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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding TCE Substitutes for Vapor Degreasing in 6 Steps

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Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a halocarbon solvent known primarily for its use as an industrial degreaser. TCE is highly effective for numerous degreasing applications, but many companies and organizations are replacing TCE due to its negative impact on the health of workers and the environment.

If you use TCE, and you need to replace it, below is a six-step guide for substituting the solvent with one that works just as well, if not better, for your TCE-based industrial cleaning operations. In addition, the solvent will help protect your finances by protecting the health of you workers. Eco friendly TCE replacements can reduce the chance of acute or chronic chemical injury.

  1. Shop With an Eco Friendly Solvent Supplier

Your best chance of finding safe, efficacious TCE substitutes starts with shopping for them at an eco friendly solvent supplier, such as Ecolink. After selecting an eco friendly solvent supplier, it’s time for step two.

  1. Find Solvents Listed as TCE Replacements

One of the specialties of many eco friendly solvent suppliers is providing replacements for hazardous cleaning agents. Consequently, you’re likely to find a solvent identified as a TCE replacement in a supplier’s product list. This feature can dramatically expedite you search.

  1. Look for a Replacement in the Proper From

After you identify TCE substitutes, see which ones are available in the form that you need them (hand wipes, aerosol, drums, etc.) Don’t forget that the form in which the solvent is used / applied can play a significant role in the success of the cleaning operation, both in terms of time and soil removal.

  1. Find a Substitute in the Right Supply Volume

How much TCE do you use daily or monthly? Can the supplier provide a replacement in a volume that’s cost effective for your needs? Can you receive a bulk supply? Can you receive a small supply that you order as needed? These are questions to answer before you place the first order.

  1. Consider Placing a Custom Solvent Order

If you can’t seem to find TCE substitutes that match your needs in each respect, you may be in the market for a custom solvent order. Custom orders are designed to meet the needs of a specific user and can be supplied in bulk or on an as-needed basis.

  1. Place the Order Get and the Replacement

Now that you’ve identified the right TCE substitute, it’s time to place your order. If you’re ordering from Ecolink, feel free to request a free product sample before you formally order. After you see how well the sample works, you can order with greater confidence.

Who We Are

Ecolink is a longtime supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial cleaning agents. If you need a TCE replacement that works as well as the hazardous solvent but without all of the drawbacks, we can present you with several options, as well as produce a custom solution if you need it.

For more information about TCE substitutes for vapor degreasing, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to helping you find a strong, safe replacement for you TCE-based cleaning solvents.

 

 

Aerospace Solvents: Matching Cleaning Operations With Solvents

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Aerospace equipment that propels aircraft into the stratosphere and beyond doesn’t have the option of malfunctioning. If it does, and the worst case scenario ensues, the equipment hurtles toward earth at a startling rate of speed, crashes, and obliterates the machinery and crew.

Helping to prevent tragedies like this is why Ecolink has a special line of cleaning solvents designed for cleaning aerospace equipment and related hardware. To select the right cleaners, it’s essential to match aerospace cleaning applications with aerospace solvents that are designed for them. This is what we do in this entry, matching ten Ecolink aerospace solvents with their intended applications, with some product notes included for each one.

  1. Aerokleen

Applications: Ideal to use for removing polysulfide sealants, cleaning away aviation hydraulic fluids, cleaning wheel and brake grime, and cleaning general surfaces

Note: Aerospace NESHAPS compliant and no hazardous ingredients according to the EPA

  1. Ecolink 2005

Applications: Non-flammable solvent formulated for cleaning electrical contacts, electrical relays, and other electrical apparatuses

Note: Available during HCFC-141b transition

  1. Ecolink 3005

Applications: Non-flammable solvent formulated for cleaning electrical contacts, electrical relays, and other electrical apparatuses

Note: Conforms to Boeing D6-17487 Revision P

  1. New II

Applications: Parts washing solvent specifically designed for machine immersion cleaning

Note: Qualified PRF-680A Type II replacement

  1. Positron

Application: Ultra-high purity dielectric solvent ideal for cleaning fuel-related soils from electrical equipment, electro-mechanical equipment, and hydraulic systems

Note: Ideal for both parts washing immersion and spray / wipe cleaning

  1. Safe Strip

Application: Ideal for cleaning paint gun equipment used on aerospace equipment

Note: Excellent replacement for methylene chloride

  1. Hypersolve / Triagen (A)

Application: Formulated for removing a wide range of organic soils from metal, while evaporating rapidly and leaving no residue

Note: Hypersolve available in bulk and Triagen (A) available in bulk and aerosol

  1. Purity

Application: Diverse cleaning agent in wipe form that safely cleans electric motors, windings, breakers, bushings, and bearings

Note: Completely safe and non-toxic, and EPA SNAP approved

  1. VG-151

Application: Perfect for removing adhesives and decals, and removing corrosion inhibiting compounds and hard to remove organic soils

Note: Spray-on gel with no aromatic solvents, chlorinated solvents, or ketones

  1. Vortex

Application: Semi-Aqueous cleaner designed to remove rosin flux, oily film from metal surfaces, and the toughest organic soils, such as tar and asphalt

Note: Biodegradable, with no harmful fumes and all natural ingredients, option to wear low-level PPE

About Our Company

Ecolink supplies environmentally preferred environmentally safe cleaning solvents to companies and organizations around the globe. In addition to supplying readymade aerospace solvents, we accept custom orders to create solutions that meet specific needs. Whether you select a readymade solvent or a custom solution, we’ll provide you with a test sample of the cleaner for free.

To inquire about our products and services, please give us a call today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We look forward to learning about your situation and presenting you with eco friendly options for aerospace solvents applications.

Better Solvents and Cleaning Agents: 4 Things to Consider

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Does your organization need better solvents and cleaning agents? If the solvents you use are a good fit for your cleaning requirements, you may think the answer is no. However, efficacy is just one element that indicates a “good solvent”.

Before you order your next big supply of cleaning solvents, consider how the solutions fair in relation to the factors below. You may find that you have the opportunity to use better solvents and cleaning agents, after all.

  1. Flashpoint

Flashpoint is the temperature at which a solvent ignites, so you can deduce the benefits of using solvents that have a high flashpoint or are inflammable. Three benefits that immediately come to mind are: improved fire safety in the solvent storage area, reduced risk of fire-related injuries when using cleaning solvents, and the ability to use solvents in more types of work settings.

  1. Hazardous Air Pollutants

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a list of restricted and banned chemicals called the List of Lists. Due to their volatility, many chemicals on the list are classified as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).

The List of Lists is lengthy, but it’s likely to grow considerably longer before it reaches a state of near completion. If your company uses solvents that contain HAPs that have yet to make the list, replacing them with safer solvents can help protect workers, and prevent the need to quickly replace a solvent that has a newly restricted chemical.

  1. Volatile Organic Compounds

Due to their toxicity and volatility, some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are considered HAPs. However, VOCs needn’t fall under the umbrella of HAPs to cause negative health conditions in people who are exposed to VOC solvents. Acute ailments such as respiratory distress, upset stomach, and dizziness can occur when air contains a high density of non-toxic VOCs.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) and air filtration systems that remove airborne contaminants from the work environment do a good job of mitigating the health risks, but the best option is to use solvents that contain no VOCs or have low levels of non-toxic VOCs.

  1. Recycling and Reusing

If your organization has diverse, industrial solvent needs, it likely uses a large volume of solvent. Using solvents that be recycled and reused (e.g., high boiling solvents for parts washers that perform solvent recovery) can reduce the need to purchase certain solvents. By extension, these solvents help lower your waste disposal bill. When they are used in a closed parts washing system, they can also reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous solvents.

Need Better Solvents and Cleaning Agents?

Depending on how your solvents stack up concerning the factors above, the answer may be yes. If so, Ecolink can supply stock or custom solvents that deliver the same cleaning power as your current cleaners, minus many of the negative characteristics.

To explore your options with us, check out our Products List, call us at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to providing you with the chance to use alternative solvents that improve safety in the workplace and your company’s stewardship to the environment.

N-Propyl Bromide Exposure Limits: What You Need to Know

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N-propyl bromide — nPB for short — is a chemical compound that has a two-sided reputation. On the good side, the compound is widely considered safer for the environment than many of the ozone depleting chemicals it’s replaced. On the bad side, “safer” doesn’t exactly mean “safe”.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) recognize that acute and chronic human exposure to nPB can cause health problems that range minor ailments such as watery eyes and upset stomach to incurable maladies such as neuropathy and cancer. Consequently, n-propyl bromide exposure limits have been imposed, with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 0.1 ppm being the gold standard.

Understanding PPM 

PPM is an initialism that means “parts per million”. So, a degreaser that contains 0.1 ppm of n-propyl bromide is 0.00001% pure nPB. For those who took some upper level chemistry and math courses in high school or college, here’s what PPM looks like as a formulaic expression  (courtesy of EngineeringToolbox.com):

  • ppm = 1000000 mc / ms 
  •        = 106 mc / ms        (1)
  • where
  • mc = mass of component (kg, lbm)
  • ms = mass of solution (kg, lbm)

Many industrial users of nPB need cleaning solvents that have a higher concentration of the compound than 0.00001%, hence the widespread movement to find nPB replacements based on the efficacy of the cleaning agents alone. That nPB has a deleterious effect on the health of workers who use it adds gasoline to the fire.

Finding nPB Replacements

Based on cleaning power, there are plenty of conventional, suitable replacements of n-propyl bromide. However, many of them pose the same problem as nPB: They’re not good for the environment and they pose those health risks that can lead to increased sick days taken at best and chemical injury lawsuits at worst.

The best option for nPB replacements is to break ties with conventional chemical providers, and work with a supplier of environmentally prefered and environmentally safe cleaning solutions, such as Ecolink. You end up with a solution that doesn’t hamstring your cleaning operations due to emission caps and potentially deadly effects on workers.

Ready for a Replacement?

If n-propyl bromide exposure limits make it practically impossible for your organization to use nPB in the necessary amount, stop exposing yourself to the financial stress of using a solvent that the EPA appears poised to officially add to its List of Lists that names chemicals that are too dangerous to humans and/or the environment to remain a viable solution for industrial and commercial cleaning needs.

Instead, contact Ecolink, and get started on selecting a cleaner that delivers the efficacy of n-propyl bromide, without the major health risks that could easily lead to increased sick days taken, workers compensation claims, and chemical injury lawsuits whose settlements decimate the bottom line.

To explore nPB replacement options that circumnavigate n-propyl bromide exposure limits, call us today at 800-563-1305, or use the contact form on your website. We look forward to helping you improve safety in the workplace and become a better steward to the environment!