As safety and sustainability become more prioritized in the chemical industry, many are looking to replace their more harmful chemicals with safer and cleaner alternatives. Two chemicals that have become a bit of a hot topic in this area are trichloroethylene (TCE) and n-propyl bromide (nPB). Although they are effective in their applications, they are also extremely toxic. Inside this blog, we will explain their toxicities as well as what can replace them!
The Problems with TCE and nPB
TCE and nPB are industrial cleaners and degreasers that have become popular due to their high effectiveness, and versatility in many different uses. However, as mentioned above, both are highly toxic. This toxicity greatly compromises both the health of humans and local ecosystems.
For workers handling these chemicals, brief exposure can cause minor symptoms like dizziness and nausea. Continuous exposure, on the other hand, can lead to more fatal conditions such as cancer and reproductive damage.
There is a large incentive to find a safe replacement for these chemicals to ensure the safety of workers who have to handle them daily. However, due to their wide range of uses, the solution is not necessarily as simple as finding a “one size fits all” replacement.
Replacing TCE and nPB
Identifying the best replacement will depend on the application. What might work best in electronics cleaning might not also be the best for cleaning metal parts. Choosing the right solvent will involve identifying the surface you want to cleanse and the elements you want to wash away.
Nevertheless, there are some general trends that most replacements follow. While these are by no means universally true, most replacement solvents have the following properties:
- Lower boiling points than TCE and nPB, meaning savings on energy costs
- Higher recyclability, meaning savings on material costs
- Lower toxicity and/or volatility, meaning savings on ventilation and filtration costs
In addition to those, these chemicals also typically exhibit greater environmental friendliness and have a lower impact on local ecosystems.
All in all, although replacements for TCE and nPB might cost more pound-per-pound, they typically save more in the long run by reducing costs in other areas. A safe replacement for these substances that we highly recommend is Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent. This product is designed as a specific replacement for these chemicals, but it is also compatible with a multitude of surfaces!
Want To Learn More?
Then look no further than us here at Ecolink! In addition to our 4005-non-flammable solvent, we provide a variety of eco-conscious and high-quality products for your industrial needs! If you are interested in this solvent or any others you might need, you can look through our chemicals here. Contact us today for more information, we are here for you!
Azeotrope-like Solvents: The Next Generation of Industrial Cleaning Solutions
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersA recent trend in the chemical industry is that of taking advantage of azeotropes. These unique mixtures have special properties that can be of great use in cleaners and separations. They have been so impactful that they are being proposed as our future cleaning solutions. In this blog, we will tell you all you need to know about azeotropes and how they work.
What Is an Azeotrope?
An azeotrope is a mixture of two or more compounds with just the right amount of each one to grant a special property: they boil at the same rate. In other words, if you take an azeotropic mixture in the liquid state and boil half of it, there will be the same amount of each compound in the liquid and gas state.
It is important to note that neither of the two compounds can form an azeotrope. Just as the amounts of each compound need to be perfect to form an azeotrope, their physical properties must also be perfectly compatible. These properties include:
What’s the Benefit of an Azeotrope?
Azeotropic solutions have quite a few unique properties that can be helpful for modern processes. These include:
While azeotropic properties can be frustrating when they are unexpected or undesirable. If you turn things around and use their properties to your advantage, it opens a whole new door of possibilities in the world of solvents.
One azeotrope solution we provide is our Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent. This solvent due to its makeup, can clean a variety of surfaces efficiently. It is also eco-conscious, making it safer to handle when compared to ordinary chemicals for both humans and the environment.
Want To Learn More?
Then you have come to the right place! Ecolink has been providing and promoting eco-conscious chemicals for years. In addition to our 4005-non-flammable solvent, we provide a variety of high-quality products for your industrial needs! If you are interested in this solvent or any others you might need, you can look through our chemicals here. Contact us today for more information, we are here for you!
Safe Replacement for TCE and nPB: A Look at Non-Flammable Solvents
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersAs safety and sustainability become more prioritized in the chemical industry, many are looking to replace their more harmful chemicals with safer and cleaner alternatives. Two chemicals that have become a bit of a hot topic in this area are trichloroethylene (TCE) and n-propyl bromide (nPB). Although they are effective in their applications, they are also extremely toxic. Inside this blog, we will explain their toxicities as well as what can replace them!
The Problems with TCE and nPB
TCE and nPB are industrial cleaners and degreasers that have become popular due to their high effectiveness, and versatility in many different uses. However, as mentioned above, both are highly toxic. This toxicity greatly compromises both the health of humans and local ecosystems.
For workers handling these chemicals, brief exposure can cause minor symptoms like dizziness and nausea. Continuous exposure, on the other hand, can lead to more fatal conditions such as cancer and reproductive damage.
There is a large incentive to find a safe replacement for these chemicals to ensure the safety of workers who have to handle them daily. However, due to their wide range of uses, the solution is not necessarily as simple as finding a “one size fits all” replacement.
Replacing TCE and nPB
Identifying the best replacement will depend on the application. What might work best in electronics cleaning might not also be the best for cleaning metal parts. Choosing the right solvent will involve identifying the surface you want to cleanse and the elements you want to wash away.
Nevertheless, there are some general trends that most replacements follow. While these are by no means universally true, most replacement solvents have the following properties:
In addition to those, these chemicals also typically exhibit greater environmental friendliness and have a lower impact on local ecosystems.
All in all, although replacements for TCE and nPB might cost more pound-per-pound, they typically save more in the long run by reducing costs in other areas. A safe replacement for these substances that we highly recommend is Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent. This product is designed as a specific replacement for these chemicals, but it is also compatible with a multitude of surfaces!
Want To Learn More?
Then look no further than us here at Ecolink! In addition to our 4005-non-flammable solvent, we provide a variety of eco-conscious and high-quality products for your industrial needs! If you are interested in this solvent or any others you might need, you can look through our chemicals here. Contact us today for more information, we are here for you!
The Future of Cleaning: Exploring Environmentally Friendly Solvents
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersIn recent years, it has become increasingly important to prioritize environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to modern processes. This ensures that we are not causing irreversible damage to our planet. And the chemical industry is no exception in this effort. In this blog, we will explain what these solvents are, and the reason behind their increasing prioritization.
What Are Green Solvents?
First off, it might be helpful to brush up on what solvents are.
Solvents are any substance that dissolves another substance, this dissolved substance is called the solute. In any mixture or solution, a solvent is present. A common example of this is coffee. Coffee is composed of a solvent, water, and a solute, coffee extract. As you can imagine, solvents play a massive role in both chemistry and everyday life.
Green solvents are nothing more than eco-conscious solvents. These substances are often derived from plant materials. Some examples of green solvents include:
As is the case for regular solvents, choosing green solvents can be a rigorous process. One must consider a multitude of factors, such as toxicity and polarity.
Another key aspect of green solvents is their sustainability. Many solvents are sourced from fossils, meaning they are not readily replaceable. By sourcing green solvents from agricultural products, they can be produced indefinitely without having to worry about completely using them up.
The Future of Green Solvents
Given the relatively recent focus on sustainability, green solvents are still very much in their infancy. Current research revolves around identifying solvents that can be sustainably produced at the necessary scale and determining which ordinary solvents can be substituted with green solvents.
While they have not gotten much traction yet, the modern emphasis on making society more sustainable all but guarantees that green solvents will become more popular as time goes on!
Looking to Go Green?
We have the products and guidance for you! Here at Ecolink, we have provided industries with eco-conscious chemicals for over three decades. One solvent that we highly recommend for your industrial applications is Ecolink’s 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent. This intricate mixture is not only versatile in uses but also in what it can be applied to. If you would like to learn more or have any questions, please contact our team here. We are here to help you go green today!
Going Green: Exploring Non-Toxic Degreasers for a Sustainable Clean
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersIf you are part of an industry that utilizes traditional toxic degreasers, you might be looking to make an eco-friendly change that ensures a safer work environment. If so, you have come to the right place!
We here at Ecolink provide various eco-conscious chemicals for a variety of industrial applications. If you are looking for the ideal non-toxic degreaser for your company, Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent may be the perfect product for you.
Why Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent?
This solvent is a non-flammable mixture of two distinct chemicals, which are Hydrofluoroether (HFE) and Trans-1,2 dichloroethylene (t-DCE). Due to its composition, it possesses both effective degreasing abilities and eco-friendly characteristics:
With all of these qualities in mind, this product ensures a safe work environment, as well as an eco-conscious aspect for the preservation of the environment. Utilizing a non-toxic solvent will ensure your workers are not at risk for certain diseases or cancer. On top of that, an eco-conscious solvent may end up saving costs due to easier disposal, as hazardous solvents can be costly to dispose of properly.
As a non-toxic degreaser, it can clear away not only grease but dirt and oils. Its applications match its cleaning versatility as it can be applied to various surfaces, including:
If your industry equipment involves one or more of these materials, then this product is all that you need for preventative maintenance or precision cleaning! It can end up saving your company time and resources by preventing toxic contaminant build-up and equipment damage.
Need Help Going Green?
Then Ecolink is here to guide you on all eco-friendly chemicals! We have provided eco-friendly, high-quality solutions for various industrial applications for over three decades. If you would like to get in touch with our dedicated team with any questions and concerns, you can reach out by clicking here!
How Ecolink 4005 can help with preventative maintenance
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersSolvents are chemicals designed for a multitude of industrial practices, ranging from degreasing to extraction. An example of an industrial process these chemicals can assist with is preventative maintenance of equipment. If you are unsure of what solvent to use or would like an eco-conscious change, Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent is the perfect product for you!
Preventative Maintenance: Purpose & Importance
Before we can discuss how our intricate and eco-friendly solvent can help, we must first go over preventative maintenance.
This type of maintenance is defined as performing regular checkups and cleanups on machinery to ensure that they do not falter or break. Although it may sound simple and relatively easy, with the wrong chemicals or lack of dedication, equipment can end up being damaged or causing harm to workers.
Equipment that is not regularly maintained can result in toxic chemical buildup, which not only poses a health risk to workers but may also result in costly repairs and replacements. By preventing contaminant buildup and utilizing a non-toxic solvent, such as Ecolink 4005, industries can create a safe workplace for their workers, as well as ensure the preservation of the environment.
How We Can Help
Ecolink 4005 Non-Flammable Solvent has been formulated for use on industrial and mechanical machinery. Compatible materials include those comprised of:
Additionally, this solution, due to its eco-conscious composition, can be applied without concern for exposure to any toxic elements. It is safe for both the environment and all those that come into contact with it. The benefits of the solvent include:
Interested in Learning More?
Then we are the chemical provider for you! Ecolink is a dedicated and eco-conscious chemical distribution company, designed to provide eco-friendly, yet highly effective chemicals. If you have any questions or concerns, our approachable and dedicated staff can be contacted here. You may also browse our product page by clicking here!