Low temperature metal cleaning composition

Claim 1

Metal cleaning composition comprising a formulation for preparing aqueous metal cleaning and polishing baths, with the formulation including: a. an alkaline builder which consists of sodium metasilicate together with an alkaline ingredient selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, and mixtures thereof, with said alkaline builder being present in the formulation in an amount equivalent to between about 55 percent and 65 percent by weight of said formulation; b. sodium gluconate in an amount equivalent to between about 5 percent and 15 percent by weight of said formulation; c. the tetrasodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (dihydrate) in an amount equivalent to between about 1.5 percent and 5 percent by weight of said formulation; d. kerosine, a distilled hydrocarbon having a boiling point of between about 150° C. and 300° C. in an amount equivalent to between about 1.5 percent and 3 percent by weight of said formulation; and e. a biodegradable wetting agent system consisting of a mixture of first and second linear primary alcohol polyethers and a linear alcohol alkoxylate wherein said first linear primary alcohol polyether has a cloud point of about 40° C. said second linear primary alcohol polyether has a cloud point of about 26° C., and said linear alcohol alkoxylate has a cloud point of about 20° C., and wherein the weight ratios of said first linear primary alcohol polyether to said second linear primary alcohol polyether to said linear alcohol alkoxylate ranges from between about 1.5-6.0:1.5-3.5:1.0-2.0.