Cleaning Processes across NASA Centers

Cleaning:
All significant surfaces of the hardware must be pre-cleaned to remove dirt, grit, scale, corrosion, grease,
oil and other foreign matter prior to any final precision cleaning process. Metallic parts shall be surface
treated (cleaned, passivated, pickled and/or coated) as necessary to prevent latent corrosion and
contamination. (“Process Specification for Cleaning of Hardware”/PRC-5001, Rev. E [JSC], page 7)

Stages of Cleaning Processes:

1. Pre-cleaning/surface cleaning
2. Inspection
3. Precision cleaning
4. Verification
5. Handling
6. Drying
7. Final Packaging

Chemicals for Cleaning

• Detergent/Degreaser *
• Caustic Acid (Oakite HD 126) *
• Rinse Water (RO Water) *
• Mild Alkaline (Oakite 31) *
• Oakite Liquid Rustripper *
• Oakite Rustripper *

Equipment for Cleaning Processes

• Personal Protective Equipment
• “Bunny suits” to protect clean rooms from outside contaminants
• Vats/Tanks
• Sandblaster machines *
• Jet spray washers *
• Heated pressure washers *

Locations for Cleaning

• Clean flow benches *
• Clean rooms
• High bay areas *
• Onsite

Types of Items Cleaned

• Components
• Tank Lines
• Pressure Vessels
• Tools
• Personal Protective Equipment

_______
* Primary Source: WSTF

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Clean Rooms/Clean Areas/Location Cleaning
WSTF MSFC SSC
Clean Class 10,000 clean room (180 sq ft) Class 100,000 clean room (4,000 sq Class 10,000 clean room (1500 sq ft)
Rooms • Function tests of components up ft) • Function tests of components up to
to 11,000 psi: valves, regulators, • Precision Cleaning facility 6,500 psi.
and intensifiers cleans valves components, • Precision clean components,
• Precision clean cryogenic pumps tubing, piping and misc tubing, and fittings
• Precision clean relief valves, hardware.
high pressure compressors, and • Precision cleaning of Project
other components hardware for ECLSS, MSRR,
Class 10,000 clean room (140 sq ft) G-LIMIT and others.
• Precision clean of all clean room Class 10,000 clean room (4500 sq
garments used at WSTF ft)
Class 100 clean room (600 sq ft) • Precision Cleaning facility
• Final verification and cleanliness cleans valves components,
of components up to 50 A tubing, piping and misc
• Capable of handling flight hardware.
hardware
Class 100 Flight Hardware clean Class 30,000 clean room (432 sq ft)
room (400 sq ft) • Packaging and inspection for
• Pilot Operating Valves (POV), Precision Cleaning
Veneer Direct Acting Valves • Black and white light
(DAV), Oxygen Regenerating inspection
Compressor Assembly (ORCA), Class 100,000 clean room Precision
Hydrogen Flow Control Valve Assembly (2000 sq ft)
(HFCV) • Precision Assembly of Project
Class 100 reassembly room (300 sq hardware.
ft) • ECLSS : Rack, OGA,
• Function test of components up to ORU, UPA, DA, Pump
20,000 psi • MSRR
• G-LIMIT
Class 100 Flow bench
• NVR and Particulate analysis
• Small item assembly

Clean • Several Class 100 Flow benches Class 300,000 Clean Areas • Anteroom (450 sq ft)with Class 100
Areas • Bubble Point Tester for filters • Dry Film Lube, Precision Flow bench
• Heise gauge-cleaning station up to Cleaning, MLI Blanket • Test Cell – functional testing of
50,000 psi Fabrication precision cleaned components to
15,000 psi
Location High Bay Area Location Cleaning outsourced High Bay Area
Cleaning • 6,000 gallon tanker trucks • Convoluted hoses
• Large vessels • Long pipes
• 4-inch convoluted hoses • Pressure vessels
• Long pipes
• Pressure vessels
• Chambers
Other Vats (for Component Cleaning) Grit Blast Vats (for Component Cleaning)
• Detergent/Degreaser (Simple • Grit blasting using, Black • Caustic Cleaner (Cee-Bee J-84AL
Green) – Vat size 2.5’ L x 2.5’ W Beauty, Garnet, Sand, Steel Shot, Liquid)– Vat size 10’ L x 3.8’ W x
x 2 ’D Walnut hulls, corn cobs and 4.5 ’D
• Caustic Acid (Oakite HD 126) – soda. • Mild Alkaline (Cee-Bee Super Bee
Vat size 2.5’ L x 2.5’ W x 2 ’D • Pressure Washing 300LF)) – Vat size 8’ L x 3.8’ W x
• Rinse Water – (RO water) – Vat 4.5 ’D
size 2.5’ L x 2.5’ W x 2 ’D • Protective Coating (Cee-Bee MX-
• Mild Alkaline (Oakite 31) – Vat 15U) - Vat size 8’ L x 3.8’ W x 4.5
size 2.5’ L x 2.5’ W x 2 ’D ’D
• Oakite Liquid Rustripper – Vat • Deoxidizer (Cee-Bee C-623) - Vat
size 2.5’ L x 2.5’ W x 2 ’D size 8’ L x 3.8’ W x 4.5 ’D
• Oakite Rustripper – Vat size 2.5’ • Passivation Solution (HNO3) – Vat
L x 2.5’ W x 2 ’D Size 8’ L x 3.8’ W x 4.5 ’D

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Onsite Cleaning
WSTF MSFC SSC
Tank Mid-Strength 300 Series (Non- Mid-Strength 300 Series (Non-
Magnetic) Stainless Steel Magnetic) Stainless Steel
Lines (24’Lx5’Wx10’D 1. Degrease
1. Aqueous Degrease 2. DI Water Rinse
2. Rinse 3. Caustic cleaner
3. Pickle (micro etch) – 4. DI Water Rinse
Nitric/Hydrofluoric Acid 5. Deoxider – if required
4. Rinse 6. DI Water Rinse
5. Passivation – Nitric Acid 7. Mild Alkaline
6. Rinse 8. DI Water Rinse
7. Hot Water Rinse 9. Passivation -Nitric Acid
8. Precision Cleaning 10. Mild Alkaline
11. DI Water Rinse
Aluminum Cleaning Process
(24’Lx5’Wx10’D Aluminum Cleaning Process
1. Degrease
1. Aqueous Degrease 2. DI Water Rinse
2. Rinse 3. Deoxider – if required
3. [Steps a, b, c, and d at least once, 4. DI Water Rinse
but repeated as necessary, or to 5. Protective Coating-if required
specification] 6. DI Water Rinse
a. Tri-Acid Deoxidizer
b. Rinse Carbon Steel (Magnetic) Cleaning
c. Caustic Etch Process
d. Rinse 1. Degrease
4. Chromate Conversion Coating 2. DI Water Rinse
5. Rinse 3. Caustic cleaner
6. Hot Water Rinse 4. DI Water Rinse
7. Precision Cleaning 5. Deoxider – if required
6. DI Water Rinse
Carbon Steel (Magnetic) Cleaning 7. Mild Alkaline
Process (16’Lx5’Wx8’D 8. DI Water Rinse
7. Protective Coating
1. Aqueous Degrease
2. Rinse
3. Mild Steel Pickle – Sulfuric Acid
4. Rinse
5. Iron Phosphate
6. Rinse
7. Hot Water Rinse
8. Precision Cleaning

Other • Very long lines DI water facility • DI Water Plant

• Large pressure vessels Large Hardware

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Documentation
WSTF MSFC SSC
Surface Cleanliness SN-C-0005, “Contamination SN-C-0005, “Contamination SSTD-8070-0089-FLUIDS,
Control Requirements for the Control Requirements for the “John C. Stennis Space
Space Shuttle Program” Space Shuttle Program” Center
IEST-STD-CC1246, “Product Surface Cleanliness
JPR 5322.1, “Contamination Cleanliness Levels and Requirements
Control Requirements Manual” Contamination Control For SSC Fluid Systems”
Program”
Center Procedures WJI-SVC-CSS-0092, “General MSFC-SPEC-164, “Cleanliness STP-8810-0005, “John C.
Component Precision Cleaning of components for use in Stennis Space Center
and Cleanliness Verification” Oxygen, Fuel, and Pneumatic Technical Procedure
Systems” For Clean Line Cleaning”
WJI-SVC-CSS-0030, MSFC-PROC-166, “Hydraulic
“Precleaning of Hardware, System Detailed Parts, STP-8810-0019, “John C.
Components, and Assemblies to a Components, Assemblies, and Stennis Space Center
Visibly Clean Level” Hydraulic Fluids for Space Technical Procedure
Vehicles, Cleaning, Testing, and For Cleaning Verification”
WJI-SVC-CSS-0032, “Final Hauling”
Cleaning and Cleanliness
Verification of Hardware in the
Class 100 Clean Room”

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 Table I. Classification of Cleanliness Levels Requirements

B. NVR
A. Particulate Matter C. Visible Contamination
Contamination
Contamination Levels Levels
Levels
Maximum Maximum
Particle Size Number of Quantity of
Range Particles per 0.1 NVR (mg per
2
Level (micrometer) m* Level 0.1m2) Level Definition
<5 Unlimited A 1 GC Generally Clean.
5 to 15 19 Freedom from
>15 to 25 14 manufacturing
25 >25 0 residue, dirt, oil,
<15 Unlimited B 2 grease, etc. The GC
15 to 25 17 level should therefore
>25 to 50 8 be specified for
50 >50 0 hardware that is not
<25 Unlimited C 3 sensitive to
25 to 50 68 contamination and is
>50 to 100 11 easily cleaned or
100 >100 0 recleaned.
<50 Unlimited D 4 VC Visibly Clean. Free
50 to 100 47 all particulate and
>100 to 150 5 nonparticulate matter
150 >150 0 visible to the normal
<50 Unlimited E 5 unaided eye or
50 to 100 154 corrected vision eye.
>100 to 200 16 This level is for
200 >200 0 hardware that
<100 Unlimited F 7 requires removal of
100 to 200 39 surface particulate
>200 to 250 3 and nonparticulate for
250 >250 0 operation; or
<100 Unlimited G 10 hardware for which
100 to 250 93 recleaning would be
>250 to 300 3 difficult and/or time-
300 >300 0 consuming.
<100 Unlimited H 15 VC+UV Visibly Clean +
100 to 250 1073 Ultraviolet. Visually
>250 to 500 27 clean and inspected
500 >500 0 with ultraviolet light.
<250 Unlimited J 25 This level is usually
250 to 500 205 specified for hardware
>500 to 750 9 that cannot tolerate
750 >750 0 buildup of
<500 Unlimited hydrocarbons
500 to 750 34 between uses or
>750 to 1000 5 operations.
1000 >1000 0
*No silting permitted
(“Process Specification for Cleaning of Hardware”/PRC-5001, Rev. E [JSC], page 20)

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(Cleaning Specification MSFC-164-B)