rrr@cup.portal.com (Roger Rock Rosner) (02/23/89)
A *partial* solution to the problem does exist. I recently worked for an electronics firm that did small amounts of PCB rework. We switched from CFC-based cleaners to a solvent called, I think, Bioact EC-7. It is made from oranges (and actually has a pleasant odor). The company is based in Florida--where else?--and they'll probably send you a free sample quart. It worked quite well for us--in some cases better than CFC goop. The only problem is that you MUST rinse the cleaned boards in water. Thus you can't use water-sensitive parts and you have to wait for the boards to dry. (Also, according to their warnings some plastics are sensitive to the solvent. We never had a problem with this.) One big plus is that it is much cheaper than CFC-based solvents. Sorry to say, I no longer have any further info on the company. I'll try to find more... -Roger