Cleaning for the Ophthalmic Lens Industry

摘要

This paper discusses the various aspects of cleaning in the ophthalmic lens industry. The focus of this presentation is on the use of aqueous based chemistry to clean glass, polycarbonate and resin substrates. A high degree of cleanliness is required because the various processing steps are quite unforgiving with respect to any residue being left on the surfaces being processed. The work in this study investigates parameters that should be taken into consideration when formulating products specifically for this industry. The nature and challenges of the different soils and lens materials are explored. Surfactants were screened for their inherent tendency to leave behind a film free surface on either glass or plastic. The effect of surfactant physical properties, such as the importance of nonionic cloud point and HLB, are investigated. In addition, the performance of fully formulated products is discussed.