Like many hazardous solvents that predate it, nPB (a.k.a. 1-bromopane and n-propyl bromide) experienced widespread use as an industrial degreasing solvent but was eventually found to be too toxic to use in large quantities. nPB has had a successful, 20-year run as a first line degreasing solvent, but the time has come for large-scale users of the solvent to replace it.
Many companies and organizations began implementing nPB aerosol alternatives shortly after the U.S. Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) discovered that nPB is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” but some entities are still in need of replacement options. If your company or organization is among them, Ecolink provides the following nPB aerosol alternatives for industrial level degreasing applications.
FluoSolv® solvents are non-flammable, non-hazardous and non-ozone depleting proprietary blends of high purity, azeotropic fluorinated
fluids and trans-dichloroethylene (t-DCE), CAS # 156-60-5, for industrial use without the adverse effects on environment or your people. Trust FluoSolv® for your high precision requirements as drop-in replacements for:
- Ecolink 2005 & Ecolink 3005
- Brominated solvents: nPB (n-propyl bromide) also known as 1-Bromopropane or (1-BP), CAS # 106-94-5
- Chlorinated solvents: PERC (Tetrachloroethylene or Perchloroethylene), CAS # 127-18-4 and TCE (Trichloroethylene), CAS # 79-01-6
- Chlorofluorocarbon solvents: CFC-113 (Trichlorotrifluoromethane) also known as FREON, CAS # 76-13-1
- Hydrochlorofluorocarbon solvents: HCFC-141b (1,1-dichloro-1fluoroethane), CAS # 1717-00-6 and HCFC-225ca/cb (3,3-Dichloro-1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane HCFC-225ca), CAS # 422-56-0 and (1,3-Dichloro-1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane HCFC-225cb) CAS # 507-55-1
Ecolink NF-45 offers the following positives: non-flammable formulation, low odor, non-conductive formulation, fast dry time, and no residue. Approved applications include: cleaning a wide variety of critical surfaces, including plastic, rubber, and metal; and cleaning a broad spectrum of electrical components, including contacts and relays.
Electron yields the following benefits: no water, fully evaporative, no residue, high dielectric strength, no EPA listed hazardous ingredients, no OSHA PEL or ACGIH TLV listed ingredients, and no surface leakage of current in immediate residue tests. Intended applications include: cleaning oil, dirt, and carbon from all types of electrical apparatuses.
Pen-T-10 delivers the following advantages: non-flammable formulation, ability to release frozen parts (e.g. nuts and bolts), no ozone depleting solvents or propellants, the deposit of a coating that protects ferrous metals against corrosion, and no residue build up. Approved applications include: voltage stabilization of cleaned electrical equipment, freeing up frozen parts, and removal of common industrial soils from critical surfaces.
Positron offers the following benefits: low odor, ultra-low residue, low hazardous fume emission, high dielectric strength, highly evaporative, aggressive action compared to older solvents, and no SARA or RCRA listed ingredients. Intended applications include: cleaning practically all types of electrical parts and cleaning practically all types of mechanical parts.
Select Free has the following positives: non-flammable formulation, fully evaporative, no CFCs, high dielectric strength, and no residue. Approved applications include: cleaning contacts, relays, and other critical electronic components, specifically when no other stock nPB aerosol alternatives are capable of meeting cleaning requirements.
Custom Solvents Available
If one of the nPB aerosol alternatives above doesn’t meet your requirements, we can formulate a custom solvent that perfectly matches your needs. To getting started on receiving business-critical nPB aerosol alternatives, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to supporting your cleaning needs.
What is Considered Low VOC?
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersIf you open a canister of traditional cleaning solvent, you might notice a strong, earthy, chemical smell that emanates from the solvent within. The aroma may even make make you wince, feel as if you had a bad sinus infection, and make it harder to breathe for a few hours. If you had to make a guess about what you were smelling, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) would be a good bet. Below, we explain why.
What are VOCs?
VOCs are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature (around 72 degrees). The high vapor pressure is a direct result of the solvents’ low boiling points. Their speedy transition from liquid to vapor gives VOCs their “volatile” nature. What you smell in the air after you open the solvent canister are VOCs that have already evaporated. Common examples of VOCs include: benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylene glycol, to name just a few.
Low VOC Data
Many VOCs evaporate so quickly that it’s impossible for those who work with the compounds not to inhale them, unless they are outfitted with Level 3 personal protective equipment (PPE) that features a respirator that removes airborne contaminants. Just how easily can VOCs vaporize? Consider formaldehyde, which has an exceptionally low boiling point of –19 °C (–2 °F). Open a canister of this VOC, and its vapor will fill the profusely in a matter of minutes.
In addition to equipping workers with high-level PPE, many companies and organizations that use VOC solvents offer protection by running air filtration systems that snare airborne contaminants. However, from a perspective of cost effectiveness and human safety, the best option is simply to replace high VOC solvents with low VOC formulations or blends that have no VOCs.
In general, the term “low VOC” describes a solvent whose VOC content is at or below 150 g/L. A solvent that has low VOC content usually isn’t as safe as one that has no VOCs. Low VOC content can cause negative health effects — both acute and chronic — due to overexposure to the solvent that contains the hazardous compounds.
VOC Exposure
VOC exposure is recognized as acute or chronic. Acute, short-term exposure is known to produce symptoms that dissipate within a few hours or a few days, including: headaches, dizziness, and respiratory distress. Chronic, long-term exposure can cause symptoms that are permanent, such as: cancer, liver damage, and central nervous system (CNS) damage. Again, when it comes to protecting workers from VOCs, using low VOC or no VOC solvents is the best option.
Contact Ecolink
If your company or organization needs an efficacious, industrial grade, low VOC cleaning solvent, contact us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We look forward to supplying you with a stock solvent or a custom formulated solvent that meets your cleaning requirements. We’ll even send you a free sample of the solvent on request. VOCs are dangerous; we give you the opportunity to take the danger out of your cleaning process.
Finding nPB Aerosol Alternatives for Degreasing: Options From Ecolink
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersLike many hazardous solvents that predate it, nPB (a.k.a. 1-bromopane and n-propyl bromide) experienced widespread use as an industrial degreasing solvent but was eventually found to be too toxic to use in large quantities. nPB has had a successful, 20-year run as a first line degreasing solvent, but the time has come for large-scale users of the solvent to replace it.
Many companies and organizations began implementing nPB aerosol alternatives shortly after the U.S. Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) discovered that nPB is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” but some entities are still in need of replacement options. If your company or organization is among them, Ecolink provides the following nPB aerosol alternatives for industrial level degreasing applications.
FluoSolv® solvents are non-flammable, non-hazardous and non-ozone depleting proprietary blends of high purity, azeotropic fluorinated
fluids and trans-dichloroethylene (t-DCE), CAS # 156-60-5, for industrial use without the adverse effects on environment or your people. Trust FluoSolv® for your high precision requirements as drop-in replacements for:
Ecolink NF-45 offers the following positives: non-flammable formulation, low odor, non-conductive formulation, fast dry time, and no residue. Approved applications include: cleaning a wide variety of critical surfaces, including plastic, rubber, and metal; and cleaning a broad spectrum of electrical components, including contacts and relays.
Electron yields the following benefits: no water, fully evaporative, no residue, high dielectric strength, no EPA listed hazardous ingredients, no OSHA PEL or ACGIH TLV listed ingredients, and no surface leakage of current in immediate residue tests. Intended applications include: cleaning oil, dirt, and carbon from all types of electrical apparatuses.
Pen-T-10 delivers the following advantages: non-flammable formulation, ability to release frozen parts (e.g. nuts and bolts), no ozone depleting solvents or propellants, the deposit of a coating that protects ferrous metals against corrosion, and no residue build up. Approved applications include: voltage stabilization of cleaned electrical equipment, freeing up frozen parts, and removal of common industrial soils from critical surfaces.
Positron offers the following benefits: low odor, ultra-low residue, low hazardous fume emission, high dielectric strength, highly evaporative, aggressive action compared to older solvents, and no SARA or RCRA listed ingredients. Intended applications include: cleaning practically all types of electrical parts and cleaning practically all types of mechanical parts.
Select Free has the following positives: non-flammable formulation, fully evaporative, no CFCs, high dielectric strength, and no residue. Approved applications include: cleaning contacts, relays, and other critical electronic components, specifically when no other stock nPB aerosol alternatives are capable of meeting cleaning requirements.
Custom Solvents Available
If one of the nPB aerosol alternatives above doesn’t meet your requirements, we can formulate a custom solvent that perfectly matches your needs. To getting started on receiving business-critical nPB aerosol alternatives, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to supporting your cleaning needs.
Industrial Degreasers & Sustainability: Recommendations From The AIC
/in Industrial Degreasers/by Industrial DegreasersAs its name makes clear, the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) is dedicated to sustaining our cultural heritage through the conservation of important historical areas, historical artifacts, and works of art. It may sound like the AIC has nothing to do with the industrial solvent industry, but the conservation goals of the organization are impacted by the use of solvents in terms of solvent toxicity and how solvents are processed after use.
Recommendations for Solvent Sustainability
The AIC is primarily concerned with the conservation of historical and artistic cultural resources, but the organization’s basic recommendations for using industrial solvents are worth noting, as they help lead companies down the path of combining industrial degreasers and sustainability of degreasers in the same, streamlined cleaning process. Below are four excellent recommendations from the AIC that bode well for industrial degreasers and sustainability.
If the degreasers you use end up in the waste trap due to their non-recyclable formulation, step one for combining industrial degreasers and solvent sustainability is selecting degreasers that are actually sustainable, such as degreasing solvents that can be condensed and recycled in a sealed parts washing system after the degreasing process is complete.
Only buying the amount of solvent you need benefits the environment by requiring less energy and natural resources to be invested in solvent production. If you routinely perform industrial cleaning operations, you may need a large supply of solvent on hand at all times. Even so, limiting your purchases to only what you need can generate a positive impact over time.
Most companies are financially savvy and only use as much degreaser as their cleaning operations require. However, many companies have the option of making their degreasing processes more efficient (e.g., using high boiling degreasers in parts washers that facilitate solvent recycling). Doing so can both benefit the environment and help reduce annual solvent expense for end users.
Most degreasers can only be reused to achieve best results after they are purged of soils removed during the degreasing process. So, reusing as much solvent as you can depends on implementing solvent recycling technology that properly prepares degreasers for reapplication. Mentioned above, using parts washers that facilitate solvent recycling is an effective way to achieve the goal.
Need Sustainable Industrial Degreasers?
If so, contact Ecolink. Industrial degreasers and sustainability is one of our areas of speciality, as is sustainability regarding the other categories of solvents that we supply. Solvent sustainability can do more than help preserve some of our most treasured historical, artistic, and natural resources; it can also help companies reduce solvent expenditures and mitigate solvent waste removal cost.
To get started on implementing sustainable degreasers for all of your industrial degreasing applications, contact us today by calling (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to helping you combine industrial degreasers and sustainability of solvents in the same cleaning processes for the benefit of your company and the environment.
Should you Reduce Tetrachloroethylene (PERC) Exposure?
/in Chemical Safety, Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersSince the mid-1930s, PERC, also known as perchloroethylene, PCE, tetrachloroethylene, and tetrachloroethene, has been an effective organic solvent that has mainly been used in the dry cleaning industry and to a lesser extent, in metal degreasing. PERC was an ideal dry cleaning solvent because of its excellent cleaning power, stable, non-flammable properties, and gentleness towards many articles of clothing. Many of the qualities that made PERC a desirable dry cleaning solvent also contributed to its usefulness in vapor degreasing. However, there were concerns that workers who routinely breathed excessive amounts of the solvent vapor or spilled PERC on their skin were at risk of developing health problems. In 1993, research data had led many organizations to believe that PERC was a potential human carcinogen; as a result, California and the EPA decided to begin regulating the use of PERC by establishing a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and producing advisory content concerning workplace exposure reduction. The current Occupational Safety and Health Administration PEL for PERC is 100 parts per million (8-hour TWA).
Although the dry cleaning industry has refined the control of PERC and created new equipment that has much lower exposure than older models, there is still a necessity to reduce employee exposure to the solvent in order to prevent health hazards that could result from long-term exposure.
Possible health effects of PERC Exposure
Primary Sources of PERC Exposure
Replacement: Safe for You and Your Employees!
With increasing regulations regarding PERC usage, the best solution to keep employees safe and prevent compliance headaches is replace PERC and use FluoSolv! FluoSolv is a solvent degreaser that is also commonly used for metal degreasing. If our existing blends of FluoSolv aren’t right for you, then contact us to create a custom blend that fits your needs! There are no charges for samples (up to 1-gallon), so check our FluoSolv page or give us a call today!
Spray Gun Solvent Cleaners: A Solution for Aerosol Solvent
/in Aerosol/by Industrial DegreasersDoes it seem odd that the cans of aerosol solvent your organization uses are about the size of the cans of aerosol cleaner you use at home? If you run an industrial operation that relies on aerosol solvent for business-critical cleaning applications, there’s a good chance that you use more solvent in the workplace than at home.
So, why doesn’t your organization purchase aerosol in cylinder drums that hold 36 pounds of cleaner, and are about the size of a butane drum you might use in a gas-powered grill? Making the switch can help you save money on solvent purchases and achieve a smaller footprint for solvent storage, but these aren’t the only potential benefits. You also have the chance to implement spray gun solvent cleaners, which we discuss below.
Why Spray Gun Solvent Cleaners?
Spray gun solvent cleaners are applied by using a handheld spray gun that’s connected to the cylinder of aerosol solvent, which is positioned on a small to midsize, two-wheel dolly for easy transportation. Dispersing solvent using the gun gives you greater control over the amount of aerosol deployed and the speed of its release, each of which can be controlled by manipulating a valve on the cylinder that holds the solvent.
For many organizations, these characteristics are ideal for dispensing aerosol for industrial cleaning applications for two reasons: A wider stream of particles can be emitted compared to using a spray can, making spray gun solvent cleaners ideal for cleaning the largest parts; and the force of the solvent stream can be stronger compared to using a can, making the cleaners ideal for powering through tough accumulations.
Using Spray Gun Solvent Cleaners
The best way to see how spray gun solvent cleaners operate is to watch one in action. Here’s a video of a spray gun that’s used with our solvent cylinders. As you can see from the video, setting dispersal parameters for the solvent stream can be done in a matter of seconds, and the spray nozzle through which it’s dispersed is easy to handle. We design our solvent sprayers ergonomically to support the productivity of cleaning operations.
Receive More Information Today
Ecolink has a rich history of helping companies and organizations of all sizes implement environmentally safe and environmentally preferred cleaning solvents. Many of our customers can meet cleaning needs with the help of our stock solvents that are ready to ship, but we also accept orders for custom formulations to help users that have unique cleaning requirements. In either case, you can receive a free test sample of a solvent before you place an order.
Whether a stock product or a custom formulation best meets your needs, you also have the option of receiving it in a cylindrical drum for use with the spray gun cleaner. For additional information about using our products in the form of spray gun solvent cleaners, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, our use our contact form. We look forward to helping your organization implement the best business-critical solvent solutions, and use them most efficiently.