Felt conditioner and cleaner

1. A method for cleaning or conditioning a fabric, belt, felt, or screen utilized in a paper-making or pulp making process, said method comprising treating at least portions of said fabric, belt, felt or screen with a formulation, said formulation comprising solketal and, optionally, at least one surfactant, wherein said solketal is present in said formulation at a concentration of from 1 ppm to 1,000 ppm, and wherein the formulation comprising solketal provides the ability to clean or condition by using an amount less by weight than a comparative formulation containing an aromatic solvent at the same concentration, to achieve the same degree of cleaning or conditioning.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation comprises at least one surfactant.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation comprises at least one non-ionic surfactant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation further comprises at least one anionic surfactant.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation further comprises at least one cationic surfactant.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation further comprises one or more solvents, wherein said one or more solvents are not solketal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said conditioning inhibits deposition of deposits or filling on or within a felt structure of said paper-making press felt.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating is continuous.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating is intermittent.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation further comprises one or more additional felt conditioning chemicals, cleaning chemicals, or both.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said paper-making press felt is a continuous felt.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paper-making press felt comprises a rotating continuous conveyor belt and the formulation is applied at least once per revolution of the rotating conveyor belt.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating comprises spraying the formulation onto the paper-making press felt.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating comprises soaking the paper-making press felt in the formulation.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation further comprises at least one acid, at least one base, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation further comprises at least one surfactant, water or other diluent, or both.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formulation comprises from about 0.5 wt % to about 99.5 wt % of said solketal.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said at least one surfactant is present in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 90 wt % based on the weight of the formulation.

19. A method for cleaning or conditioning a paper-making press felt utilized in a paper-making process, said method comprising treating at least portions of said paper-making press felt with a formulation, said formulation comprising solketal and, optionally, at least one surfactant, wherein said solketal is present in said formulation at a concentration of from 1 ppm to 1,000 ppm, and wherein the formulation comprising solketal provides the ability to clean or condition by using an amount less by weight than a comparative formulation containing an aromatic solvent at the same concentration, to achieve the same degree of cleaning or conditioning.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising applying the formulation intermittently or continuously to the paper-making press felt while paper is being produced by the paper-making process.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the felt is continuously moving and a portion of the felt is in direct simultaneous contact with a portion of the paper during the paper-making process.

22. A method of cleaning or conditioning a substrate, said method comprising treating said substrate with a formulation, said formulation comprising solketal, wherein said substrate is a dryer felt, paper machine forming fabric, fabric or felt used on a pulp dryer, or forming fabric on a cylinder machine, wherein said solketal is present in said formulation at a concentration of from 1 ppm to 1,000 ppm, and wherein the formulation comprising solketal provides the ability to clean or condition by using an amount less by weight than a comparative formulation containing an aromatic solvent at the same concentration, to achieve the same degree of cleaning or conditioning.

23. The method of claim 11 , wherein said substrate is a pulp making or paper making machine or a part thereof or surface thereof.

24. The method of claim 11 , wherein said substrate is a screen or cleaner used in a pulp mill or paper mill.