What Are Oil Dissolving Solvents and What Are They Used For?
As their name indicates, oil dissolving solvents are formulated cleaning solutions whose properties make them highly useful for dissolving concentrations of oil, as one might find coating the inner workings of an internal combustion engine and on the exposed surfaces of a deep fryer.
Because oil is a strongly non-polar compound, solvents that dissolve it are highly non-polar and may feature an organic formulation that is high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Examples of oil dissolvers that are used for commercial and industrial oil removal applications include:
- Acetone — Commonly used as a cleaner and in cosmetics that remove skin oil
- Hexane — Frequently used as a solvent for dissolving various types of cooking oil
- Carbon tetrachloride — Often used as a general cleaner in numerous industries
- Diethyl ether — Infrequently used to dissolve oils due to its low flash point
- Benzene — Commonly used in the quarry industry to extract oil from shale
If you are familiar with the safety profiles of oil dissolving solvents, you may recognize that these solvents have dangerous properties that make them unsafe for human use and toxic to the environment. Although typically cheap to purchase and highly effective for many types of oil removal operations, the long-term cost of using the solvents can be quite expensive indeed.
Cost Considerations for Oil Dissolvers
Costs that come with using hazardous oil dissolving solvents include: implementing and maintaining a ventilation system that is designed to remove harmful gases and vapors from the work environment, providing workers with industrial-grade personal protective equipment (PPE), paying workers’ compensation and sick days due to temporary injuries, paying to settle liability lawsuits due to chronic injuries, and paying government fines for emission cap violations.
Finding Suitable Replacements
The reasons above, among others, are why many companies decide to replace toxic oil dissolving solvents with solutions that are formulated to be safe for humans and the environment without sacrificing oil dissolving power. If your company or organization currently uses a hazardous oil dissolver and would like to switch to a safer solution, Ecolink can help. We have several eco-friendly products that are excellent replacements for dangerous oil dissolvers.
Contact Ecolink Today for Oil Dissolving Solvents
If you are looking for replacements for conventional oil dissolving solvents, Ecolink has the solutions you need. Before we propose a replacement cleaner, we carefully consider the needs of the customer in terms of budget, frequency of solvent use, place of solvent use, and reason(s) for solvent use. Once we know these pieces of information, we can make an educated recommendation for replacing a dangerous oil dissolver with something safer.
To start the process of replacing hazardous oil dissolving solvents, call us today at (800) 563-1305 to schedule a free consultation, or simply fill out the contact form located on our website. If you like, we can even send you samples of our replacement solvents so you can see how well they work before you place an order. We look forward to helping you find cleaning solutions that dissolve oil and help protect your workers and the environment!