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How To Use a Beaker Kit

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How to Use a Beaker Kit for Flammable Solvent Cleaning

Beaker kits let you clean small parts with flammable solvent while keeping solvent contained inside covered beakers. The ultrasonic tank is filled with water, and ultrasonic energy passes through the beaker walls into the solvent.

Never directly fill a conventional ultrasonic cleaner with flammable solvents. Use a secondary containment method such as beaker kits and operate with proper ventilation.
Safety Alert: Ultrasonic cleaners supplied with beaker kits are not explosion-proof. Keep the area around the tank free of solvent vapor. Beaker kits should be operated inside a fume hood or with a local exhaust system.

When this method fits best

Use beaker kits for labs, R&D, and small part cleaning where solvent swaps are frequent and throughput is moderate. For larger solvent volumes, consider dedicated explosion-proof systems.

What You Need

Kit components

  • 2 x Glass beakers
  • 2 x Polypropylene lids to contain vapor
  • 2 x Rubber rings to position beaker height in liquid
  • 1 x Stainless steel tank cover with 2 holes to support beakers
  • 1 x Ultrasonic cleaner

Before you start

  • Confirm local exhaust or hood ventilation is active.
  • Review your facility EHS process before operation.
  • Prepare only the solvent volume needed for the batch.
  • Do not activate the tank heater when using flammable solvent beakers.

How to Clean Parts in a Beaker Kit

  1. Put the rubber rings on the beakers

    You may need to wet the outside of the beaker with soapy water; the rings are tight but they will go on.

  2. Fill the beakers with solvent and cover with supplied lids

    Keep beakers covered to reduce vapor release during setup.

  3. Fill the tank with water

    Add a small amount of surfactant to the water to enhance cavitation.

  4. Place the stainless steel cover on the tank and position the beakers in the holes

    Adjust the rubber rings to a suitable height. Beakers should be partially submerged in the water.

  5. Run the ultrasound for about 10 minutes to degas the water and solvent

    Use Degas mode if available.

  6. Add the parts to the beakers

    Cover the beakers before activating the ultrasound.

  7. Set time, ultrasonic mode and frequency

    If the tank has a heater, do not activate the heater.

  8. Start cleaning

    Monitor per your EHS process and keep ventilation active.

Operating Notes

  • Beaker kits do not replace facility ventilation requirements.
  • You can run different solvents at once by separating them in different beakers.
  • Keep using the same water bath as long as the water looks clear.
  • If process volume grows beyond beaker limits, move to a dedicated explosion-proof solvent system.

Need help selecting a beaker kit setup?

Share your part size, solvent, and batch volume. We can help you choose the right beaker configuration or recommend a larger solvent-safe system.

Talk to a specialist