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NEW II: A Cheaper, Qualified Alternative to AK-070-II Solvent from Alfakleen

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NEW II Solvent Degreaser: Cheaper, Faster

How Ecolink’s MIL-PRF-680 TYPE II products stack up against Alfakleen’s

A product that is qualified to the MIL-PRF-680 Type II specification is just that, a product that qualifies. Our NEW II solvent cleaner, as listed in the QPD (Qualified Product Database), is qualified to the performance specification while Alfakleen’s is not. If your T.O. (Technical Order) does not specify that a qualified product is needed, then you may be wondering, why choose Ecolink over other suppliers?

Price: NEW II Can Be Purchased at a Lower Cost Than Alfakleen’s Degreasing Solvent

We don’t seek to be the cheapest option on the market, but our fair pricing makes low cost a reality. When purchased in volume, Ecolink’s NEW II product is cheaper per drum, which saves you hundreds over Alfakleen’s degreasing solvent cleaner. Two similar products, two different price points – we like making decisions easy.

If you’re working with an older specification such as PD 680 or A-A-59601, our product Parts Kleen II can save you additional money. Stay tuned to the blog for more on Parts Kleen II.

If you would like to learn more about pricing, call (800) 563-1305 to speak with a representative or email us at new2@ecolink.com.

Speed: Receiving Your Green Cleaning Products Faster with Ecolink

For some customers, responsiveness is key, which is why we are fully committed to providing a level of customer service that exceeds expectations. NEW II is a stocked item that can be shipped same day. We are flexible with demand and able to compensate for customers who use JIT (Just in time) inventory management. Compared to Alfakleen’s 1-7 day window for processing orders, our product can realistically be in your possession before theirs has shipped.

Safety: Cleaner for You, Cleaner for the Environment

NEW II has a high-grade hydrocarbon base which gives it the strength to remove grease, fuel oil, carbon, and organic resins. This non-chlorinated degreaser is also safe for use on most plastic and rubber surfaces. NEW II contains no Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) as defined by the EPA and is a non Ozone-Depleting Substance. The solvent is odorless and evaporates completely leaving no resin, evaporation can be accelerated with compressed air. Additional safety benefits of this environmentally preferred parts cleaner include a low VOC count and high flash point. See links to product shopping pages below:

? 4 x 1 Gallon Case ? 5 Gallon Pail ? 15 Gallon Drum ? 55 Gallon Drum

To request a sample call (800) 563-1305 or email us at new2@ecolink.com. To view other solvents offered by Ecolink and their MIL-SPEC approvals, click HERE

Understanding Cleaning Solvents: What is a Volatile Solvent & are there Other Options?

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By technical definition, volatile solvents are substances that demonstrate a high degree of volatility in one or more contexts for one or more reasons. A volatile solvent can be classified in several ways, including: the agent in its formulation that causes volatility, whether the agent is manmade or organic, and the potential problems that the volatility is known to cause.

In this entry, we look at a particular class of volatile solvents, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), defining what they are and discussing what can be done to limit the negative repercussions of their volatility to help protect human health, particularly in industrial work settings, where an unusually high volume of volatile solvent is used in a given period of time.

What Are Volatile Organic Compounds?

Volatile organic compounds — a term that is typically shortened to the initialism “VOC” — are organic chemicals that have a high evaporation rate at room temperature. For example, the VOC formaldehyde, which is frequently found in commercial paint, has a boiling point of –2 °F. This means that the chemical will rapidly evaporate when the paint can is opened or the paint is sprayed onto a surface using mechanical pressurization equipment or an aerosol solution.

Concerning their origin, VOCs can be separated into two broad classes: biologically generated (i.e., naturally occurring) and anthropogenic (i.e., made by humans). Both classes of VOCs are widely used in industrial work processes, from painting, to degreasing, to the application of protective coatings. Examples of VOCs that are commonly used in industrial settings — or were commonly used before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulated their use — are:

  • Benzene
  • Chlorofluorocarbons
  • Chlorocarbons
  • Methylene chloride
  • Perchloroethylene
  • MTBE
  • Formaldehyde

Not all VOCs are as harmful to human health as others. For example, chronic exposure to benzene is strongly associated with cancer, whereas the biologically generated VOC myrcene has no such connection. However, when a VOC is harmful to human health but must nonetheless be used in industrial processes, the company or organization should implement a set of strict safety measures to protect workers from inhaling vapor from the substance.

Protecting Against Toxic VOC Exposure

Unlike exposure to destructive agents such as hydrochloric acid, which can cause immediate, permanent injury, persistent injuries from exposure to toxic VOCs often occur gradually — and the primary method of exposure that causes the injuries is well known: inhalation. Consequently, any work environment where a dangerous, volatile solvent is used should feature the following protective measures to help prevent workers from receiving health threatening injuries.

  • Ventilation system for filtering airborne contaminants
  • Personal protective equipment suitable for the level of exposure
  • Applying solvent in airtight cleaning systems if possible
  • Airtight solvent waste trap for preventing emissions

VOCs are sometimes misconstrued to be safe due to their organic nature, but this isn’t always the case. That is why it’s important to work with an experienced provider of industrial solvent solutions before you order a volatile solvent. If you need assistance selecting an industrial solvent for a specific cleaning operation or general cleaning, contact the solvent specialists at Ecolink today by calling (800) 563-1305, or refer to the contact page on our website.

 

Environmental Safety: Are There Different Types of Cleaning Solvents?

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Companies that have industrial grade cleaning needs have hundreds of different cleaning solvents to choose from, depending on the type of cleaning that must be performed. These cleaning solutions can be differentiated in several ways. Since the green movement began and solvent users became more environmentally conscious, one of the most popular ways of distinguishing solvents is categorizing them based on their effect on the natural environment.

In terms of environmental safety, cleaning solvents are often placed in the following categories by the companies that supply them: toxic solvents, environmentally preferred solvents, and environmentally safe solvents. Below, we take a look at each classification regarding its general safety profile for the environment as a whole.

Toxic Solvents
In most cases, toxic solvents are cleaning solutions that have at least one ingredient that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers hazardous due to the substance’s negative effects on human health and the environment. Thankfully, there is no guesswork in choosing cleaning solvents whose ingredients are not regulated by the EPA. Cleaning solvent ingredients that are regulated by the EPA are posted in the organization’s List of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) that was originally created in 1990 as an extension of the Clean Air Act.

Environmentally Preferred Solvents
Environmentally preferred solvents are considered non-toxic to the environment, but they often contain some ingredients that workers should watch out for, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that instantaneously evaporate at room temperature. More often than not, these solvents contain a low percentage of VOCs per volume (e.g., 5%) if they contain VOCs at all. Due to the reasonably safe formulation of the cleaners, many companies and organizations have the opportunity to use environmentally preferred solvents in large volume.

Environmentally Safe Solvents
In terms of how they impact the environment, environmentally safe solvents are a step above environmentally preferred solvents. Whereas the latter type of solvents often contain a small percentage of potentially dangerous ingredients that are included strictly for cleaning purposes, the former type of solvents contain no such ingredients and are environmentally safe to use when they are applied according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Need Eco Friendly Cleaning Solvents?
If so, Ecolink is one of the best places to find them. We offer a wide array of cleaners that are environmentally preferred or environmentally safe. These solutions are ideal for companies that must carefully manage emissions, reduce or eliminate the presence of hazardous chemicals and/or volatile organic compounds in the work environment, and replace cleaners whose ingredients have been regulated by the EPA with cleaners whose ingredients are safer.

In addition to providing stock cleaners, we can formulate cleaning solvents that are tailored to unique cleaning requirements — and all of our industrial cleaners are competitively priced. To inquire about which of our environmentally prefered solvents and environmentally safe solvents are a good fit for your company or organization’s cleaning needs, please give us a call today at (800) 563-1305, or refer to our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you!

Industrial Degreasers – Getting Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solutions

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Several common cleaning products that can be found in homes and are purchased by unsuspecting people contain hazardous chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that emit smog-forming chemicals and can be harmful to anyone who comes in contact with the noxious gas. All-purpose cleaners and industrial degreasers, as well as specialty products can pollute indoor air quality and might cause respiratory illness, along with eye and skin irritation to those who are around it frequently, particularly janitorial and other cleaning staffs. Substituting traditional, yet harmful cleaning products for ecofriendly cleaning solutions and safer industrial degreasers improves air quality and protects the health and safety of individuals exposed to the chemicals they emit, as well as the environment.

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from cleaning products occur when propellant and organic solvents evaporate. Released chemicals remain in the air for an entire day, and often times longer. For example, in the greater Chicago area, twenty tons of VOCs are released into the air from the use of cleaning products each day. It is estimated that for every one hundred janitors who switch to more environmentally friendly (green) cleaning products, VOC emissions will drop by one ton per year. Studies have also shown that the use of “green” cleaning products reduces the incidents of health problems among janitorial staffs. It has also been proven that green alternative cleaning solutions are less expensive.

Who should get ecofriendly cleaning solutions and safer industrial degreasers? Any person who uses cleaning products at home or work (industrial degreasers) should replace hazardous, VOC emitting degreasers and cleaning products with green alternatives and safer products, such as ecofriendly cleaning solutions. In addition, those who truly care about making a difference with safer degreasers and solvents should join Clean Air Counts—a Chicago region clean air initiative.

The benefits of using low VOC cleaning products include significantly lower emissions of smog-forming chemicals into the air from VOCs, much improved health safety for individuals using these industrial degreasers and solvent products. To those who might still be on the fence regarding these green alternatives or are concerned that these ecofriendly cleaning solutions are more expensive, explain that Low VOC cleaning products have been proven to cost less. Though saving money is quite important, the main reason for switching to ecofriendly cleaning solutions should be to protect people and the environment.

Call 800 886-8240 or email info@ecolink.com to discuss your current use of industrial degreasers or cleaning solvents. With over 200 products to choose from, including several new formulations not yet listed on the website, we feel certain we can expand upon the savings and safety improvements enjoyed for nearly 20 years. Chemist owned and operated, we offer guaranteed FREE samples, including FREE freight, to evaluate for a RISK-FREE evaluation.