Solvent Substitution

 

More Regulations, Less Options
Missing your customers’ deadlines reeks. We make sure industrial chemicals are NEVER the culprit. Since the early 1970’s when the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts were enacted, the industrial chemical industry has undergone a massive shift in what is commercially viable, planetary sustainable ‘and’ safe for your workforce and your neighbors. Following the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in late 1980’s, Ecolink worked with thousands of solvent substitutions primarily in North America, South America and parts of Asia. Still riding yesterday’s horse? Avoid chemical catastrophes with our rescue unit. solventsubstitution@ecolink.com or call 800 563-1305 to learn more

 

Our Methodology:
In 1995, Ecolink’s co-founder, Bill Green, wrote the college textbook on Hazardous Source Reduction. Almost 20 years later the solvent substitution strategies outlined solvent substitutionremain timely and continue to generate proven results. Our success turns on being your high trust leader and why we institute confidentiality, privacy non-disclosure agreements for every one of our solvent substitutions. Change is often discomforting and inconvenient so we keep it simple and inexpensive by rethinking the whole approach. Simply send us your parts or soils/contaminant samples to study at every angle at our labs and we accelerate research and development to avoid any production or maintenance delays. Got a quick question? Ask our Chemist

Our solvent substitution strategy encompasses 3 primary focus areas:

  1. Environmental regulatory compliance:
    Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, Global Warming Potential (GWP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions
  2. Toxicity:
    Carcinogens, reproductive and neurological damage
  3. Flammability:
    Fire, explosion avoidance

Hazards

Environmental: (We target 3’s and 4’s on HMIS, soon-to-be GHS) A few examples:

  • Class I ODP solvents most notably 1,1,1 – Trichloroethane [CAS # 71-55-6] primarily among electric power generation utilities and military installations with heavy fleet maintenance operations.
  • Class II ODP solvents including HCFC-141b [CAS # 1717-00-6] was next on the chopping block and Ecolink developed and designed cost-effective, compliant alternatives.
  • Class III ODP solvents including HCFC-225A, commonly known as AK-225®, [CAS # 422-56-0]. HCFC-225, AK-225 will phase-out by 12/31/14.
  • Ecolink continues to research scheduled and proposed bans, phase-outs to support your long-term cleaning requirements.
  • VOC’s are increasingly regulated across a growing numbers of states including South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in California and Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states as part of Ozone Transport Commission.

Toxicity: (We target 3’s and 4’s on HMIS, soon-to-be GHS) A few examples:

  • Halogenated solvents:

o   Chlorinated solvents:
Methylene Chloride or Dichloromethane, CAS # 75-09-2
Perchloroethylene (PERC) CAS # 127-18-4
Trichloroethylene (TCE) CAS # 79-01-6

o   Brominated solvents:
n-Propyl Bromide (nPB) CAS # 106-94-5

 

Flammability: (We target 3’s and 4’s on HMIS, soon-to-be GHS) A few examples:

  • Acetone: CAS # 67-64-1, Flash Point -4° F
  • Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA): CAS # 67-63-0, Flash Point 53° F
  • Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK): CAS # 78-93-3, Flash Point 16° F

A Final Caution
In short, there are no “perfect substitutes” in any attempt to reduce or eliminate hazardous solvents in your workplace and our environment. If the magic molecule did exist, everyone would be using them! We help every one of our clients navigate a matrix of risk factors for environmental, health or safety reasons. Inevitably, any chemical choice involves weighing the alternatives or as some might say, “selecting the less-bad choice.”