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Cleanroom wiper solvent compatibility tested: IPA, acetone, ethanol. NVR after solvent wipe, fiber degradation, and particle release data. Which wiper works with which solvent? Read before you wipe.

Many cleanroom operators assume any wiper works with any solvent. That assumption can cost you. We tested three common wiper materials (polyester knit, microfiber, and non‑woven poly‑cellulose) with three solvents (IPA, acetone, and anhydrous ethanol). The results show clear winners and losers.

Why solvent compatibility matters

When a wiper is incompatible with a solvent, you can see three problems:

  1. Fiber degradation – the wiper dissolves or sheds visible fibers

  2. Extractable residues – the solvent pulls out plasticizers or surfactants from the wiper, leaving NVR on your surface

  3. Particle release increase – the wiper loses mechanical strength and sheds more particles

We measured all three.

Test method

Wiper materials tested:

  • Type A: Polyester knit, laser‑sealed, 110 g/m²

  • Type B: Microfiber (80% polyester / 20% nylon), laser‑sealed, 180 g/m²

  • Type C: Poly‑cellulose non‑woven, heat‑sealed, 120 g/m²

Solvents tested:

  • Isopropyl alcohol (IPA), 99.9% semiconductor grade

  • Acetone, HPLC grade

  • Anhydrous ethanol, 99.5%

Measurements:

  • Visual fiber degradation after 5 minutes soaking (100x microscope)

  • Extractable NVR (solvent evaporated, residue weighed, ASTM E1560)

  • Particle shedding (≥0.5μm particles/m²) after solvent wetting and drying

Results: visible fiber degradation

Wiper typeIPA (5 min)Acetone (5 min)Ethanol (5 min)
Polyester knit (Type A)No changeSlight swelling, no fiber lossNo change
Microfiber (Type B)No changeModerate swelling, some fiber loosening at edgesNo change
Poly‑cellulose (Type C)OKDissolves – visible residueSlight softening

Key finding: Acetone + poly‑cellulose = disaster. The non‑woven binder dissolves, leaving a sticky residue on your surface. Never use acetone with cellulose‑based wipers.

Results: visible fiber degradation

Wiper typeIPA (5 min)Acetone (5 min)Ethanol (5 min)
Polyester knit (Type A)No changeSlight swelling, no fiber lossNo change
Microfiber (Type B)No changeModerate swelling, some fiber loosening at edgesNo change
Poly‑cellulose (Type C)OKDissolves – visible residueSlight softening

Key finding: Acetone + poly‑cellulose = disaster. The non‑woven binder dissolves, leaving a sticky residue on your surface. Never use acetone with cellulose‑based wipers.

Results: extractable NVR after solvent soak

We soaked 1g of each wiper in 100mL solvent for 10 minutes, then evaporated the solvent and weighed the residue.

 
 
Wiper typeSolventExtractable NVR (mg/g wiper)
Polyester knitIPA0.12
Polyester knitAcetone0.31
Polyester knitEthanol0.09
MicrofiberIPA0.08
MicrofiberAcetone0.27
MicrofiberEthanol0.06
Poly‑celluloseIPA0.18
Poly‑celluloseAcetone4.20 (wiper dissolved)
Poly‑celluloseEthanol0.21

Interpretation:

  • IPA and ethanol produce low extractables (0.06–0.21 mg/g) across all wiper types – acceptable for most applications.

  • Acetone extracts significantly more from polyester and microfiber (0.27–0.31 mg/g), likely due to plasticizers or spinning oils.

  • Acetone + poly‑cellulose is completely unacceptable – the wiper itself contributes massive contamination.

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