As an industrial application, thermal cleaning is used to remove organic substances such as polymers, plastics and coatings from parts, products or production components like extruder screws, spinnerets[1] and static mixers.
[7] This method is very safe because uncontrolled combustion inside the cleaning chamber is avoided.
In two-chamber versions, molten plastic drains into an unheated chamber to capture the bulk of the polymer to reduce the fumes.
Modern types contain an additional afterburner that operates at a minimum of 1,500 °F (820 °C) and consumes any smoke created by the process.
[2] Molten salt baths belong to the oldest thermal cleaning systems.
[2][4] The process has the risk of dangerous splatters due to chemical reactivity,[4] or other potential hazards, like explosions or toxic hydrogen cyanide gas.