If Neil were to buy a Vacuum RCM and a US RCM and used his magic to invent a technique for them I am all ears. I would be very interested in that, but trying based on his description, with no practical experience, I hesitate to go down that rabbit hole.
All the procedures that are in the book Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records-3rd Edition - The Vinyl Press which include vacuum-RCM, UCM and combinations thereof have been validated with users across the globe.
As far as 200-proof ethanol this is what the book says: Pure Ethanol is drinking alcohol and aside from the inebriating effects is very safe. But most Ethanol purchased is denatured (made undrinkable) with methanol, and methanol and IPA can be very toxic. I make no statement that 200-proof cannot be purchased.
As far as Triton X100, this is what the book says: However, Dow™ Triton™ X-100 is categorized as a nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) and NPE chemical compounds have aquatic toxicity and are being phased-out (ref: EPA, Nonylphenol (NP) and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs), 8/18/2010, Action Plan, RIN 2070-ZA09 (21)). Dow™ Triton™ X-100 was banned for commercial use/sale in the EU/UK on 4 January 2021 unless an exemption has been authorized. Medical use is authorized through 22 December 2023.
Otherwise, I developed and patented cleaners and precision cleaning processes for the Navy for about 20-years and assisted setting up those procedures across the globe with our allies. Those processes included ultrasonics anything from simple bench top to massive systems with 400-gallon tanks.
You can believe it or not, but I have lots of on-hands practical experience, and I have no need for the Edisonian technique of trial and error. If you understand the science, the mechanics and the chemistry, all you are doing at the end is tweaking the chemistry and process to match the user and equipment. Cleaning a record is not rocket science, but if it matters I do know how to clean rockets - I developed a spray cleaning procedure to clean a large aerospace contractor’s 30,000-gal liquid oxygen tank. But for those wed to trial and error, it’s a valid approach, just not very efficient.
The book discusses the “Rushton Paul” DIY ultrasonic cleaning formula Ultrasonic Cleaning, addressing each of the ingredients and what they mean. If you understood the chemistry (which the book addresses) of surfactants then you would understand why I recommend Tergitol 15-S-9; it’s essentially 4X more efficient which allows using less making rinsing easier.
As far as the manual process, I am open with stating that if you are cleaning more than about 6-records at a time, it’s not practical.
Otherwise, as the book states: All cleaning procedures specified herein are presented as only “a” way to clean a record. No claim is made there is only one way to approach the process. In the final analysis, the best cleaning process is the one that is best for you.
Take care,
Neil Antin
