DEGREASING AND CLEANING METHOD

PURPOSE:To provide a degreasing and cleaning method which does not pollute the environment due to the use of cleaning water and an inert gas and demonstrates high cleaning effects. CONSTITUTION:If decompressed nitrogen gas is sent into a cleaning bath 1 from a nitrogen gas container 4 through a gas pipe 51 under a heated state using a heater 58, an air pressure in the cleaning path 1 is boosted by supplying nitrogen gas under pressure, and a cleaning water is heated to 100 deg.C or higher under a high air pressure by a heater panel 10. Consequently, the nitrogen gas supplied under pressure ascends in the form of fine bubbles by a screen plate 14, resulting in the convection of the hot water and the subsequent quick fluidization of grease and oils sticking to an object 91 to be cleaned. Finally, the grease and oils become dissociated by the convection of hot water and nitrogen gas bubbles and afloat on the upper surface of the hot water to be cleaned. In this case, the cleaning water now separated from oil by an oil separator 3 is supplied under pressure into the cleaning bath 1 by a pump 32, and the oil portion floating on the upper surface of the hot water is supplied into the oil separator 3 from an overflow pipe 35. Further, the object to be cleaned is vacuum-dried by a vacuum pump 6 in the cleaning bath 1 from which water is drained.