Will There be a TCE Ban?

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The possible toxic effects of the chemical Trichloroethylene (TCE) have been discussed for decades. However, the chemical plays a crucial role in producing everything from degreasing solutions to pepper spray, and most companies who use the chemical would rather not see a TCE ban enacted.

According to a recent report from ChemInfo, TCE has been designated as a “known” human carcinogen by the U.S. Department of human service. The recent ruling follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) announcement that TCE is “cancerous by all routes of exposure”, in 2011.

However you slice it, TCE is toxic to employees on the workfloor. Even if you implement high-level personal protective equipment and special ventilation systems, these measures wouldn’t fully prevent the the of TCE, as the primary focus would be on minimizing exposure, not ensuring exposure is fully eradicated by banning the chemical.

Will a TCE Ban Occur?

The EPA’s decision to ban a chemical seldom happens off the cuff. Banned chemicals have usually been in existence for a while and are embedded in companies’ cleaning operations. A TCE ban would require these companies to implement a safe TCE substitute, and possibly experience downtime as a result of the changeover.

Furthermore, banning TCE could make a major, temporary dent in the finances of large chemical plants that produce TCE, including Dow Chemical, PPG Industries, and GreenChem Industries. In addition, no more TCE in the waste trap could temporarily affect the profit margins of waste disposal providers, although probably not by much.

So, while there are definitely some temporary, negative effects of banning TCE, moving forward with the ban is in the best interest of employers and employees. We explain why below.

Why the Ban Should Occur

In terms of cancer risk, The EPA usually assigns dangerous chemicals one of two designations: chemicals that are “reasonably anticipated” to be human carcinogens, and chemicals that are “known” human carcinogens. That TCE is considered carcinogenic doesn’t square with the fact that roughly 250 million gallons of the chemical each year.

However, the EPA is similar to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in that it moves slowly, gathering evidence along the way, so it can swoop down with voluminous amounts of information that prove the point about the toxicity of a chemical.

If this ends up happening with TCE, workers won’t experience TCE-related effects, and companies can avoid the negative fallout from TCE exposure including: increased sick days, workers compensation claims, and settling chemical injury lawsuits, among others.

Contact Ecolink Today           

Will there be a TCE ban? Considering that the chemical is identified as a known human carcinogen, the answer is likely yes. However, because companies need a drop-in replacement for TCE, it’s important to know which solvent supplier to turn to for a substitute. We recommend consulting with Ecolink due to our years of experience in TCE replacement.

To inquire about our stock products and custom solutions, call use today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. Were look forward to hearing from you!

 

Chemical Storage Issues for Low Flashpoint Solvents

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Flammable solvents have a low flashpoint that makes them highly incendiary. Consequently, special care must be taken when storing and using the solvents. Below, we prove the point by exploring three chemical storage issues that come with using low flashpoint solvents, and how the issues can be resolved in a way that significantly reduces the chance of solvent ignition.

  1. Fire Hazard in Storage Area

The problem: One of the most common industrial chemical storage issues, a fire hazard in the solvent storage area usually entails two things: solvents that don’t have a high flashpoint, and a source of ignition in the storage area, such as electrical switchboard equipment that could produce a powerful arc flash.

The solution: Let’s assume you can’t move your flammable solvents to another room to minimize or eliminate the hazard. You could explore creating a fireproof envelope around the room, invest in non-flammable solvents, or use with solvents that have a high flashpoint. If high flashpoint solvents aren’t an option, professional fireproofing may be the best strategy.

  1. Protecting Against Leaks / Spills

The problem: Leaks and spills in the storage area typically result from faulty solvent containers and workers accidentally mishandling solvent containers, respectively. If a low flashpoint solvent leaks or spills, the liquid can create a fire hazard until it’s properly contained.

The solution: Carefully examining solvent containers before storing them — and immediately separating containers that could leak from the rest of the stock — helps prevent leaks. The best way to prevent spills is to implement a rigid protocol for how workers should handle solvent containers, and provide tools and/or equipment that assist in handling cleaners correctly.

  1. Convenient Access to Chemicals

The problem: To sustain productivity for solvent-based processes, workers need a way to conveniently access solvents. However, if low flashpoint solvents are in use, they need to be stored in a fire safe area of the building, regardless of the area’s proximity to the work environment, where solvents are applied.

The solution: You could develop a special, inner-building supply chain for safely delivering flammable solvents to areas where you need them, but a better option would be the ideal solution for problem 1: Implementing non-flammable solvents or solvents that have a high flashpoint. Using these solvents is the best way to prevent solvent-based fires in the workplace.

Who We Are

Ecolink is an experienced provider of eco friendly, industrial cleaning solvents. Among our products, you’ll find solvents that have high flashpoints or are inflammable. If you use a low flashpoint solvent that one of our less flammable or inflammable stock solvents can’t replace, we can use toll blending to create a custom solvent that’s tailored to your needs.

To explore your options for implementing solvents that have a better safety profile concerning flashpoint, browse through our Product Selection Guide, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to helping you address chemical storage issues that pertain to fire safety and any other chemical storage issues you may have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anaheim or Bust! – The Final Results!

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Thank you all for participating and we truly appreciate all of your contributions to make this contest a reality. You truly made our 25th anniversary one to remember and to set the tone for our next 25 years. Congratulations to all.

 

1st Place & Grand Prize Winner: Sequoyah High School!!!

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You are our Grand Prize Winner!! You’ve earned your chapter $4,000.

Take a look at your report card highlights:

YouTube: 11 high-quality videos totaling nearly 7.5 minutes- bonus points for drone use! Talk about ending in YouTube week in style. Your videos received 540 combined views & 126 likes!

LinkedIn: 3 Blogs promoting the contest, Ecolink and your work. Networking at it’s finest!

Page Analytics: Your school generated the most page views and were the 6th most trafficked page on our whole site! You also boasted the highest time on page of any school over the course of the contest.

2nd Place Winner: Kell High School!

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As runner-up, you’ve earned your program $2,000!

Here are your Report Card Highlights:

YouTube: 25 total videos totaling over 1600 views & 11 minutes!! One video managed to generate 1500 views on it’s own – very impressive reach.

Twitter: You fully embraced our story theme in week 3 and contributed more green stories than the rest of our contestants combined!

Your school boasted the highest raw point total of any contestant and were top 3 in most of our page metrics. You were in it to the end and we thank you for you A+ effort.

 

3rd Place Winner: Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe! Congrats!

 

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If slow and steady doesn’t win you the race- it will at least get you in the top 3! LFO was a weekly winner 5 weeks in a row! You consistently contributed on our featured platforms and after weighing your raw points – surged ahead to a 3rd place finish. Congrats on earning your program $500!

Check out your report card:

YouTube: 6 videos with a combined 119 views. We were very impressed to see your program put in the effort on a weekend to produce your final videos.

Weekly winner – 5 weeks in a row! Participation counts and you earned a large participation bonus by being active on all of our featured platforms.

Page Metrics: Of the page metrics we measured, you scored second overall which added serious points to your final raw total!

 

Honorable mentions go to Brookwood for most photos + facebook activity & North Forsyth for embracing our LinkedIn connection challenge!

 

*Below you will find your school’s weighted point differential, which we arrived at by taking your raw point total (consisting of page analytics such as page shares, views & sessions as well as your off-page activity such as pictures and video) and averaging by the number of students in your programs.

 

 

Final Ranking School Raw Point Total Weighted Total*
1 Sequoyah 2841 47.35
2 Kell 4109 43.71
3 Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe 2290.5 30.54
4 Tift 385 29.61
5 Brookwood 2,344.5 18.03
6 Habersham 540.5 10.81
7 North Forsyth 811 6.14
8 South Gwinnett 424 6.06
9 Veterans 309  5.06
10  Kennesaw Mountain  206  4.12
11  Hutchings Career Center 29  2.63
12  Woodstock  200  2.63
13  Northside  39  2.6
14  North Murray 39  1.22
15  Chapel Hill  44 0.34
16  Houston  41  0.34

 

Again, thank you all for participating and making this such a memorable 25 year anniversary.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions about how we arrived at these totals and we will be more than happy to reconcile our scoring.

Finding Better Industrial Chemicals: What Makes a Solvent “Better”

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Companies and organizations frequently replace old solvents with new ones that are “better” in some way than the solutions they replace. In some cases, better means better for a particular type of parts washing system. In other cases, it means better for dissolving a particular type of accumulation, and the list goes on.

Finding better industrial chemicals obviously depends partly on the needs of a specific customer. But there are also criteria that denote “better” industrial chemicals for practically every type of end user. Below, we list four of the most important of these criteria, and explain why they make a solvent that possesses them more advantageous to use than one that doesn’t.

  1. Low VOC Content

Don’t let the organic origin of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) fool you. Many VOCs are profoundly dangerous to human health and the health of animal life. Some VOCs have more of a risk factor than others, but using solutions that have low VOC content is almost always a safer option than deploying cleaning solutions that have high VOC content.

  1. Low HAP Content

Some VOCs are considered hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), but the environmental protection agency’s HAP list extends beyond VOCs. Practically every kind of HAP causes two types of problems in workers exposed to it, not to mention the environmental toll: temporary ailments due to acute exposure (e.g., difficulty breathing, upset stomach, and dizziness) and permanent maladies that result from chronic exposure (e.g., nerve damage, lung damage, and cancer).

  1. High Flashpoint

As you may already know, the flashpoint of a solvent is the temperature at which it ignites. Situations in which a cleaning solution should ideally have a high flashpoint include: dielectric cleaning, cleaning in environments that have open sources of open flame (e.g., a metal foundry), and cleaning equipment that is exceptionally hot or energized.

There is virtually no situation in which using a solvent that has a high flashpoint is considered disadvantageous. Solvents that have a high flashpoint or no flashpoint also promote fire safety by making it easier to store the solvents. For example, no flashpoint solvent tht has fire retardant packaging may be stored in a space that contains electrical switchboard equipment.

  1. Dielectric Formulation

Some solvent applications don’t require a dielectric solvent, but having a dielectric solvent on hand is always a good idea. If you ever need to clean energized equipment, a cleaner that has a strong dielectric formulation will help you do it safely. Ecolink offers dielectric solvents for a broad array of cleaning tasks and in various formulations regarding dielectric strength.

Who We Are

Ecolink is a provider of environmentally preferred industrial chemicals. This makes us an excellent supply option for stock cleaners and custom cleaners that are better than many traditional cleaners in terms of human health and environmental preservation.

For assistance selecting better industrial chemicals than the ones you use right now, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to helping you choose better cleaners.

Using Parts Washers for Sustainable Chemical Management: FAQ

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As sustainable chemical management continues to benefit companies by lowering operating costs through solvent reuse and reducing the chemical toll industrial practices take on the environment, more companies are looking to jump on the sustainable solvent bandwagon. For some, the easiest path to sustainable chemical management is using a parts washing system that performs solvent recycling. About this topic, we present a list of frequently asked questions.

What parts washer should I use for sustainable chemical management?

Step one is to choose a washing system that’s designed to hold your solvent. If you don’t mind implementing a new solvent, then the world is your playground. Choose your favorites equipment brands and models based on what’s most important to the solvent recycling initiatives of your company.

How does a parts washer condenser unit preserve sustainable solvent?

Cutting-edge parts washers use a complex process to get the end result. The best way to understand the role condensation plays in the process is to describe how waste solvent is condensed for solvent recycling purposes:

  • Soiled parts are placed on a rack inside the parts washer
  • Solvent is placed in a basin that is below the rack
  • A heating coil in the basin activates to vaporize the solvent
  • Vaporized solvent rises and contacts soiled parts
  • During the cleaning process, airtight seals maintain vapor pressure
  • A vacuum pulls the used, vaporized solvent into a cooling zone, where it condenses
  • The condensed solvent collects in a holding unit
  • A transfer zone returns the liquid solvent to the solvent basin below the rack

This is the basic method of operation by which a condenser in the parts washing system prepares waste solvent for reuse.

For how many wash cycles can the rejuvenated waste solvent be used?

This is information you need to receive from the solvent manufacturer. If you purchased a recyclable solvent that promotes multiple wash cycles as a benefit, you may be able to find the information on the original solvent container.

Can rejuvenated waste solvent be removed from the basin and repurposed?

Technically, yes. But why would you want to do it? From a price-to-use ratio, the best place for rejuvenated waste solvent is in the solvent basin of the parts washer that condensed it. In other words, you get the best deal when using your solvent with a top-notch parts washer that helps facilitate sustainable chemical management.

Can rejuvenated waste solvent be stored for future cleaning operations?

Technically, yes. But the only foreseeable reason you would do this is to harvest solvent from broken machinery to use later after repairs are made.

Who We Are

Ecolink is a longtime promoter and manufacturer of eco friendly, industrial solvents in the industrial and commercial chemical markets. Our solutions span the globe, helping companies and organizations get the same cleaning power of their old solutions in newer, safer solvents, which are environmentally safe or environmentally preferred. To inquire about our sustainable parts washing solvents, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form.