Industrial cleaner, metalworking fluid and grease analysis: surfactants, oils and additives
Three products, three kinds of question
A cleaner may combine surfactants, builders, pH modifiers and other additives to remove a particular soil without damaging a surface. A water-based metalworking fluid often balances lubrication, cooling, corrosion control and microbial stability. A grease uses an oil phase held in a thickener structure, with additives selected for operating conditions. Grouping all three as "industrial fluids" would hide the engineering question. We ask what the material is expected to do and what changed: cleaning efficacy, corrosion behavior, emulsion stability or grease consistency.
An apparently simple cleaner can have several plausible causes for a change in performance. Surfactant balance affects wetting, but water quality, dilution and contact time can also change the result. A metalworking fluid comparison likewise needs the use concentration and the condition of the working bath, not only the unopened concentrate. A grease comparison should use fresh supplied product; grease recovered after service is altered by contamination and oxidation, and used grease counts as waste that we cannot receive from overseas.
Choose an eligible, meaningful sample
We review neutral water-based cleaners, solid detergents, water-based metalworking fluids and lubricating greases from overseas. Emulsifiable oil concentrates (soluble oils) are mostly oil rather than water, so declare the concentrate's actual water content; they may not qualify as water-based. We do not receive liquid solvent-based cleaners, strong-acid or strong-alkali cleaners, lubricating oils or other non-water-based liquid oils, low-flash-point oils, or fuel additives. Eligibility is tied to the actual sample, not the market category alone. Send unused product: a concentrate, a freshly diluted working solution or a fresh grease. Spent working baths and used grease count as waste and cannot be received from overseas.
A spent working bath is not a clean proxy for the supplied concentrate. It can contain metal fines, carry-in oils and products of use. Likewise, used grease may contain wear debris or ingress from the environment. A comparison that pairs fresh reference material with spent suspect material mixes product chemistry with service history. If the analytical question is supplier consistency, compare unopened or otherwise comparable reference and candidate materials.
Interpret chemistry without overclaiming performance
A formulation analysis may identify supported compounds or chemical families and estimate proportions semi-quantitatively. It cannot substitute for a cleaning trial, corrosion test or bearing test under the actual operating conditions. A detected ingredient does not tell you its commercial grade or supplier. We use the result to narrow a troubleshooting or substitution hypothesis, while making unresolved portions explicit.
How to start
We accept overseas industrial samples after declaration review. Use the sample declaration form and read the related guide. Our reports are research-grade analytical reports from a laboratory that is not accredited. They cannot be used for product registration or legal proceedings.
FAQ
Can a used metalworking bath represent the fresh concentrate?
No. A used metalworking bath can change through dilution, contamination and service; compare like sample states when investigating supplied formulation. Used baths also cannot be shipped to us from overseas.
Do you receive solvent-based liquid cleaners from overseas?
No. We do not receive solvent-based cleaners in liquid form from overseas.
Are lubricating greases on the reviewable list?
Yes. Lubricating greases are listed among reviewable semi-solid samples, subject to declaration review.
Can a chemical match guarantee equal cleaning or lubrication?
No. Dilution, surface, process and operating conditions also affect performance, so validate in the intended use.
Send a sample declaration for this product and state the question you want answered.