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Sponsored by the
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business at UNC
Charlotte, The Environmental Corner is designed to serve as
an environmental management and pollution prevention resource.
Green
solvents are environmentally friendly solvents made from the
processing of agricultural crops. Pollution prevention strategy for
the preservation of the ozone layer and decreased photochemical smog
along with worker health protection places implementation of solvent
replacement a priority. Changing from proven processing with
petrochemical solvents to a use of “Green Solvents” involves
selection of a product that will be effective both in application
and cost while providing decreased environmental impacts. This
newsletter will provide information and links to help in making
informed decisions to fit your application needs.
In this
issue:
How Do You
Determine What Green Solvents Will Work for You?
Who Is Using Green
Solvents?
Do You Need
Implementation Ideas?
EAO Services
How
Do You Determine What Green Solvents Will Work for You?
The Solvent Alternatives Guide (SAGE) provides unbiased information
about replacing environmentally damaging solvents for cleaning
applications. The handbook is available without charge at
http://clean.rti.org/
The
site allows for the matching of processing and solvent alternatives
where one can see the variety of green products available with
information about each. There is a process advisor section which
allows information to be entered on your small business processes to
see what alternatives would be best. It allows you the opportunity
to make informed decisions in pollution prevention.
Enviro$en$e ,
part of the
U.S. EPA's
web site provides an Integrated Solvent Substitution Data System (ISSDS)
which has been developed to access solvent alternative information
through a single, easy to use command structure. The Guided Query
allows the user to determine the relevant information for his/her
process needs. A direct link to the guided query where information
can be entered directly to determine solvent alternatives can be
found at:
http://es.epa.gov/search97cgi/s97_cgi?Action=FormGen&ServerKey=Primary&Template=issds-guided.hts
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Who
Is Using Green Solvents?
The Toxics Use
Reduction Institute (TURI) of Massachusetts provides research,
tests, and promotes pollution prevention and alternatives to toxic
chemicals. Links for 18 detailed fact sheets for commonly used toxic
substances can be found at:
http://www.turi.org/content/content/view/full/525/
. The fact
sheets provide a summary of the hazards, environmental fate,
workplace exposure limits, and alternative choices. The experiences
are shown giving actual company names with processing applications
along with the alternative products used to reduce the environmental
impacts. Of particular interest may be the fact sheet on TCE
(trichloroethylene), since it is a commonly used cleaning compound
(solvent) at this link:
http://www.turi.org/content/content/view/full/1655/
Links by industry
sector which includes printing, electronics, small businesses and
metal finishing are at:
http://www.turi.org/content/content/view/full/1831/
What applications are suitable for use with Green Solvents? The
vertecbiosolvent (ethyl lactate) applications can be found at:
http://www.vertecbiosolvents.com/Applications/applications.html.
The applications vary from parts cleaning, electronic industry, and
many solvent applications in industrial, printing and painting
applications. The advantages of using products to lessen safety
risks and environmental impacts will make a difference on the work
site. Do the products work to clean? The link at:
http://www.vertecbiosolvents.com/Applications/In_Action/in_action.html
shows the results of using it as a degreaser to clean motor and
windings along with a summary of the benefits of using a green
solvent.
An alternative to solvents in paint, rust, and stain removal can be
found by using a soda blasting process. Information on this can be
found at:
http://www.blastermaster.net/sodablasting.htm
The process can also be used for engine parts and anilox roll
cleaning.
The use of green solvents within the painting and coating industry
is highlighted in an article at:
http://www.pcimag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,1846,79941,00.html
. The advantages for using ethyl lactate included 100%
biodegradable, non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic, and non-ozone
depleting.
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Do
You Need Implementation Ideas?
Solvent
Alternatives library by the Joint Services which include the Defense
Logistics Agency and US Coast Guard provides information and links
to documents, data sheets, websites, P2 Opportunity Handbook data
sheets, and success stories of environmentally acceptable solvents
at:
http://p2library.nfesc.navy.mil/topics/solvent.html
“Solvent
Minimization and Substitution Guidelines” by the Army Corp of
Engineers could help to provide details for pollution prevention
implementation which may be useful when documenting the action taken
for your business. This example with can be found at:
http://www.hnd.usace.army.mil/techinfo/CPW/PWTB/082201_PWTB%20200-01-03%20Solvent%20Min.pdf
A challenge for implementation of green solvents can be the economic
factors. A process
http://www.techtransfer.anl.gov/techtour/ethyllactate.html
was developed to provide ethyl lactate solvent at $1/ lb cost which
will increase the economic factors toward use of the environmentally
friendly product. Information on how the average consumer can
benefit and its competitiveness in the market to replace other
solvents are shown at:
http://www.techtransfer.anl.gov/techtour/ethyl-faqs.html#benefits.
The use of ethyl lactate provides a solvent which is 100%
biodegradable and breaks down to CO2 and water.
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Environmental
Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business
The
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business provides
non-regulatory, client-confidential pollution prevention assistance
to small businesses in the greater Charlotte region. The EAO is
designed to assist regional businesses in their efforts to
voluntarily prevent pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely
assistance for pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific case studies,
and new technologies. The office provides links of resources to
needs between the region's business community, government,
municipality, and university. If there is a particular issue or
question you would like to see in an upcoming edition, please send
an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu.
Contact
Information:
Environmental
Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201 University City Blvd. 136 Kennedy Building, UNC Charlotte,
Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
·Assistance
with Air Permits - Assistance for small businesses in completing
paperwork for EPA air permits.
·Educational
Materials - Educational pamphlet, brochures, flyers, and other
materials to relate facts on pollution prevention.
·Educational
Outreach - Develop educational outreach campaigns and presentations
for the public or employee training.
·University
Resources - Library information, faculty expertise, student projects
and research at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
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