CRC Leak Detector for Aviation Maintenance: An Overview

In business since 1958 and Headquartered in Warminster, Pennsylvania, CRC® Industries is a global manufacturer and supplier of industrial chemical solutions for aviation maintenance and other applications.

In this entry, we look at one of the company’s best products for aviation maintenance: CRC leak detector — a solution that Ecolink can improve on by providing an aerosol leak detector that delivers the same level of performance for a lower price (as much as 50% less).

Using CRC Leak Detector

As its name indicates, CRC leak detector is used for a specific purpose: detecting leaks. According to the manufacturer’s website, the product is “formulated for the quick and easy site detection of gas leaks and air leaks,” with common applications including leak detection in “refrigeration units, air conditioning systems, exhausts, pipes, valves, screw connectors, welding seams, and compressors.”

If an aircraft part leaks enough gas or air to disrupt the thin, liquid coating the product provides, the leak is detected easily. In some cases, leak detection is essential is for providing a good customer service experience (e.g. leak detection in refrigerators and air conditioners).

In other cases, detection of leaks is essential for aircraft safety (e.g. leak detection in tire valves and engine pipes). In each case, the goal is to detect leaks before they increase and cause additional problems.

CRC leak detector replaces amateur, unreliable forms of leak detection, such as spraying a valve with a soap and water solution, while looking for soap bubbles that leaks produce. Unlike Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solutions, the consistency and reactivity of CRC’s product is designed for detecting leaks of all pressures, thus offering more reliability than alternative methods of detection that don’t use official, professionally developed leak detection technology.

Product Safety Profile         

In addition to its utilitarian benefits, CRC leak detector offers the advantage of good product safety for the end user. Below are four characteristics of the product that quantify the point.

  • No flashpoint
  • Relatively low VOC density of 5.3%
  • Non-regulated VOC category
  • Removable with plain water

The product’s relatively low VOC density and non-combustible formulation make it acceptable to use in indoor spaces, such as aircraft hangers and garages, and safe to apply in the presence of ignition sources, such as spark streams from maintenance operations (e.g. grinding or flame cutting metal). Common sense safety precautions such as wearing the right level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and using air filtration that removes VOCs should be taken.

Shopping for a Leak Detector?

If you need a solution for detecting leaks in commercial or industrial aviation equipment, aerosol CRC leak detector is a good option for the job. But why use CRC when you can pay less for a stock or custom replacement from Ecolink that delivers the same or better performance?

To request more information about CRC leak detector replacement, contact us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to providing a safe, eco-friendly leak detector that improves aviation maintenance!

The Health Hazards of Using TCE: An Overview

Trichloroethylene — abbreviated as TCE — has a halocarbon formulation that makes it highly effective as a general degreaser. However, over time, the chemical has been identified as a major health risk for those who apply it, or work in and around the area of application.

In this entry, we list the well-known, negative health effects of acute and chronic exposure to TCE, the financial impact it can have on companies, and what companies should do to find a TCE replacement that possesses the same efficacy as TCE, but without causing all of the negative side effects in workers.

Health Effects of Acute Exposure

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR), the health hazards of using TCE in an acute capacity routinely cause the following negative health outcomes, among others.

  • Decreased appetite
  • Gastrointestinal irritation
  • Headaches
  • Mucous membrane
  • Skin irritation
  • Drowsiness
  • Decreased reaction time
  • CNS depression

As with other toxic solvents that produce negative health effects from acute exposure, these conditions often disappear within a few hours or a few days of non-exposure to the offending agent. However, the effects can still have a negative impact on companies in three potential ways: increased number of sick days taken, poor performance on the workfloor, and physical injuries due to drowsiness and decreased reaction time.

Health Effects of Chronic Exposure

According to the ATSDR, the health hazards of using TCE in a chronic capacity commonly cause the following negative health conditions, among others.

  • A reduced number of word associations
  • Ataxia
  • Decreased appetite
  • Headache
  • Short-term memory loss
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Vertigo
  • CNS depression

As with chronic exposure to other types of solvents that are hazardous to human health, long-term exposure to TCE can result in negative conditions that persist after TCE exposure is removed. For companies, in addition to causing the problems that acute TCE exposure causes, chronic exposure commonly leads to workers compensation claims and chemical injury lawsuits that precipitate costly settlements.

It should also be noted that, because the lawsuits can make the news, chronic TCE exposure can also harm a company’s business prospects by compromising its reputation among consumers and other businesses. Today, many individuals and businesses strongly prefer working with companies that have a “green” business profile.

How to Find a TCE Replacement

The best way to find a TCE replacement that cleans powerfully and safely is to contact a supplier of stock and custom eco friendly cleaning agents, such as Ecolink. We have considerable experience in helping companies and organizations implement TCE replacements that demonstrate the degreasing power of TCE and are much safer for workers to use. To prove the point, we’ll even provide you with a sample of replacement solvent you can use for free.

To get started on implementing a TCE replacement that is better for your workers and the environment, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We look forward to helping you find an efficacious replacement that lacks the health hazards of using TCE.

 

Choosing a Water Based Parts Washer: An Overview

The industrial cleaning market offers various types of water based parts washing systems, with spray cabinets, ultrasonic washers, immersion units, and drum top washers being primary models. The different models demonstrate that water-based cleaning equipment that’s perfect for cleaning some parts may not be so great for cleaning others. Let’s take a closer look.

Evaluating Your Parts

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to clean all of your parts with aqueous-based solvents, then you can skip this section and move to the next one: choosing the right water based parts washer. However, if your organization is like most large-scale industrial outfits, it has parts that entail different cleaning requirements.

If so, the question is whether you need a water based parts washer, or whether another type could work just as well (i.e. non-aqueous solvents could clean the parts as effectively as aqueous solvents, with no negative consequences). Many organizations have parts that require both a water based parts washer and one that uses non-aqueous solvent.

Homogenous, non-electrical stainless steel parts, for example, can be cleaned in a water based parts washer, as long as the enclosure’s temperature remains below the transformation point of chromium — the lustrous compound that makes stainless steel shine. Carbon steel, on the other hand, oxidizes easily in the presence of water and could benefit from non-aqueous cleaning.

Evaluating Parts Washers

Whether you need a water based parts washer to clean a portion of your parts or all of them, you have four basic systems to choose from. Below, we look at the basic pros and cons of each.

  1. Spray Cabinets

Pros: High-level cleaning, ideal for heavy soils, excellent for cleaning aluminum

Cons: High startup cost initially, more energy use than solvent unit, may need rust prevention

  1. Ultrasonic Units

Pros: Good for parts with holes or hidden surfaces, high-performance, reduces cleaning labor

Cons: High startup cost initially

  1. Immersion Units

Pros: Reduces scrubbing, reduces labor costs

Cons: Costlier than drum top units, could make it hard to clean heavy, stubborn soils

  1. Drum Top Units

Pros: Great for light cleaning operations, low initial start up cost, minimal waste produced, non-toxic vapor

Cons: Microbial units are high-maintenance and not for large parts or heavy, stubborn soils.

Which water based parts washer is right for your needs requires evaluating parts you must clean, soils you need to remove, and whether a washer offers the benefit of solvent recycling. Ecolink can help you examine these factors and others to choose a washer — and more than one, if necessary  — that meets your aqueous-based parts cleaning requirements.

Contact Ecolink Today

For assistance selecting an industrial parts washer or solvents for the parts washer you operate, Ecolink is here to help. For over 25 years, we’ve specialized in supplying stock and custom cleaning solvents that support safety in the workplace and healthy, natural environment.

To reach us, please call (800) 563-1305 today, or use our contact form. We look forward to helping you refine parts washing operations!

 

4 Ways to Reduce Industrial Chemical Disposal Costs

Most industrial chemicals have a four-stage life span: The solvent manufacturer creates the chemicals, the solvent user implements them, and then the user sends the chemicals to the waste trap. From there, a chemical waste disposal outfit removes the solvent from the trap.

If it sounds simple, it is, but the scenario isn’t always free of complexities. For some companies and organizations, one complexity is determining how to reduce the cost of industrial chemical disposal that accounts for too much of the annual operating budget to be considered an affordable, long-term solution. If your outfit is in this position, we propose the following measures that can help you mitigate waste disposal costs.

  1. Use a Parts Washer to Recycle Solvent

One way to mitigate the financial burden of solvent disposal is to use a parts washing system that’s designed to purge solvents of soils, and prepare the solvents for reuse within the washing system. Receiving several washing cycles from a single solvent application reduces the amount of solvent you place in the washer. By extension, it reduces the need to release used solvent into the waste trap.

  1. Implement More Powerful Solvents

Implementing more power cleaning solvents is another way to reduce the cost of industrial chemical disposal. If using a more power solvent lets you use less solvent than before for the same cleaning operations, it ostensibly means that less of the cleaner will see the waste trap. However, because some chemicals cost more to remove than others, the first thing to consider is how much it would cost to dispose of a particular solvent you’re considering using.

  1. Use Aerosol When Appropriate

The dispensing method of aerosol, in which a uniform spray of fine particles settle on the cleaning surface, tends to send less liquid into the waste trap than solvents that have a more generous method of application, such as spray bottle application or power washer application. Aerosol is a great option for cleaning precision parts that have complex geometries, cleaning flat work surfaces that accumulate dirt and grime, and general spot cleaning operations.

  1. Implement a More Eco-Friendly Solvent

Just as sending toxic solvents into the waste trap can drive up the cost of industrial chemical disposal due to the solvents’ hazardous formulation, which requires the disposer to take special safety measures and implement special, precision removal processes, eco friendly solvents that have a better safety profile can have the opposite effect. They can cost less to remove.

According to Indiana University at Bloomington (UAB), “Disposing of the hazardous waste generated at IUB for one year costs approximately $100,000.” IBU has a big campus, but the institution is far from an industrial outfit that frequently cleans a large volume of critical surfaces and industrial equipment. A highly cost-effective waste removal strategy could potentially save a large, industrial facility at least six figures in waste disposal costs annually.

Who We Are

Ecolink is a supplier of industrial grade, eco friendly cleaning solutions that are better for humans and the environment than the toxic, old generation solvents they’re designed to replace. In addition, the environmentally preferred formulation of many of our cleaners can be helpful for reducing waste disposal cost for the reasons covered above. To inquire about our stock products and custom formulations, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form.

 

 

6 Characteristics of Safe Industrial Solvents

The safety of an industrial solvent is partly contextual. For example, while an solvent ingredient that burn skin would be considered dangerous in all cases, an ingredient that combusts at a certain temperature could be dangerous or safe, depending on how and where it’s used.

Nevertheless, there are certain qualities of industrial solvents that generally identify them as “safe” in all situations. Below, we list six of these characteristics to aid you in choosing safe industrial solvents for your cleaning operations.

  1. No Flashpoint

Simply put, a solvent that has no flashpoint doesn’t burn. You could pour it into a smouldering volcanic crater, and it would vaporize but not ignite. Safe industrial solvents are often identified as having a “high” flashpoint, which is certainly better than a low flashpoint. But no flashpoint is the safest classification of all.

  1. Dielectric Formulation

A dielectric is a buffer that prevents electricity from flowing from one point to another. When used in solvents, the goal is usually to prevent electricity from energized equipment from moving through the solvent stream and shocking the worker, and possibly exploding the container of solvent. A dielectric isn’t needed for all solvent operations, but it’s never considered dangerous.

  1. No Hazardous Air Pollutants

The solvents on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) List of Lists aren’t the only ones that emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Trichloroethylene (TCE), for example, isn’t on the list, but it’s now known to have a cancer causing effect. Thanks to the internet, you can usually discover whether a solvent emits HAPs or has other dangerous ingredients just by performing a Google search.

  1. No Carcinogenic Qualities

Solvents themselves are seldom studied to see if they cause cancer, but animal studies of chemicals used in solvents often reveal whether carcinogenicity is a factor. Carcinogenic chemicals can be especially insidious, as their terrible effect often takes years to develop. By that time, the workers it effects may have shortened lives, and the company that exposed them to the danger could be on the hook for millions of dollars in settlements and legal fees.

  1. No Acute / Chronic Health Effects

Cancer may be the most fearsome health effect that toxic solvents cause, but it isn’t the only one. Even after workers take basic safety precautions, some solvents cause acute health effects such as blurry vision and dizziness, and chronic effects such as nerve damage and visual impairment. If basic safety precautions don’t eliminate the threat, the solvent really isn’t safe.

Who We Are

Ecolink is an industry-leading supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial solvents. Our solutions can be found at small businesses, midsize organizations, and large corporations throughout the U.S. and beyond. We take pride in supplying dynamic, safe industrial solvents that are friendlier to humans and the environments than toxic chemicals of the past.

To inquire about our products and services, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to learning about your needs and seeing how we can help you meet them by supplying safe industrial solvents.