Cleaning processes and compositions

Abstract

Methods for cleaning an article comprise contacting the article with a cleaning composition comprising a linear or branched volatile siloxane. In one embodiment, the method for cleaning the article comprises contacting the article with a cleaning composition comprising, based upon 100 pbw of the cleaning composition, 80 pbw to 99.99 pbw of a linear or branched volatile siloxane. In another embodiment, the method for cleaning the article comprises contacting the article with a cleaning composition comprising, based upon 100 pbw of the cleaning composition, 50.1 pbw to 99 pbw of a linear or branched volatile siloxane and a cyclic siloxane.

1 . A method for cleaning an article, comprising contacting the article with a cleaning composition comprising, based upon 100 pbw of the cleaning composition, 80 pbw to 99.99 pbw of a linear or branched volatile siloxane.  
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the article is contacted with the cleaning composition by applying the cleaning composition to at least a localized area of the article.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 2   , wherein the cleaning composition is removed from the article by blotting.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the article is contacted with the cleaning composition by immersing the article in the cleaning composition.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 4   , wherein, subsequent to contacting the article with the cleaning composition, the cleaning composition is separated from the article by one or more of draining and centrifugation.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein, subsequent to separation of cleaning composition from the article, the article is heated to a temperature of from 15° C. to 120° C.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein, subsequent to separation of cleaning composition from the article, the article is subjected to reduced pressure.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein, subsequent to separation of cleaning composition from the article, the article is heated to a temperature of from 15° C. to 120° C. and subjected to reduced pressure.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a surfactant.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 9   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.01 pbw to 20 pbw of the surfactant.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.1 pbw to 10 pbw of the surfactant.  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 11   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.5 pbw to 8 pbw of the surfactant.  
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a cyclic siloxane.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a cyclic siloxane and a surfactant.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 90 pbw to 99.9 pbw of the linear or branched volatile siloxane.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 92 pbw to 99.5 pbw of the linear or branched volatile siloxane.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.01 pbw to 10 pbw of water.  
     
     
         18 . A method for cleaning an article, comprising contacting the article with a cleaning composition comprising, based upon 100 pbw of the cleaning composition, 50.1 pbw to 99 pbw of a linear or branched volatile siloxane and a cyclic siloxane.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 18   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 1 pbw to 49.99 pbw of the cyclic siloxane.  
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 19   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a surfactant and 1 pbw to 20 pbw of the cyclic siloxane.  
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 20   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 80 pbw to 99 pbw of the linear or branched volatile siloxane.  
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 18   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.01 pbw to 10 pbw of water.  
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 22   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.1 pbw to 5 pbw of water.  
     
     
         24 . The method of    claim 23   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.5 pbw to 2 pbw of water.  
     
     
         25 . The method of    claim 18   , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a surfactant.  
     
     
         26 . The method of    claim 18   , wherein the article is contacted with the cleaning composition by applying the cleaning composition to at least a localized area of the article.  
     
     
         27 . The method of    claim 26   , wherein the cleaning composition is removed from the article by blotting.  
     
     
         28 . The method of    claim 18   , wherein the article is contacted with the cleaning composition by immersing the article in the cleaning composition.  
     
     
         29 . The method of    claim 28   , wherein, subsequent to contacting the article with the cleaning composition, the cleaning composition is separated from the article by one or more of draining and centrifugation.  
     
     
         30 . The method of    claim 29   , wherein, subsequent to separation of cleaning composition from the article, the article is heated to a temperature of from 15° C. to 120° C.  
     
     
         31 . The method of    claim 29   , wherein, subsequent to separation of cleaning composition from the article, the article is subjected to reduced pressure.  
     
     
         32 . The method of    claim 29   , wherein, subsequent to separation of cleaning composition from the article, the article is heated to a temperature of from 15° C. to 120° C. and subjected to reduced pressure.  
     
     
         33 . A cleaning composition, comprising a linear or branched volatile siloxane and a surfactant.  
     
     
         34 . The cleaning composition of    claim 33   , wherein the linear or branched volatile siloxane comprises one or more compounds of the structural formula:  
       M 2+y+2z D x T y Q z    wherein:    M is R 1   3 SiO 1/2 ;    D is R 2   2 SiO 2/2 ;    T is R 3 SiO 3/2 ;    and Q is SiO 3/2   4/2 ;    R 1 , R 2  and R 3  are each independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical; and    x and y are each integers, wherein 0≦x≦10 and 0≦y≦10 and 0≦z≦10.    
     
     
         35 . The composition of    claim 32   , wherein the surfactant exhibits an HLB value of from 3 to 14.  
     
     
         36 . A cleaning composition, comprising a linear or branched volatile siloxane and a cyclic siloxane.  
     
     
         37 . The cleaning composition of    claim 36   , wherein the cyclic siloxane comprises one or more compounds of the structural formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein: R 5 , R 6 , R 7  and R 8  are each independently a monovalent hydrocarbon group; anda and b are each integers wherein 0≦a≦10 and 0≦b≦10, provided that 3≦(a+b)≦10.