The Dayton cleaning system uses Teflon in order to generate the fluoride cleaning ion.  Teflon is heated in a retort with H2 gas.  Gaseous Teflon removes oxides on the parts and produces metal fluorides and carbon monoxide (this is the primary reaction).

Nickel superalloys with relatively high levels of aluminium and titanium form surfaces with aluminium and titanium oxides that are not “wettable” by braze or welding methods.  These oxides could not be removed by “conventional” cleaning methods.  Thus it was that both Teflon based and gaseous based HF cleaning systems were developed.

The Dayton system is safer to use than gaseous based HF cleaning systems.  Unlike gaseous HF systems, the primary Dayton cleaning reaction does not generate water vapour.

Dayton cleaned and diffusion braze repaired crack in F404 LPNGV (airfoil leading edge crack).	Nickel superalloy – crack. Dayton cleaned and diffusion braze repaired.
IN713 nickel superalloy Dayton cleaned and diffusion braze repaired.	Dayton cleaned and diffusion brazed LPNGV undergoing burner rig testing.

For more information on the Dayton Process Fluoride Ion Cleaning please click here.