Water Based Degreasers Vs. Solvent Based: 4 Benefits

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Degreasers are some of the most commonly used industrial cleaners in the world. Until machines stop needing grease for lubrication and other purposes, the supply and demand for industrial strength degreasers will remain high. But that doesn’t mean you’re locked into using one of the two basic degreaser formulations: water based or solvent based.

If You Have the Option to Choose…

Many organizations use water based degreasers or solvent based degreasers because that’s what the degreasing application calls for. However, some organizations use solvent based cleaners for practically everything, simply because they use them for most things. If you’re in this position, using water based degreasers for jobs for which they would be a good fit — and provide proper efficacy — could have some important advantages, four of which we list below.

  1. Better Compliance With Regulations

There’s one similarity among degreasers whose ingredients the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates: The ingredients are solvent-based. Water based degreasers have an inherent advantage in the environmental safety department: Chemically, water has an ultra-high safety profile.

  1. Simplification of Degreaser Storage

Too many solvent degreasers to name have a flashpoint. Sometimes, the flashpoint is high; and sometimes, it’s low. But it typically registers at a specific temperature during testing. Water, as we know, is used to extinguish fires — a characteristic that generally makes water based degreasers safe to store in terms of fire hazard.

  1. Can Help Reduce Operating Costs

Lots of solvent based degreasers contain chemicals that have a high evaporation rate and shouldn’t be inhaled. Also, some solvents cause skin irritation on contact. When these variables are in place (They have less of a tendency to be present with water based degreasers), the need to operate an air filtration system that snags airborne contaminants, and the need to provide high-level personal protective equipment (PPE), can increase operating cost.

  1. Can Help Reduce Degreaser Disposal Costs

Spent water based degreaser may still go in the waste trap, but removing it from the trap could be less expensive than removing a solvent based degreaser. The more precautions and processes a waste removal provider must take to safely handle chemicals, the higher the waste disposal bill.

If you have an area where degreasing operations are performed, and the spent cleaner that hits the waste trap is solvent based, you could potentially reduce waste disposal cost by using a water based degreaser instead.

Interested in Water Based Degreasers?

Compared to implementing a solvent based degreaser, using a water based product can deliver four benefits, among others: better compliance with official chemical regulations, simplification of degreaser storage, reduced chemical mitigation costs, and reduced operating costs.

To find out if eco friendly water based degreasers are a good option for your degreasing applications, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. For over 25 years, we’ve provided stock and custom cleaners that have amazing efficacy. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing how we can help with degreasing!     

Using Foamless Parts Washer Fluid: Pros and Cons

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The term parts washing fluid applies to different yet similar industrial cleaning agents: cleaners used in enclosed parts washing systems, and cleaners used in open air work stations. In this entry, we look at the basic pros and cons of using foamless parts washer fluid for industrial parts cleaning, both for enclosed parts washer cleaning and open air operations.

Pro: No Foaminess in the Parts Washer

If you’ve ever overfilled a dishwasher with foaming detergent, you have may have encountered a flow of suds that required multiple mopping sessions to remove all of the soap residue from the floor — residue that attracts dirt faster than a clean floor would.

A similar event can happen with parts washers that aren’t designed for foaming action solvents. If you use an industrial model parts washer, it may be sealed tight enough to contain the foam. The question is whether the washing cycle is thorough enough to remove the foam. If it’s a quick washing cycle with no anti-foaming agent, you could open the machine and find suds on work pieces and throughout the wash chamber, necessitating at least one more rinse cycle.

Con: No Cleaning From Foaming Action

Sometimes, foaming action is more than a byproduct from a cleaner. The foam is designed to encapsulate a workpiece, slowly cleaning away tough accumulations from any number of substances — from grease, to bitumen, to tar — to leave the piece looking as clean as new.

Letting the foam work its magic can result in using less solvent, while still powering away thick coatings of gunk (often making the gunk easier to remove using moderate water pressure).

Pro: Not Always Good for Fast Cleaning

Whether you use it in a parts washer or an open air cleaning station, a parts washing fluid that has foaming action can require a longer cleaning operation than using a foamless parts washer fluid.

If you’re treating a limited number of parts that must be treated quickly to get them back in action, a slow foaming cleaner often isn’t your friend. A better option is choosing a foamless parts washer fluid you can use in a parts washer or workstation to consistently achieve the quick turnround you need.

Con: Can End Up Consuming More Fluid 

If properly formulated, a small reservoir of parts cleaning fluid can produce a significant amount of cleansing foam. If you have the flexibility to use a foaming cleaner that has a long turnround time, your solvent expenditures could be lower than if you used a foamless parts washing fluid that requires using more solvent to perform the same cleaning operation.

Conclusion

Foamless parts washer fluid and foaming parts washing fluid both have a place in industrial cleaning. Some organizations need one, some need the other, and still other organizations need both.

For assistance selecting a foaming or foamless parts washer fluid for industrial cleaning, contact Ecolink today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to helping you make the right selection!

 

 

Corrosion Removal Solvents for Rust: Introducing Rust Rip

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Rust occurs in metal that contains iron. When iron alloys are exposed to moisture or water in the presence of oxygen — and no protective barrier prevents the metal from oxidizing on the surface — unsightly rust begins to form and proliferates until rust removal is performed.

The scientific name for rust is iron oxide — a substance that eventually corrodes an entire piece of metal unless removed from the surface. Rust removal can be performed manually through heavy brushing, grinding, or sandblasting, but using a chemical rust remover is usually the most efficient option.

Corrosion Removal Solvents for Rust

Rust is generally considered an eyesore that doesn’t impact the strength of metal. For example, a rusty iron chain may pull as much weight as the same type of chain that has no rust. If so, it’s indicative that oxidation is limited to the surface of the rusty chain. If the chain rusts for a significant period of time, its microstructure grows progressively weaker as rust penetrates deeper. Eventually, the chain becomes nothing but a pile of rust.

This is why it’s important to attack rust with corrosion removal solvents when the oxidation process is first noticed, especially when the appearance and/or dimensional stability of the object is essential to its function. If you’re shopping for corrosion removal solvents for rust, Rust Rip — a rust remover and phosphatizer from Ecolink — offers the following advantages, among others:

  • Non-flammable formulation
  • Prevents paint from peeling
  • Promotes paint bonding
  • Can be used on ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Rust Rip is useful for removing rust from any type of metal, but it also has an important niche application: removing rust from metal that will subsequently be painted. Rust flows away, leaving the metal with a surface that bonds well with paint and helps prevent paint from peeling.

Applications where these traits come in handy include: auto body restoration, restoring rusty metal ceilings, repainting rusted industrial equipment, and preparing rusty metal for marine applications that require waterproof paint sealer. Any application that involves removing rust from the surface metal — and then painting the metal, or not — is fair game. The biggest key to success is removing rust before it progresses past the surface and causes pitting.

Considering Your Supply Options

One of the most diverse corrosion removal solvents for rust, Rust Rip is available in 55 gallon drums, 5 gallon pails, and four 1 gallon containers. Have the product delivered on a schedule or order it as needed. We ship orders of all sizes, from bulk supply to small box orders.

If you’d like to compare Rust Rip to other corrosion removal solvents, we’ll send you a free product sample so you can test its efficacy. To get your free sample, visit our Request a Product Sample page. To place a regular order or request information, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. Let us help you rip away rust the easy way!

Selecting an Electric Motor Cleaning Solvent: Important Questions

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If electric motors play a crucial role in your company or organization’s operations, you can ill-afford for them to perform inefficiently or unreliably. Part of ensuring that your motors are efficient and reliable is using the right electric motor cleaning solvent. There are plenty of options on the table. If you need assistance with basic considerations, the questions below will guide you in the right direction.

  1. Are you cleaning specific parts?

If you need to clean specific parts, look for solvents that are meant for those parts. Common examples include: contacts, turbines, relays, etc. As you shop, you’ll find that an electric motor cleaning solvent is often formulated to clean more than one type of motor component.

  1. What metals must be cleaned?

Electric motors can contain various types of metal, from different grades of stainless steel, to different alloys of iron, to copper and aluminum assemblies. This is why it’s important to identify a solvent that doesn’t cause any type of metal in your motors to corrode or oxidize.

  1. Will motors remain energized?

Whenever possible, most motor cleaning is performed while motors are powered off. However, in some situations (e.g. operating a 24-hour manufacturing line), motors must be cleaned while they are powered on. When this is the case, a solvent that contains a dielectric is required. Otherwise, electricity could travel through the solvent stream and shock the worker.

  1. Are sources of ignition present?

If so, you should ideally select an electric motor cleaning solvent that has no flashpoint. If this isn’t an option, selecting a compatible cleaner with the highest flashpoint possible should be the goal. No flashpoint solvents help prevent fires on the workfloor and in the solvent storage area.

  1. Are parts geometrically complex?

If you need to clean parts inside the motor housing, the answer is probably yes. If so, using an aerosol solvent would be ideal. The particles in the spray stream disperse evenly across surfaces, and make their way into crevices and seams that can harbor accumulated soils.

  1. How often is cleaning performed?

This question deals with solvent cost. If you clean motors multiple times a week, ordering your electric motor cleaning solvent in bulk may be the most effective supply model. If you perform cleaning infrequently, ordering the solvent you require in small amounts on an as-needed basis may be most cost effective.

About Our Company

Ecolink is a trusted supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial cleaning solvents. Cleaning electric motors is a common need among our customers. This is why we offer a selection of solvents that are formulated for cleaning different types of motors and motor components. In addition to providing stock solvents, we also supply custom solvents for motor cleaning.

To inquire about our products and services, please contact us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through the contact form on our website. We look forward to learning about your motor maintenance operations and proposing solvent solutions that can improve them.

A Worker’s Guide for Solvents in the Workplace

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Overview

No matter where you or many other Americans work, you are probably being exposed to solvents. Solvents are used in various capacities, like in industrial, commercial, and non-residential setting, and when they become obsolete or unable to be used for their intended purpose, they will most likely become hazardous. It is up to you and other solvent users to determine if your solvent is hazardous or not and how to safely dispose or recycle your solvents.

This guide is to inform solvent users and disposers of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations, enable them to make the correct hazardous waste determinations for their solvents, and assist them in either reducing solvent usage or choosing less-hazardous solvents.

Solvent users who use this guide will:

  • Be knowledgable about the RCRA hazardous waste rules
  • Grow understanding of the RCRA hazardous waste regulations associated with solvents
  • Learn about RCRA waste classification
  • Obtain answers for frequently asked questions about solvents and RCRA

Although this guide will provide you with a brief overview, most states have the authority to maintain its own hazardous waste generator programs. Thus, some state’s may have regulations in place of federal regulations. Even though many state regulations are based on federal regulations, some states may have developed more strict or broader regulations. To see your state’s regulations, contact your state’s environmental regulatory agency or department or go to the EPA’s State Programs Web page.

If you ever have any concerns about hazardous solvent disposal or solvent classification, refer to your state’s environmental regulatory agency or EPA regional office.

Defining a Solvent

In most cases, solvents are liquids that are composed of either a single chemical or a mixture of chemicals which are used to dissolve a substance or material. This usage enables solvents to be utilized as cleaning agents, or in chemical manufacturing, or as ingredients in other products.

Common uses of solvents include:

  • Industrial cleaning and degreasing;
  • Dry cleaning;
  • Paint thinning and coating;
  • Fabric scouring;
  • Auto and airplane manufacturing and maintenance;
  • Many other uses

Why is it critical to understand what solvents are?

As previously mentioned, a majority of of commodity solvents may become hazardous after being spent or becoming obsolete. Furthermore, when many solvents are disposed of while not being used, then they are considered hazardous. Per RCRA regulations, you must determine whether or not your spent solvents are hazardous wastes and subject to hazardous waste requirements. In the case solvents are hazardous wastes, then they must be maintained and disposed or recycled properly. If these regulations aren’t followed, then you yourself, your fellow workers, and the population around you will be at risk. Also, they may be legal consequences for not following RCRA regulations.

Are there solvents at your workplace?

Due to the various uses of solvents, there may be some at your workplace. If you’re uncertain of whether or not solvents are being used  in your facility, then contact management or health and safety personnel for information. Your employer may be required to issue you information regarding hazardous chemicals in order to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communications regulations at Title 29 of the CFR in section 1910.1200.

Industries that commonly utilize solvents

  • Adhesives manufacturing
  • Ink formulation
  • Autobody repair
  • Metal fabrication
  • Automotive manufacturing
  • Metal finishing and plating
  • Circuit board manufacturing
  • Paint manufacturing and use
  • Defense Personal care product manufacturing
  • Dry cleaning
  • Pharmaceutical manufacturing
  • Electronics manufacturing
  • Printing
  • Electroplating
  • Pulp and paper manufacturing
  • Fiber-reinforced plastic manufacturing
  • Rubber manufacturing
  • Film developing
  • Semiconductor manufacturing
  • Furniture manufacturing
  • Wood staining and varnishing

When are solvents classified as solid waste?

Per RCRA hazardous waste regulations, solvents must first be determined to be a solid waste before it can be considered classified as a hazardous waste. RCRA states that the term “solid waste” includes solid materials, liquids, and contained gases. Solvents are solid wastes in the event they are discarded or recycled in a certain manner, such as when burned for energy recovery.

Circumstances of Solid Waste

  • “Spent” – contaminated through use and no longer able to be used for their intended purpose without first being regenerated, reclaimed, or otherwise reprocessed
  • Expired and can no longer be used
  • Off-specification commercial chemical products and can no longer be used
  • Unwanted and/or unused and destined for disposal
  • Residues, contaminated soil or water, or other debris resulting from cleanup of a solvent spill

If you are uncertain if the solvents in your workplace are solid wastes, you can use EPA’s Definition of Solid Waste Decision Tool v2, which will guide you through a series of decisions to help you determine whether a material meets the definition of a solid waste.

Determining if a Solid Waste is Hazardous or not

See the EPA’s document, starting on page seven, to view the criterions for determining hazardous waste.

Replacing Hazardous Solvents with Ecolink

If you desire to replace your potentially harmful solvents, contact us today! We offer a wide array of solvents to meet your needs. Call us today at 800-563-1306!