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Safer Lithographic Printing Cleanup Solvent Alternatives

Safer Lithographic Printing Cleanup Solvent Alternatives. July 17, 2008 Katy Wolf Institute for Research and Technical Assistance. INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (IRTA). NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1989

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Safer Lithographic Printing Cleanup Solvent Alternatives

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  1. Safer Lithographic Printing Cleanup Solvent Alternatives July 17, 2008 Katy Wolf Institute for Research and Technical Assistance

  2. INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (IRTA) • NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1989 • ASSISTS COMPANIES, WHOLE INDUSTRIES IN ADOPTING SAFER ALTERNATIVES IN SOLVENT APPLICATIONS • IDENTIFIES, TESTS, DEVELOPS, DEMONSTRATES ALTERNATIVES • EXPERIENCE IN DRY CLEANING , CLEANING, PAINT STRIPPING, COATINGS AND ADHESIVES

  3. BACKGROUND ON INDUSTRY • LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTERS • MOST ARE SMALL BUSINESSES • 54,000 IN U.S. • 8,300 IN CALIFORNIA • 2,000 NEWSPAPERS IN CALIFORNIA • PRESSES • SHEET FED • WEB • CURRENTLY USED CLEANUP MATERIALS • HIGH VOC SOLVENTS, SOME WITH TOXICITY ISSUES • MINERAL SPIRITS, MEK, TOLUENE, XYLENE, GLYCOL ETHERS, TERPENES, HEPTANE, HEXANE

  4. BACKGROUND ON PROJECTS • OVER LAST FOUR YEARS, COMPLETED TWO LARGE PROJECTS ON LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING CLEANUP ALTERNATIVES • SPONSORED BY SCAQMD, U.S. EPA AND DTSC • TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT / DEVELOPMENT • PROJECTS INVOLVED WORKING WITH 21 LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTERS IN SOUTH COAST BASIN • RANGE OF SUBSTRATES, INK TYPES AND PRESS TYPES • SUBSTRATES INCLUDED NEWSPRINT, COATED / UNCOATED PAPER, METAL, PLASTIC • INKS INCLUDED SOLVENTBORNE, SOY, UV, EB, AIR DRY, HEAT SET • PRESSES INCLUDED SHEET FED AND WEB

  5. BACKGROUND CONT’D • SCAQMD SET FUTURE VOC LIMIT FOR CLEANERS • EMISSIONS FROM PRINTERS IN BASIN WERE ABOUT 4 TONS PER DAY • IRTA TESTED / DEVELOPED ALTERNATIVES WITH 100 GRAM PER LITER VOC OR LESS • IRTA FOCUSED ON SAFER ALTERNATIVES

  6. CLEANING TASKS • CLEANING BLANKETS • BLANKET CLEANING ON LARGE NEWSPAPER PRESS • USE WIPE CLOTH

  7. CLEANING TASKS CONT’D • CLEANING ROLLERS • ROLLERS ON SMALL DUPLICATING PRESS • USE SQUEEZE BOTTLE AT TOP OF ROLLER TRAIN

  8. PROJECT APPROACH • SELECT FACILITIES • VISIT FACILITIES • OBTAIN INK SAMPLES • CONDUCT SCREENING TESTS • CONDUCT ON-SITE TESTS • IF CLEANER WORKED WELL, PROVIDED A WEEK’S SUPPLY • CONDUCTED EXTENDED TESTING (THREE MONTHS) AT SEVEN FACILITIES • PROVIDED SAMPLES FOR COMPATIBILITY TESTING • ANALYZED / COMPARED COSTS OF CURRENT CLEANERS, ALTERNATIVES • WROTE REPORTS

  9. LOW-VOC, SAFER ALTERNATIVES • METHYL ESTERS • SOY • ACETONE • WATER-BASED CLEANERS • BLENDS OF THESE MATERIALS • BLENDS OF THESE MATERIALS WITH VOC SOLVENTS • IPA, OTHER ALCOHOLS • EEP • DPM • MINERAL SPIRITS

  10. CHARACTERISTICS OF SAFER ALTERNATIVES • METHYL ESTERS • SOY, RAPE SEED, COCONUT, CANOLA • CLEAN MOST INKS (EXCEPT INKS FOR METALS) WELL • VERY LOW VAPOR PRESSURE (VERY SLOW EVAPORATION) • ADD SURFACTANTS TO MAKE THEM RINSEABLE • SHOULD NOT BE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS • LOW VOC CONTENT (<25 GRAMS PER LITER)

  11. CHARACTERISTICS CONT’D • ACETONE • CLEANS ALL INKS WELL • VERY HIGH VAPOR PRESSURE (VERY FAST EVAPORATION) • EVAPORATES TOO FAST TO BE USED ALONE AS ROLLER WASH • EXEMPT FROM VOC REGULATIONS • LOWER IN TOXICITY THAN NEARLY ALL OTHER ORGANIC SOLVENTS

  12. CHARACTERISTICS CONT’D • MANY OTHER EXEMPT CHEMICALS • MOST HAVE TOXICITY PROBLEMS • WATER-BASED CLEANERS • CLEAN SOME INKS, PRIMARILY UV/EB CURABLE AND NEWSPAPER INK • HIGH SURFACTANT CONTENT • SHOULD NOT BE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS • MOST WITH NO SOLVENT ADDITIVES HAVE LOW VOC CONTENT • LOW IN TOXICITY

  13. COMPATIBILITY • INDUSTRY HAS DEVELOPED TEST TO SCREEN MATERIALS • 24 HOUR IMMERSION FOR ROLLERS • 5 HOUR IMMERSION FOR BLANKETS • ROLLERS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BLANKETS • ALL SOLVENTS DAMAGE RUBBER • TWO MAJOR RUBBER TYPES • NITRILE FOR CONVENTIONAL INK • EPDM FOR UV/EB CURABLE INK

  14. COMPATIBILITY CONT’D • COMPATIBILITY RESULTS FROM PROJECT, INDUSTRY TEST METHODS • METHYL ESTERS COMPATIBLE WITH NITRILE BUT NOT COMPATIBLE WITH EPDM • WATER-BASED CLEANERS COMPATIBLE WITH NITRILE, EPDM • ACETONE COMPATIBLE WITH EPDM BUT NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NITRILE • RINSED AND DILUTED MATERIALS MAY BE COMPATIBLE • COMPATIBILITY RESULTS FROM TESTING AND LONG-TERM USE • ACETONE APPEARS COMPATIBLE WITH NITRILE (EVAPORATES RAPIDLY) • LIMITED INFORMATION ON METHYL ESTER COMPATIBILITY WITH EPDM (MUST BE RINSED)

  15. SOME RESULTS OF TESTING • BLANKETS EASIER TO CLEAN THAN ROLLERS • ROLLER TRAIN • RINSING • HAD TO DEVELOP SPECIAL RINSEABLE SOY • PRINTERS OFTEN RINSE WITH WATER ANYWAY • FOUND SUITABLE, COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES FOR ALL FACILITIES WITH NARROW EXCEPTIONS • SPECIAL UV WHITE INK FOR PRINTING ON PLASTIC • ROLLER WASH FOR TWO-COLOR SHEET FED PRESS FOR PRINTING ON PLASTIC

  16. RESULTS CONT’D • ONLY TESTED WITH ONE FACILITY WITH AUTOMATED BLANKET WASH SYSTEM • HAD RINSE SYSTEM • ALSO CLEANED BLANKETS BY HAND • FLASH POINT ISSUES • SHEET FED PRESSES WITH AUTOMATED SYSTEMS • WEB PRESSES WITH AUTOMATED SYSTEMS • SMALL DUPLICATING PRESSES • SOMETIMES METHYL ESTERS WORK AS ROLLER WASH AND SOMETIMES ACETONE BLENDS ARE NECESSARY • USE OF LOW VAPOR PRESSURE METHYL ESTERS • DAMPENING SYSTEM MAY HAVE TO BE CHANGED OUT MORE OFTEN • MAY CAUSE DRIPS IF NOT RINSED THOROUGHLY

  17. WHAT ALTERNATIVES SHOULD FACILITIES TRY? • SHEET FED, CONVENTIONAL INK, PAPER SUBSTRATE, HAND CLEANING • ROLLER WASH - METHYL ESTER WITH WATER RINSE • BLANKET WASH - ACETONE BLEND FOR FAST CLEANER • SHEET FED, UV CURABLE INK, PAPER SUBSTRATE, HAND CLEANING • ROLLER WASH - WATER-BASED CLEANER OR WATER-BASED/ACETONE BLEND WITH WATER RINSE • BLANKET WASH - ACETONE / GLYCOL ETHER BLEND

  18. WHAT ALTERNATIVES? CONT’D • WEB PRESS, HEAT SET INK, PAPER SUBSTRATE, AUTOMATED BLANKET WASH SYSTEM • AUTOMATED BLANKET WASH - METHYL ESTER BLEND WITH VOC SOLVENT • HAND BLANKET WASH - ACETONE BLEND FOR FAST CLEANING • SHEET FED PRESS, CONVENTIONAL INK, PAPER SUBSTRATE, AUTOMATED BLANKET/ROLLER WASH SYSTEM • METHYL ESTER OR METHYL ESTER BLEND • IF NO RINSE SYSTEM, MUST RINSE BY HAND • HAND BLANKET WASH - ACETONE BLEND FOR FAST CLEANING

  19. CASE STUDIES • PRINT 2000 GRAPHICS • FOUR SHEET FED PRESSES • HIGH QUALITY POSTERS AND FLYERS (COATED/UNCOATED PAPER) • CONVENTIONAL INK • HAND CLEAN PRESSES • EXTENDED TESTING (>3 MONTHS) • ROLLER WASH -- METHYL ESTER WITH RINSE • BLANKET WASH -- ACETONE BLEND • COST ANALYSIS INDICATED REDUCED COST FOR USE OF ALTERNATIVES

  20. CASE STUDIES CONT’D • THE PRINTERY • FOUR SHEET FED PRESSES • HIGH QUALITY POSTERS • ONE OF SIX COLOR PRESSES HAS AUTOMATED BLANKET WASH SYSTEM WITH RINSE TANK • ALSO HAND CLEAN BLANKETS • EXTENDED TESTING (>3 MONTHS) • ROLLER WASH -- METHYL ESTER WITH RINSE • BLANKET WASH FOR AUTOMATED SYSTEM -- METHYL ESTERS WITH RINSE • HAND BLANKET WASH -- ACETONE BLEND • PROBLEM -- DRIPS • COST ANALYSIS INDICATED REDUCED COST COMPARED TO 500 GRAM PER LITER VOC OPTIONS

  21. CASE STUDIES CONT’D • LITHOGRAPHIX • SEVERAL PRESSES • HIGH QUALITY PRINTING • WORKED ON SHEET FED PRESS • UV CURABLE INK • HAND CLEAN PRESS • ROLLER WASH -- WATER-BASED CLEANER WITH RINSE • BLANKET WASH -- ACETONE BLEND • COST ANALYSIS INDICATED HIGHER COST (28%) FOR USE OF ALTERNATIVES COMPARED TO 800 GRAM PER LITER VOC CLEANER

  22. REGULATIONS • SCAQMD SET 100 GRAM PER LITER LIMIT EIGHT YEARS AGO • GAVE SEVERAL EXTENSIONS AND INTERIM VOC LIMITS • INTERIM LIMIT WAS 500 OR 650 GRAMS PER LITER • JANUARY 1, 2008 DEADLINE WAS 100 GRAMS PER LITER VOC

  23. SUMMARY • ALTERNATIVES WITH VOC CONTENT LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 100 GRAMS PER LITER ARE VIABLE AND COST EFFECTIVE • ALTERNATIVES ARE LOWER IN TOXICITY • USE OF ALTERNATIVES REQUIRES ADJUSTMENT FOR SOME PRINTERS • MANY COMMERCIAL FORMULATIONS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN SOUTH COAST BASIN • IRTA CONTACT INFORMATION • WEBSITE: www.irta.us • EMAIL: kwolf.irta@earthlink.net • PHONE: (818)244-0300

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