In Situ Recycling of Cleaning Fluids for Lean and Green Processes

1. In Situ Recycling of Cleaning and Rinsing Fluids to Meet Lean and Green Cleaning Process Targets By Steve Stach President Austin American Technology

2. Outline • Setting recycling targets? • Paying for recycling? • What can be recycled? • Review of the 4 basic types of fluid recycling • Absorption • Distillation • Filtration • Replenishment • Estimating the cost and saving • Estimating system life • Cost Model review

3. Setting Cleaner Recycling Targets • Government Regulations • Few direct mandates • Significant cost/liability regarding waste; i.e. generation, storage, transportation, disposal • Corporate Directives • Avoid liability by not generating • Cut manufacturing expenses • Marketing

4. Potential Savings • Water Saving – up to 99% reduction • Chemical Savings – 50-99% reduction • Energy Saving – 10-50% reduction • Waste Disposal – 50-90% reduction

5. What Cleaning Fluids Can be Recycled? Just about everything! • Water • Tap, DI • Water Mixtures, Neutral pH • Buffered aqueous mixtures • Water Mixtures, Alkaline • Emulsions, Homogenous mixtures • Organic, nonflammable • Halogenated solvents • Organic, combustible • Glycols, oils, esters • Organic, Flammable • Alcohols, light hydrocarbons

6. Choosing the Right Recycling Technology • It depends on the Solvent • It depends on what is happening in the solvent? Alkaline/Saponifier Water/Emulsion Organic Solvent Reacting w/Soils Accumulating Soils Evaporation

7. Getting StartedLook at your “Mass Balance” • Mass Balance analysis looks at all materials entering and leaving the cleaning process. • Shows where you are loosing or gaining fluids/ingredients

8. Cleaning Mass Balance Diagram Fluid Feed, Make-up Parts Mist-Evaporative And Drag-Out Losses w/soils Recycling System Fluid Tank Cleaning System Cleaning Fluid With Soils Sewer or Disposal Waste

9. Identify & Understand Your Recycling Method

10. Cleaning Fluid Recycling Choices H2O IPA Cool Prec. NPB

11. Additive Recycling Technologies • Key Ingredient Replacement • Common in aqueous mixture to replace drag out or reactive losses • Saponifing agents • Degreasing stabilizers

12. Subtractive Recycling Technologies • Filtration • Use of filters to remove soils • Distillation • Removes contaminates with higher boiling points • Absorption • Use of Carbon, DI resins, Zeolites and other Media to Adsorb contaminates

13. Fluid Filtration • One of the oldest recycling methods • Configuration • Cartridge, Bag, Plate, Cake • Filter Size • 1to10 micron typical • Design Type • Mono or Multi-Filament • Absolute vs Standard • Recommended uses • Used in most closed or open loop cleaning systems

14. Fluid Distillation • Boiling fluid is vaporized and condensed • High boiling soils are left behind for disposal • Recommended for non-flammable, single solvents or azeotropic solvent blends • Not usually recommended for water or flammable solvents

15. Ion Exchange • Ionic soils are captured by ion exchange resins • Cations (Na+, K+,NH3+) are removed by cationic exchange resins • Anions (OA-, Br-,CO3-) are removed by anionic exchange resins • Mixed Beds remove both Anions and Cations • Recommended for purifying water and most organic solvents • Not recommended for solutions containing amines

16. Carbon Absorption • Organic soils are captured by Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) • Works on basis that “Like attracts Like” • Capacity depends on the molecule • Often used in conjunction with DI closed loop systems Carbon Exhaustion Foams Rinse

17. Carbon Absorption • GAC is made by anaerobic heating organic material to drive off all volatiles • Most GAC is acid washed to remove acid soluble impurities • Coconut shell and anthracite coal are two type that product low powdering • GAC can be partially regenerated by steam stripping – not recommended

18. Carbon Absorption VS Compound Test solution1g/liter

19. GAC Carbon Mixed Filter Turbine MΏ 1g/m 1g/m Closed Loop Inline Cleaning System

20. Reverse Osmosis (RO) • RO is most commonly used for feed water generation to closed loop cleaners • RO typical removed ~90% of dissolved solids from tap water

21. Reverse Osmosis • Molecular sized microscopic pores block large molecules and allow smaller molecules to pass

22. 1g/m 1g/m Incoming Tap/RO water Feed to fill tanks Initial and Make-up Operational .Flow @120F= 3gal/hr estimated Dryer DI Rinse Power Rinse Chem Isolation Wash GAC Carbon Mixed Chem pump High Alarm Add Low Alarm High Alarm Add Low Alarm Filter Turbine MΏ ~25gallons ~40gallons Gravity Drain Inline Cleaner - closed loop wash and Rinse Back View - Plumbing diagram

23. Problem Heavy Metals in DI/GAC media • Absorptive medias capture metal ions • Cations (Pb+2, Ag+2,Cu+2) are captured by cationic exchange resins • GAC can do the same • Use new GAC and DI media or find regenerator with metal cheatlation system

24. Molecular Sieve Absorption • A molecular sieve traps molecular soils in microscopic pores. • Naturally occurring materials are referred to as zeolites • Man made materials are called molecular sieve. • Molecular sieve comes in different pore sizes ranging from 3 to 12 angstrom • Commonly used as a desiccant • Available in round or extruded pellets

25. Molecular Sieve Absorption • Useful in removing water, flux residues, and most ions from organic cleaning solvents 35X 700X 4,500X

26. Use of Molecular Sieve • Molecular Sieve filters to remove contamination from • Degreasing Solvents • Organic solvents

27. The impact of the recycling location

28. GAC Carbon Mixed Chem pump Filter Turbine MΏ 1g/m 1g/m ~25gallons Here, There or Anywhere? The impact of the recycling location In Situ (in the cleaner) Plant System (in the factory) Third party (bonded & licensed)

29. Off-site Treatment of Cleaning Materials • The Local Sewer Plant • Check with local water authorities • A permit may be requires • The DI Guy • What materials do they use? • Source, new or regenerated? • How do they dispose of the waste? • Solvent Recycler/Disposal • Use EPA licensed & bonded company • Cradle to grave responsibility

30. In-plant Recycling of Cleaning Fluids • Distillation and Evaporation • Check with local air quality authorities • A permit may be required • Central DI Plant • What materials are use? • Source, new or regenerated?

31. In Situ Recycling of Cleaning Fluids • Built in, or Next to the Cleaner • No transfer logistics • Minimizes heat loss • Fewer Parts • Local Control • Requires training • Operator • Maintenance • Costs less to Operate • Equipment costs less than stand alone • Lowest operating costs

32. The Cost of Cleaning

33. Building the Cost Model

34. Capacity of Close Loop Absorptive Beds • Depends on the Ion • Molecular weight & valance • Tank Absorptive Capacity (Abtotal) • Bed Volume (Vab) • Absorptive Capacity (Abcap) (Abtotal) = (Abcap) X (Vab)

35. Estimating the Life of Absorptive Beds • Contamination Feed Rate • Mass Flow Rate (MFrate) Bedlife = (Abtotal / MFrate)x %factor* * %factor is % available in begining + % remaining at exhaustion US map showing water hardness

36. Building the Cost Model

37. Cleaning Cost Estimates

38. Summary • Government and industry are driving recycling • Cost and environmental benefits provide the rewards for conversion • Cleaning mass balance analysis provides data to start

39. Summary • All cleaning solvents can be recycled • There are many methods of recycling • Your clean solvent guides you recycling method

40. Summary • Recycling reduces process costs • The location of the recycling system can affect cost. • In situ recycling is the most cost effective

41. Conclusions • If you are not recycling your cleaning fluids, you should be!

42. “In Situ Recycling of Cleaning and Rinsing Fluids to Meet Lean and Green Cleaning Process Targets” by Steve Stach Thank You for Attending Questions ????????