Cleaning system utilizing an organic cleaning solvent and a pressurized fluid solvent

A process for cleaning substrates comprising:

• placing the substrates to be cleaned in a vessel;
• adding organic solvent to the vessel;
• cleaning the substrates with the organic solvent;
• removing a portion of the organic solvent from the vessel;
• adding pressurized-fluid solvent to the vessel;
• removing the pressurized fluid solvent from the vessel;
• and
• removing the substrates from the vessel.

A process for cleaning textiles comprising:

• placing the textiles to be cleaned into a cleaning drum within a cleaning vessel;
• adding organic solvent to the cleaning vessel;
• cleaning the textiles with the organic solvent;
• removing a portion of the organic solvent from the cleaning vessel;
• rotating the cleaning drum to extract a portion of the organic solvent from the textiles;
• placing the textiles into a drying drum within a pressurizable drying vessel;
• adding pressurized fluid solvent to the drying vessel;
• removing a portion of the pressurized fluid solvent from the drying vessel;
• rotating the drying drum to extract a portion of the pressurized fluid solvent from the textiles;
• depressurizing the drying vessel to remove the remainder of the carbon dioxide by evaporation;
• and
• removing the textiles from the drying drum.

A system for cleaning substrates comprising:

• a cleaning vessel adapted to hold contaminated substrates and organic solvent;
• an organic solvent tank operatively connected to the cleaning vessel;
• a pump for pumping organic solvent from the organic solvent tank to the cleaning vessel;
• a drying vessel adapted to hold cleaned substrates and pressurized fluid solvent;
• a carbon dioxide tank operatively connected to the drying vessel;
• and
• a pump for pumping pressurized fluid solvent from the carbon dioxide tank to the drying vessel.

A system for cleaning substrates comprising:

• a vessel adapted to hold substrates, organic solvent, and pressurized fluid solvent;
• an organic solvent tank operatively connected to the vessel;
• a pump for pumping organic solvent from the organic solvent tank to the vessel;
• a pressurized fluid solvent tank operatively connected to the vessel;
• and
• a pump for pumping pressurized fluid solvent from the pressurized fluid solvent tank to the vessel.

A system for cleaning textiles comprising:

• a cleaning vessel adapted to retain textiles and organic solvent and able to agitate the textiles and the organic solvent;
• an organic solvent tank operatively connected to the cleaning vessel;
• a drying vessel adapted to retain textiles and pressurized fluid solvent and able to agitate the textiles and the pressurized fluid solvent;
• and
• a pressurized fluid solvent tank operatively connected to the drying vessel.

A system for cleaning textiles comprising:

• a pressurizable vessel adapted to retain textiles and organic solvent and pressurized fluid solvent and able to agitate the textiles and the organic solvent and the pressurized fluid solvent;
• an organic solvent tank operatively connected to the pressurizable vessel;
• and
• a pressurized fluid solvent tank operatively connected to the pressurizable vessel.

A system for cleaning substrates comprising a cleaning vessel adapted to hold contaminated substrates and organic solvent;

• an organic solvent tank operatively connected to the cleaning vessel and containing organic solvent;
• means for moving organic solvent from the organic solvent tank to the cleaning vessel;
• a drying vessel adapted to hold cleaned substrates and pressurized fluid solvent;
• a pressurized fluid solvent tank operatively connected to the drying vessel and containing pressurized fluid solvent;
• and
• means for moving pressurized fluid solvent from the pressurized fluid solvent tank to the drying vessel.