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LABORATORY SCALE EVALUATION OF HYDRA-TONE GRAFF-OFF™ COCONUT OIL BASED DEGREASER
Citation:
Nutor, J. AND J. Rose. LABORATORY SCALE EVALUATION OF HYDRA-TONE GRAFF-OFF™ COCONUT OIL BASED DEGREASER. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-01/023, 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
This technical and economic assessment evaluated the effectiveness of a biodegradable, coconut oil-based degreaser called Graff-Off™. In immersion (cold) cleaning and rinse tests, Graff-Off™ was compared to a conventional chlorinated solvent 1,1,1 trichloroethane (TCA) and to an alkaline cleaner Aeroclean DN-30 (DN-30). The cleaning process for Graff-Off™ and TCA was at room temperature and that of DN-30 was at 71C. Both alternatives were found to be technically superior to TCA. Both alternative degreasers had lower cleaner costs and allowed a greater surface area to be cleaned per unit volume of degreaser than the TCA. Estimated savings were significant and capital requirements were modest. An economic assessment based on net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period indicated that Graff-Off™ and the DN-30 alkaline cleaner were extremely attractive alternatives to TCA (TCA assessment was based on immersion "cold" cleaning without vaporization and without TCA recycling).