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EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES TO CHLORINATED SOLVENTS FOR METAL CLEANING
Citation:
Thomas, K. B. AND M. Ellenbecker. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES TO CHLORINATED SOLVENTS FOR METAL CLEANING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-97/032 (NTIS 97-147946), 1997.
Impact/Purpose:
publish information
Description:
This project report details results of investigations into alternatives to chlorinated solvents used for metal degreasing. Three companies participated in this project. The results reported for one company document a situation where the conversion to an aqueous cleaning system had already been implemented. Those for a second company provide real-time information about the conversion from an intermediate solvent to an aqueous system. Finally, results for the third company contribute information about alternatives that must be applicable to a variety of substrates and configurations. Testing of the alternatives was conducted both at the companies and at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute's Surface Cleaning Laboratory located at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, MA. In addition to the technical evaluations, the project report provides financial analyses and environmental impact assessments on the cleaning alternatives. For the financial analyses, the Total Cost Assessment methodology was used which includes many important environmental costs not typically included in a financial analysis. A substitution analysis methodology that provides qualitative result was developed and used to evaluate the environmental, occupational and public health effects of the alternative cleaning processes. This report was submitted in fulfillment of Cooperative Agreement No. CR821859-01-0 by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute. This report covers a period of time from October 1993 to October 1995.