Paraffin-based rust preventatives are some of the most stubborn soils in metal finishing. When they’re not removed properly, shops pay the price — in labor, solvent cost, safety concerns, and poor adhesion.

In this episode of Seen and Solved, a finishing facility was forced to wipe every single part with acetone before cleaning just to remove a tenacious paraffin-based oil. The manual step slowed throughput, increased chemical spend, and exposed employees to unnecessary solvent fumes.

Instead of accepting the process as “the way it’s always been done,” Hubbard-Hall Technical Representative Jason Potts investigated the root cause — identifying the oil as paraffin-based and reformulating the cleaning stage using AquaEase® PL 918, a high-performance alkaline cleaner designed to remove heavy oils at lower operating temperatures.

Within one week:

• Acetone wiping was eliminated

• Labor and solvent costs were reduced

• Line throughput improved

• Adhesion risks were minimized

• Workplace safety improved

If you’re dealing with:

• Paraffin-based rust preventatives

• Adhesion failures in plating or coating

• Excessive manual cleaning steps

• High-temperature alkaline cleaning limits (160°F max systems)

• Slow production throughput in finishing lines

This episode walks through how to identify the chemistry challenge and correct it without adding complexity.

Serving metal finishers, electroplaters, powder coaters, and manufacturers across the U.S., Hubbard-Hall helps facilities improve cleaning performance, surface preparation, and overall finishing efficiency.