Marc:

To answer the chemistry part of your question...

Back in the days, a long time ago, when rosin flux was the primary, if not
the only type of flux available, it was necessary to turn the rosin into a
soap to get it to dissolve in water based cleaners.  This process of
producing a soap is labeled "saponification", and at its simplist, it merely
means treating an appropriate oil (like rosin, or a vegetable oil) with a
strong alkali, which converts it to a soap.

From what I know about no-wash types fluxes (which is not a lot), I suspect
that a saponifying type cleaner may be about the only type that will really
clean ALL of this type of flux residues from the surface....now it could be
asked what the necessity is to clean ALL the flux residues off, and wonder if
a superficial, appearance cleanliness would not be adequate.....but only you
can answer that.

Rudy Sedlak
RD Chemical Company

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