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| Overview: | The identification and use of substitutes for
chemical solvents that contain hazardous compounds provides a significant
avenue to reduce the potential for a release of the hazardous compound into
the environment. Chemical solvents containing hazardous compounds are widely
used at military installations for a variety of operations including
component/equipment cleaning, degreasing, paint stripping, parts washing and
vehicle/equipment maintenance. Some of these compounds are photochemically
reactive and cause air pollution (particularly VOC emissions), some are
ozone-depleting substances (ODS), and most are toxic.
As would be expected, there are many regulatory and operational drivers for solvent substitution. In many cases, alternative products have already been identified and are available to directly replace solvents. Some minor modification to the process may be required. An individual should first contact the procurement/supply operation to determine if there is a product identified for replacing a solvent used in a particular application. Specific sources of this information include:
If a substitute product is not recommended or readily available for a particular application/process, a variety of information sources are available to assist activities in selecting alternative products. The PRO-ACT program has developed a "Product Substitution" Fact Sheet that outlines the approach for evaluating and selecting potential alternative products or processes. A particularly informative and useful resource is the USEPA Enviro$ens$e program website. The site is maintained by the USEPA Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and provides pollution prevention information from all levels of government, researchers, industry and public interest groups. The host architecture, The Solvent Umbrella, provides access to many other sources of information, including;
For website and general contact information for the sources indicated above, please reference Table 1.0, Resources For Solvent Substitution, provided in the Points of Contact Section below. There are also many examples success stories throughout DoD facilities that reflect the benefits of solvent substitution. Below is a synopsis of two such success stories: Tinker Air Force Base, Propulsion Directorate of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC)
US Army, Navy and Marine Corps
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| Compliance Benefit: | Use of solvent alternatives allows facilities to
use alternative cleaning and degreasing products and technologies. The
elimination of the use of solvents or ODSs may decrease the amounts of volumes
stored on site below any of the reporting thresholds for SARA Title III
for those chemicals (40 CFR 355, 370, and 372: and EO 12856). In
addition elimination of these materials may decrease VOC or toxics emissions
below Title V permitting thresholds (40 CFR 70 and 71).
Switching from a halogenated solvent to a non-hazardous material may also decrease the need for a facility to meet the NESHAPs for halogenated solvent cleaning (40 CFR 63). Using a non-ODS material will help facilities meet the requirements under 40 CFR 82, Subpart D and Executive Order 12842 requiring federal agencies to maximize the use of safe alternatives to class I and class II ozone depleting substances. Disposal costs of hazardous materials (expired shelf life) and hazardous waste are reduced or eliminated. RCRA, 40 CFR 2262.41 (a) (6), potentially reduces generator status under RCRA, 40 CFR 262. The compliance benefits listed here are only meant to be used as general guidelines and are not meant to be strictly interpreted. Actual compliance benefits will vary depending on the factors involved, e.g. the amount of workload involved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Materials Compatibility: | The materials compatibility issue is a
serious concern when substituting one chemical for another. The user must be
very thorough and specific when evaluating the solvent substitute and make
every effort to find conclusive evidence and research that supports the use of
the substitute for his/her particular application. Where conclusive
information is not available, the user should contact their environmental
support group for direction on the procedures and requirements for evaluating
a potential substitute product.
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| Safety and Health: | An important goal and result of solvent
substitution is the elimination or minimization of personnel exposure of to
hazardous chemicals. The substitution of a non-hazardous material should take
into consideration any other chemical or physical hazards associated with the
solvent substitute product or process. Consult your local industrial health specialist, your local health and safety personnel, and the appropriate MSDS prior to implementing this technology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Benefits: |
The following benefits are possible with this system:
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| Disadvantages: |
No disadvantages were identified.
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| Economic Analysis: |
The economics of solvent substitution are very specific to
the process and application involved. A significant amount of economic
analysis and cost savings information is available from the resources
indicated above and provided in Table 1.0. The reader is encouraged to
research what economic information is available through these resources in
order to determine economic viability of solvent substitution for his/her
application.
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| NSN/MSDS: |
*There are multiple MSDSs for most NSNs. The MSDS (if shown above) is only meant to serve as an example. To return from the MSDS, click the Back arrow on the Tool Bar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Approving Authority: | Appropriate authority for making process changes should always be sought and obtained prior to procuring or implementing any of the technologies identified herein. |
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| Points of Contact: | For more information |
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| Additional Resources: |
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| Vendors: |
Not applicable. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Links: |
Do You Need Assistance In
Identifying Solvent Substitutes? -- Navy Environmental Quality Initiative (EQI)
Do You Manually Clean Aircraft Parts Or Engine Parts? -- Navy Environmental Quality Initiative (EQI) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sources: | Website: Hazardous Technical Information
Service, http://www.dscr.dla.mil/htis/htis.htm "Solvent Alternatives: Here’s How We Do It!", Mr. Thomas Cain, HQ AFCEE, PRO-ACT. "Solvent Substitution in Jet Engine Maintenance at Tinker AFB", Bede Ley, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, P2 Division. Data Sheet "EPA’s Solvents Alternative Guide – SAGE, Joint Service Pollution Prevention Handbook, Section 8-I-3. PRO-ACT Fact Sheet – Product Substitution, HQ AFCEE, Proact Program. Website: Enviro$en$e, http://es.epa.gov/. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supplemental: |
Picture of Enzyme Bioremediation Parts Washer
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