Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Alkali Permanganate Cleaning of Jet Turbine parts

I do Alkali Permanganate cleaning on turbine engine parts and would like to know what the chemicals used do?

Rusty Turner
- Eastabog, Alabama
2002

A 4 step process uses alkaline cleaner to remove the surface oils and greases, a weak acid to "Crack" the carbon surface, the Alkaline Permanganate is a strong oxidizer which oxidizes the surface of the carbon--in essence , chemically burning some of it off. The cracks allow for a much greater surface and depth of attack. This leaves a carbon slime residue that does not rinse off, thus into a phosphoric acid bath or back into the caustic cleaner or weak acid bath. Jet engine parts are hard to clean in one pass thru the chemicals. The hot section is impossible to clean in one pass, regardless of how long you leave them in the tanks.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2002