines, gasket residues, etc.

All of these byproducts settle out of the working bath by gravity, and are accumulated in a
sludge pan located in the bottom of the salt bath. When these insolubles are removed, the
working level of the bath drops slightly. To make up for this level loss, additions of fresh

Process Flow

Fresh Salt Additions

Used Components Clean Components

w/ oils, carbon, paint & Salt Film Clean Components

Salt Bath Unit Water Rinse Tank

Sludge from Rinse Water for use in To plant treatment

saltbath for treatment dissolving sludge and/or
or off-site disposal treatment

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process chemical are made to the bath. This not only restores the working bath’s physical level,
but also helps to maintain the proper bath chemistry. It is through this routine removal and
addition procedure that the bath continues to perform ad infinitum; the bath does not have to be
routinely “dumped” and recharged, as is common with most chemical cleaning processes.

The sludge is a 100% inorganic material and, as such, is largely water soluble; any and all
insoluble organics that were introduced into the working bath have been destroyed. While
there are no heavy metals in the process chemicals as supplied, the sludge will probably
contain heavy or restricted metals as the result of the processed work. The most common
heavy metal is lead (from bearing wear and fuel additives), but other heavy metals such as
barium, cadmium, zinc, etc may also be present. Sources of these metals include paint
pigments, platings, lubricant additives, etc. For these reasons, the sludge is considered a
hazardous material under current federal regulations.

The sludge may be either processed in-house, or sent off-site for proper treatment and disposal.
Since the vast majority of the sludge is water soluble, treatment is relatively easy and
uncomplicated. Before any treatment may begin, it is necessary to make a water solution of the
sludge. Quench water, fresh water or combinations of the two may be used for this purpose. A
typical solution will contain about one pound of dissolved sludge per gallon of water. The main
characteristics that need to be addressed include:

• high pH due to carbonates and occluded salt

• potential heavy metals content
• suspended solids

A typical treatment regime will include adjustment of the pH through the addition of a mineral
acid such as sulfuric, or bubbling gaseous carbon dioxide through the solution. If sulfuric acid is
used, sodium / potassium sulfate will be formed. Analogously, sodium / potassium bicarbonate
are formed when carbon dioxide is added. The solution will then need to be treated to remove
any heavy metals, typically through the addition of a chemical reducing agent. This results in
the chemical reduction of the dissolved metal species, and in conjunction with appropriate pH
conditions, renders the metals insoluble. The final treatment step is to filter out these insolubles
and then properly dispose of them.

Depending on the quantity and type of restricted metal(s) present, the ultimate disposal
classification is typically determined by performing a Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure
(TCLP) on the filter cake. In many instances, the cake will pass the leaching test even when
restricted metals are present.

Conclusions

Molten salt processing of used engine components is a very thorough, rapid, and robust
industrial cleaning process. It is ideal where very complete cleaning and rapid turnaround are
required. Specialized safety-engineered equipment allows these processes to be placed on the
general plant floor, and provides convenient and efficient operation. Through routine byproduct
removal and fresh salt additions, molten salt baths are capable of indefinite operation without
periodic dumping and recharging.

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