What Is A Tail Solvent?

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A tail solvent is a slow-evaporating solvent that enables paint to evaporate slowly and allows the substance to flow smoothly.

A tail solvent is a solvent added in small amounts to organic coating, ink, or paint formulas.

Tail solvents are often less volatile than other substances in the paint, ink, or coating formulas.

Tail solvents are utilized to maintain the paint film in a product so that the flow is improved and the substance takes longer to dry.

Benefits of A Tail Solvent

Tail solvents are beneficial in substances such as inks and types of paints.

These products benefit from the slow evaporation rate provided by a tail solvent, especially pen or marker ink. In the case of writing pen or marker ink it would be detrimental to the success of the product to dry quickly without a smooth flow.

A tail solvent ensures that the optimal formula is created for a product like pen ink’s success.

Common Tail Solvents

Almost any slow evaporating hydrocarbon solvent can be utilized as a tail solvent.

Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether

Glycol DPM or Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether is often utilized in industrial manufacturing of printing ink as a tail solvent.

Substances like Glycol DPM are often included in formulas as tail solvents, because they are hydrocarbon solvents.

Hydrocarbon solvents are often hydrophilic with slow-evaporation rates.

These traits yield the smooth flow and slow evaporation rate that make tail solvents so efficient.

Heptane

Heptane is also a chemical that it utilized as a tail solvent, primarily in printing ink, due to its slow evaporation rate, low toxicity, and the fact that it is a hydrocarbon solvent.

Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether

Glycol TPM or Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether is another substance that is often applied as a tail solvent due to a slow evaporation rate, and low viscosity.

Glycol TPM is also often utilized in printer ink, pen ink, and marker ink. Glycol TPM is used as a tail or primary solvent.

Solvents in Ink

Solvents are often utilized in the industrial creation of inks in conventional and digital printers.

Solvents that are slow evaporating are often ideal for this application, because it is beneficial to various types of inks to be smooth, flowing, and long lasting.

Solvents that are often applied as a solvent in printing and pen inks include Heptane, Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether, and Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether.

Heptane is utilized in ink for digital and conventional printing.

Glycol TPM is found in ballpoint pen ink, felt-tip pen ink, printing ink, and livestock markers.

Purchase any of our Glycol products online here or call (800)-563-1305 for more information!

Safe Handling of Toluene

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What is Toluene?

Toluene is a colorless aromatic hydrocarbon.  Toluene occurs naturally at low levels in crude oil and as a byproduct in gasoline production and coke production from coal.  Toluene is closely related to benzene and has similar qualities. The smell of Toluene is usually associated with paint thinners due to it being a key solvent within it.  Toluene has several uses including use as a:

  • Industrial feedstock
  • Chemical reactant
  • Solvent in paint thinners
  • Solvent in contact cement
  • Solvent in model airplane glue, and a
  • Solvent in lacquers

Toluene is also used within consumer products such as nail polish removers, glues, synthetic fragrances, and correction fluids.

What are the health and environmental impacts of toulene?

Toluene is both a skin and eye irritant.  Inhalation of Toluene can cause confusion, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, hearing loss, and color vision loss.  Toluene is also flammable in the presence of flames, but not in the presence of electrical sparks. The EPA states that there is insufficient information regarding Toluene having a carcinogenic potential.  Toluene is also currently listed as a reproductive toxin.

How to Safely Handle Toluene

When handling Toluene, it is pertinent to have proper ventilation in the facility it is being handled within.  An example of ideal ventilation is having spray booths within the facility to decrease the spread of toluene vapors.  Another essential item while handling toluene is to wear proper gloves, either neoprene or nitrile gloves are ideal. When handling Toluene, there should be no local ignition source due to the toluene vapors being explosive.

To reduce exposure, some tips include to switch from substituting brush and roller applications for spray application.  An ideal choice to reduce exposure when cleaning and degreasing is to switch over to a water-based solvent rather than continue using toluene.  

Safer Alternatives to Toluene

Methyl soyate is a safer alternative to Toluene.  Methyl Soyate, also known as soy methyl ester, is a soybean oil derivative that has the ability to replace Toluene in several applications.  A few of these applications include:

  • Adhesives
  • Paint strippers
  • Coatings.

Other advantages of switching to Methyl Soyate is its environmental and health impacts.  Methyl soyate is both biodegradable and renewable; it is also low in VOCs. Methyl Soyate also is nontoxic and there are no known health risks on humans.  To learn more about the overall benefits of Methyl Soyate, please check out our post, Benefits of Methyl Soyate.

For more information regarding safer handling of Toluene and safer alternatives for when you are ready to make the switch, please email us at info@ecolink.com, or call us at (800)563-1305.

What is Toulene

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Toulene is a colorless water insoluble liquid. It has many uses. Perhaps the most common application of Toulene is in paint thinner. Indeed, the smell of Toulene will be familiar to most people who have been around the latter.

Toulene Applications

Toulene is also used in cement, contact glue, and fuel. More recent applications have been found for cleaning products, and a growing number of cleaning professionals have turned to Toulene cleaner to take on their toughest jobs. It must be pointed out that Toulene is essentially a solvent—one of the most potent and effective on the market. This is an invaluable property for cleaning, and professionals who are tasked with sanitizing large offices and industrial sites have learned to take advantage of it.

Toulene is hazardous to human health, and so it should not be consumed or inhaled in anyway. Professionals who use Toulene wear protective gear so as to minimize direct exposure to it.

In moderate doses, the compound is perfectly safe to use as nail polish remover. Many women have put it to use for that exact purpose and have done so with great success.

Need More Info About Toulene?

Understanding how to handle and control Toulene is the key to using it in a safe and successful manner. For more information contact us online, or call us today! 800-563-1305

Selecting a Solvent Based Cleaner: Key Considerations

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Unlike a water based cleaner that contains water as the main ingredient, a solvent based cleaner features one or more chemicals as the main ingredient. Water based cleaners can be just as effective at removing tough accumulations as solvent based cleaners. However, there are some situations in which the latter are more efficacious for certain cleaning operations.

If you need a solvent based cleaner, it’s important to make some key considerations before you place an order. When you choose a solvent cleaner based on the considerations below, you increase the chance that the product will be a long-term solution for your needs and avoid requiring replacement due to safety problems, performance issues, or budgetary concerns.

  1. Chemical Profile

The chemicals a solvent based cleaner contains impact more than its cleaning power; they also affect the health of those who work in close contact with cleaner. Particularly important is to select a cleaner that emits no EPA listed hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), as these, toxic substances are well-known to cause several types of acute and chronic health problems in workers.

  1. Range of Application

Some solvent based cleaners are generals cleaners, while others are designed for cleaning a specific substance or a family of substances (e.g. chromium alloys). Using a general cleaner for all cleaning is the most economical choice in terms of solvent cost. However, if you have substances that a general cleaner isn’t designed to clean, using a cleaner that’s designed for them can be the most economical option in terms of preventing rework and productivity lags.

  1. Flammability

The flammability of the cleaner, as determined by its flashpoint, has a significant impact on how the product can be used and stored. In most cases, solutions that have a high flashpoint or no flashpoint are a better option than ones that have a low flashpoint. Cleaners that have a low-hazard flammability profile are easier to store and apply without creating a fire hazard.

  1. Supply Cost

On average, how much would it cost to use the cleaner on a monthly basis? This is a question that should be answered at the outset of choosing solvent based cleaners. Otherwise, you could arrive at a point where you must replace the product with a less expensive one — a process that could temporarily disrupt cleaning processes and compromise productivity.

When determining the cost of supplying the product, be sure to consider whether the product’s active ingredients can be recycled and reused, as well as exactly how much of the product will be used based via the method of application (e.g. spray cleaning, tank cleaning, aerosol, etc.).

Need New Solvent Based Cleaners?

If so, Ecolink will help you choose the right solution for your needs based on the considerations above, as well as considerations that apply to your organization’s unique cleaning needs. In addition to supplying stock solvent based cleaners that are ready for immediate shipment, we also supply cleaners whose custom formulation is designed for the user’s unique requirements.
We specialize in supplying powerful, eco friendly, industrial cleaning solutions that are competitively priced. To get started on receiving new solvent based cleaners, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact page on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Using a Fast Evaporating Solvent: Frequently Asked Questions

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A fast evaporating solvent is generally defined as one that evaporates faster than water. Some fast evaporating solvents evaporate exponentially faster than water, while others dry just slightly faster. The value of either type of fast evaporating solvent depends its chemical constituency and what it’s used for. With that in mind, we answer some commonly asked questions about fast evaporating solvents.

  1. How do I know how quickly a solvent should evaporate?

The evaporation rate you need is based on the requirements of your solvent application. If you’re unsure of which solvent or evaporation rate you need, contact the chemists at Ecolink for assistance.

  1. Do highly evaporative solvents cause pollution problems?

It depends in the chemical formulation. If a fast evaporating solvent is filled with with hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) ? including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) ? that vaporize at room temperature, pollution is a threat to both humans and the environment.

  1. Do fast evaporating solvents require an air filtration system?

Because even mild solvents that have a good safety profile have pungent aromas and airborne chemicals that mildly agitate the sense, it’s a good idea to operate an air filtration system when using any type of solvent in an open-air setting, as opposed using it in a parts washer.

  1. Should a fast drying solvent have high dielectric strength?

It depends on the application. If you need to clean energized equipment, then you definitely need a dielectric in your solvent. The solvent should have the dielectric strength to impede the full voltage of the energized equipment you are cleaning. Insufficient dielectric strength can be like having no dielectric strength at all.

  1. Should a fast drying solvent have a high flashpoint?

It’s ideal for any industrial solvent to have a high flashpoint. Industrial work areas often contain sources of ignition that could incidentally set a low flashpoint solvent ablaze. Something as small as an errant spark from a production line activity could cause a conflagration. Sometimes, it may not be possible to use a low flashpoint product for your application, but use one when you can.

  1. Will using fast evaporating solvent increase emissions?

In a word, yes. But whether this is a good or bad thing depends on the type of emissions. If a solvent prolifically releases hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), you have something to worry about beyond the environment: There is good chance the EPA will regulate the solvent. Fast evaporating solvents that have no HAPs generally don’t pose problems for the environment.

About Ecolink

Ecolink is an industry-leading supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred cleaning solvents. We offer many solvents for replacing old, toxic solvents with formulations that offer the same or better efficacy than these archaic solutions. What’s more, many of our fast evaporating solvent options can be “dropped in” your solvent system, without a hitch.

To place an order for a stock or custom fast evaporating solvent, call us today at 800-563-1305. Or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to assisting you!