Volume 7, Number 3 Summer 1994

Connecticut Technical Assistance Program-Pollution Prevention Pays

Alkaline waste treatment Calcium ion displacement/ sulfide precipitation evaluated for wastewater purification By Robert J . Brown Technical Specialist

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ew ington ’ s Keeney N Manufacturing Company is using a process of elimination to determine how to treat spent alkaline cleaning solution. Based on Keeney ’s analysis, calcium ion displacement and sulfide precipitation are not feasible methods for removing metals from the company’s cleaning solution wastewater.

During its plating opera- tions, Keeney cleans metal plumbing parts in a strong, organic alkaline soap solution. When spent, the alkaline solution contains high concentra- tions of heavy metals. This must be manifested as hazardous waste and hauled off-site to a treatment facility. Keeney estimates that expendi- tures for this disposal range from $16,000 to $35,000 annually.

Implementation of a

Keeney Manufacturing Company’s Director of Purchasing David LaFlamme said, “ConnTAP ‘s finan- cial aid gave us the incentive to bring in the scientific assistance that environmental engineers Fuss & 0’ Neil1 provided.”

Calendar of Events ....................................................................... 2

Subscriber Success ....................................................................... 3 Dunham-Bush Compressors switches to aqueous cleaning Spray washer costs lesslcleans parts better than solvents

News Brief .................................................................................... 3 aWastewi$e: businesses voluntarily reducing solid wastes

Case Study .................................................................................... 4 Microfiltration unit evaluated to recycle alkaline cleaner Using ConnTAP grant for waste reduction experiment

WRITE grant program successfully completed ...................... 5 Automatic PlatinglQuality Rolling and Deburring test prototypes

UConn ERI ................................................................................... 6 Research breakthrough: alternative metal removal Ion exchange is combined with electrodialysis for electroplaters

Site Visit Focus ............................................................................. 7 Environmental Assistance Revolving Loan Fund lends money Family firm went from Site Visit client to $150,000 loan recipient

Resource Center ............................................................................ 8 New ConnTAP service: free financial analysis assistance Pollution prevention software speeds number-crunching

Pls. see Alkaline waste treatment (continued on p g . 2)

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SEPT. 21-23,1994 (WED. - FRI.) Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance for Paint & Coating Applications Minneapolis, MN management strategies. Case studies and workshops will .-

Sponsored by the Waste Reduction Institute for Training and Applications Research (WRITAR).

Resources (IWR), the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) and the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (AESF). This conference will provide an educational forum highlighting new technologies and

be featured, along with exhibits by vendors who offer pollution prevention services. - _ _

Participants get involved in interactive training to understand how to identify specific pollution prevention opportunities for painting applica- tions. Participants will conduct assessments and leam which production and management changes pollution prevention requires. The featured speaker is Ron Joseph of Ron Joseph & Associ- ates, Coating Consultants. Cost: $950 For more information: call WRITAR at 61 2-379-5995.

OCT. 26,1994 (WED.) 9th Annual Conference on Pollution Preven- tion in the Metal Finishing and Manufacturing Industries Ramada Inn, Meriden, CT Sponsors include: the Connecticut Association of Metal Finishers (CAMF), the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), ConnTAP, Connecticut Institute of Water

Cost: $65 per attendee: $205 for exhibitors who are CAMF member companies: $250 for other exhibitors. For more information: contact Susan Levine at CAMF at 667-9583, FAX: 667-9603.

DEC. 5 - 8,1994 (MON. - THURS.) Tonics Release Inventory Data Use Conference 1994: Building TRI and Pollution Prevention Partnerships

Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association. This forum’s sessions will include: using Form R for pollution prevention planning: better ways to measure pollution prevention: case studies; environmen- tal justice: computer demonstrations; and integrating TRI with other data. Cost: Registration is free. Participants are responsible for their own accomodations and meals. For more information: call Madsen Marketing at 617-

- Park J%=aH?UBortgn,M‘A---- --- -----F-

666- 143 1. -1

successful treatment technology would allow Keeney to discharge the solution to the sanitary sewer, greatly reducing the quantity of waste shipped off-site. As a next step, Keeney antici- pates that the treated solution could be recycled at its facility, further reducing disposal and raw material costs.

With $7,500 from ConnTAP’s Matching Challenge Grant program, Keeney retained the Manchester- based environmental engineering firm of Fuss & O’Neill. The consultant evaluated two promising treatment methods for removing heavy metals from the spent cleaner.

Calcium displacement is a traditional method for removing metals such as copper, nickel, and zinc from a waste stream. In metal displacement methods, an equilibrium is established between the amount of a particular metal bound by the sequestering agent and its concentration in solution.

. Calcium displacement involves: introducing large amounts of calcium (from lime): the chelate “sees” the calcium ion; and the chelate binds with the calcium ion instead of the metal.

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Sulfide precipitation combines high removal efficiency with an ability to “pull” metals away from chelates. This method lends itself, in theory, to solution recycling since there is no net gain of chlorides or other ions.

Fuss and O’Neill’s bench-scale studies indicated that in Keeney ’s case, neither alternative provides sufficient treatment for metals to allow wastewater discharge in accordance with permit limits.

Keeney is continuing its process of elimination to find a wastewater remedy. It is already evaluating other treatment methods, including distillation. Additionally, Keeney is evaluating whether the company can change its present cleaners. For more information contact: ConnTAP’s Technical Specialist Bob Brown at 241-0777.

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2 ConnTAP Quarterly/Summer 1 994

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Dunham-Bush Compressors switches to aqueous cleaning Use of I, 1, I-Trichloroethane eliminated Reprinted with permission from July 1993 issue of Pipeline, a Dunham-Bush publication.

y installing an aqueous cleaning B system in Spring 1993, Dunham-Bush Compressors beat the

“Our operators are very happy about this new system,” said Bill. He noted it eliminated the need for protective clothing. “They’re no longer exposed to the unpleasant smell that occasionally went with the vapor degreasing system,” he.

rising to $8.32 per gallon in 1992 compared with $4.10 per gallon at the end of 1990.

The move to the new system was motivated by federal regulations that require phasing out the use

federal government’s deadline for eliminating the use of an ozone- destroying solvent by more than two years.

The division also managed to cut its costs dramatically.

The new system, which looks like a 10-foot high washing machine, is a high velocity, low- pressure spray washer that uses water to clean parts. It replaces the vapor degreasing system that used 1 , l , 1 -Trichloroethane, an ozone-destroying chemical.

says. “The new system also makes the Dlant a better neighbor.”

of 1,l ,I-Trichloroethane by 1995. In addition. the Clean v

“We teamed up with another Connecticut company, Mikro Industrial Finishing Co. Inc. of Vernon, to accomplish this success,” said Manufacturing Engineering Services Manager William A. MacLean. “They worked with us in the testing and develop- ment phase of the project and became our supplier of choice when it came time to purchase our Ameri- can Metal Wash aqueous cleaning system,” he added.

Dunham-Bush employee readies parts for degreasing in aqueous cleaning system.

Plus, the aqueous system costs considerably less to operate, according to Bill. The price of the solvent required for vapor degreasing had more than doubled in recent years due to federal taxes,

Air Act of 1990 requires labeling of products that involve the use of ozone- depleting solvents at any point in their manufacture. By switching to the aqueous cleaning system, Dunham- Bush Compressors was able to avoid that requirement. “Our products will not have to carry that label,” says Bill.

While the water based system is not quite as convenient to use (it requires some manual steps to assure the parts dry completely and avoid rusting) it cleans parts better than the old vapor degreaser. “That means

better quality and reliability in the long run,” says Bill.

For more information contact: Mark Kressner, manufacturers’ representative for aqueous washing equipment at Mikro Industrial Finishing in Vernon at 875-6357.

he U.S. Environmental Protec- T tion Agency (EPA) has designed a new, voluntary, non-regulatory program to give companies public- ity for solid waste reduction efforts. The agency asked Fortune 1,000 companies to commit to making significant progress in:

waste prevention; recycling collection; and buying or manufacturing

Companies agree to conduct waste assessments to discern the quantities

recycled products.

and types of wastes they generate. These assessments need not be

thorough. Then WASTE companies set

assessment-based M(I& goals which they share with the EPA. Participants issue annual progress reports to the EPA. In retum, the EPA

provides participants with technical assistance and recognition. The

ConnTAP Quarterly/Summer 1994

program is also open to smaller businesses. Presently, these Connecticut companies are participating: Aetna Life and Casualty; ITT Hartford; Kaman Aerospace Corp.; Northeast Utilities; Peoples Bank; Perkin- Elmer Corp.; Phoenix Home Life; Union Carbide Corp.; and United Technologies Corp. For more information: call 1 - 800-EPAWISE (372-9473) for the brochure titled WasteWi$e: EPA’s Voluntary Program for Reducing Business Solid Waste.

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Microfiltration unit evaluated to recycle alkaline cleaner Technology promising

bath. The system can also be piped into the pump bypass circuit. The filtered water is recycled back into the cleaning, bath.

By Robert J . Brown Technical Specialist

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- n an experiment to reduce wastes and lower osts, a Bridgeport metal finisher evaluated

using microfiltration technology to recycle alkaline cleaners. Its analysis, partially funded with a $7,500 ConnTAP Matching Challenge Grant, confirmed that microfiltration could extend the life of certain soak alkaline cleaners used in electroplating processes.

For this project, Automatic Plating leased a microfiltra- tion unit and ran pilot tests on soak cleaners from two high-volume automatic barrel plating lines. Automatic Plating evaluated two categories of alkaline cleaners. They tested cleaners, both on-line and off-line, that contained silicates and didn’t contain silicates.

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Automatic Plating worked with MSC Liquid Filtration Corp., based in

laborated with the Connecticut Resource Group, the consult- ant that wrote the project report. The company con- cluded that microfiltration is an effective technology for recycling non-silicated cleaners and can be used similarly on silicated cleaners under certain conditions. However, even when using microfiltration,

Automatic Plating of Bridgeport is a metal finishing job shop Automatic Platin specializing in electro- plated coatings on metal parts. Metal parts the company receives from its customers are sometimes dripping with oil and/or other surface contaminants. All parts must be cleaned prior to subsequent plating processes. Failure to adequately clean jeopardizes plating

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Automatic Plating’s Environmental Manager Richard Durazzo (lej?) discusses the company’s

barrel plating process with ConnTAP’s Technical Specialist Bob Brown.

Automatic Plating, continued to generate quality and increases the rate of rejects.

Automatic‘Plating uses alkaline cleaners to prepare parts for electroplating. As these cleaners are working, they become dirty with’oils, metals, and other contaminants. A cleaner is considered “spent” when it is no longer capable of adequately cleaning parts. If disposed of off-site, spent cleaners must be managed in accordance with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements.

Like many alkaline cleaners, those used by Automatic Plating contain emulsifiers which interfere with conventional wastewater treatment for metals removal. The company’s response to this problem was to use Matching Challenge Grant funds to test the more innovative mirofiltration technology.

Microfiltration systems are designed to extend the service life of cleaning solutions. A ceramic (A1,0,) membrane material separates tramp oil and grease, solids, and emulsified oil from the cleaner. Microfiltration systems are usually connected to the overflow outlet of a cleaning

small quantities of waste that reqiired off-site disposal.

Automatic Plating performed an economic assessment. It compared:

the microfiltration costs to recycle the soak

9 the cost to continue present operations, simply cleaner on a nickel plating line; versus

shipping waste off-site for disposal. - _--r The company estimated that microfiltration would

provide substantial savings in both the cost to purchase cleaners and lowered waste disposal costs. In this case, hardware leasing expenses offset these cost savings. If the microfiltration hardware were purchased rather than leased, investment payback could be calculated.

Automatic Plating continues to believe that microfiltration technology is an effective management option for alkaline cleaners. It is consistent with the company’s pollution prevention plans. However, further evaluation is necessary. Automatic Plating suggests that other metal finishers evaluate the applicability of microfiltration technology in their operations.

For more information contact: ConnTAP’s Technical Specialist Bob Brown at 241 -0777.

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ConnTAP Quarterly/Summer 1 994

Waste Reduction Through Innovative Technology Evaluation (WRITE) completed

Automatic Plating of Bridgeport, Inc. "Nickel Recovery from Electroplating Rinsewater by Electrodialysis," project report

utomatic Plating of Bridgeport, Inc. invited A EPA to evaluate its use of electrodialysis technology. Electrodialysis allows recovery and reuse of both nickel and rinsewater. It also removes as much as 90 percent of the nickel so that acceptably clean water is recycled back to the nickel plating processes.

Recirculation prevents more than 1 million gallons of water from entering the company's waste stream. Automatic Plating also found that 29,964 pounds of nickel can be recovered and reused each year.

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The electrodialysis system, from Ionics Inc. of Boston MA, removes both metal and total dissolved solids. The concentrated nickel stream from the dialysis is heated and sent to an atmospheric evaporator which increases the concentration to equal that of the plating tank. This allows direct reuse of the solution in the plating tanks.

One-year payback Battelle estimated a one-year payback for the electrodi- alysis system. The capital cost of the equipment, for purchase and installation, was $1 10,OOO.

Although the payback is favorable, the electrodialysis system had relatively high operating costs due to its high energy and maintenance requirements. The high operating costs are offset by the value of the recovered nickel and the savings from the elimination of wastewater treatment.

G One caveat: some issues arose during testing which indicate that long-term effects of continuous recircula- tion, i.e. contaminant build-up, need further evaluation.

Quality Rolling and Deburring Company, Inc. "Chromate Recovery from Chromating Rinsewater in the Metal Finishing Industry," project report

uality Rolling and Debumng Company, Inc. (QRD) in Thomaston allowed the EPA to evaluate

the recovery system it had been operating for one year on its chromating line. The EPA concluded that the recov- ery system has potential use in many applications which generate wastewater.

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The Controlled Atmosphere Separation Technology (CAST) chemical recovery unit was manufactured by Cellini Purification Systems, Inc., of Westfield, MA. The fully -automated recovery unit combines vacuum evaporation and flash distillation, in conjunction with a patented liquid/vapor separation system.

The CAST system provides a continuous supply of good quality rinsewater back to the chromating line. The recirculation prevents nearly 450,000 gallons of waste- water from being generated each year.

At QRD, parts are first zinc-plated, then chromated for a cosmetic finish. QRD uses three different chromate formulations. The recovery system removes chromate, zinc and other dissolved solids from the wastewater. The contaminant stream is concentrated to 200 gallons per year and disposed of off-site. The concentrate cannot be reused in QRD's chromating process, because the three formulations are mixed. Yet, at plants with a single formulation, close-loop operation is possible.

Base estimates of savings on plant-specific data Four years is the estimated retum on investment for the CAST system's capital cost of $87,000. QRD can real- ize a $22,000 savings in annual operating costs for wastewater treatment alone. EPA cautions potential users to base estimates of savings on plant-specific data.

ConnTAP Quarterly/Summer 1994 5

Research breakthrough: alternative metal removal Saving time and money with Electrochemical Ion Exchange By Judith Korch of the Environmental Research Institute

ERI Research Engineer Donald Hobro adjusts the EIX

bench-scale model

e Environmental T Research Institute (ERI), through its Pollution Preven- tion Research and Develop- ment Center, is developing technology offering electroplaters an alternative to conventional metal re- moval practices. It’s called Electrochemical Ion Ex- change (ED() and it combines two technologies: ion exchange and electrodialysis. EIX lowers a company’s processing and recovery costs, as well as the cost and liability associated with regulatory issues.

Clean manufacturing tech- nologies aimed at zero discharge are instrumental in the rethinking of industrial chemical processing. In the electroplating industry, the metal chromium is part of chemical processing because it offers both decorative and functional qualities (appear-

ance, hardness, corrosion and abrasion resistance). Federal and state regulations limit the amount of chromium that can be discharged in a waste stream. Companies are often required to use in-house pretreat- ment methods to remove this chemical and manage its disposal.

Conventional methods of removing chromium (and other metals) from the waste stream all have their drawbacks. Methods include:

chemical reduction and precipita- tion into a hazardous waste sludge (with liability concems and disposal costs); evaporation (with high energy costs and rate limitations); reverse osmosis (with technologi- cal limitations); ion exchange (with costs associ- ated with resin regeneration and down time, in addition to further treatment); and

residence times and technological limitations).

electrodialysis (with long

EIX aids electroplaters: low maintenance and operating costs; no down time for resin regeneration (cost savings); no hazardous waste disposa (eliminates liability con- cems/disposal costs); and no regeneration chemical storage concems.

EIX aids the environment: process change tbat -

eliminates a hazardous waste product.

For more information: contact ERI’s Jim Fenton at 486-4015.

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EIX is significantly better than conventional treatment methods. EIX uses a continuous on-line resin regeneration process to produce a concentrated chromium solution that can be retumed to the plating bath. This technology may also be appli- cable to other metal-plating baths, for the removal of copper and nickel.

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“EIX technology will provide the metal finishing industry wi& anu environmentally-sound, cost- effective solution to its electroplating process problems,” declared Jim Fenton, director of ERI’s Pollution Prevention Research and Development Center.

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In collaboration with Liquipure Technologies Inc., a Southington manufacturer of ultra-pure water systems, ERI has completed labora- tory-scale feasibility analyses. Field testing of EIX technology is under- way at National Chromium’s electro- plating facility in Putnam. ERI expects the EIX technology to be available next year.

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6 ConnTAP Quarterly/Summer 1994

Environmental Assis Manufacturer implemen

oma Inc., a Wolcott manu- J facturer, recently received a $15O,OOO loan to purchase equip- ment that eliminates an ozone depleting solvent from its manufacturing process.

The family firm produces small to medium-sized parts made of metals such as steel, stainless steel, and brass. It had used 1 , 1 ,1- Trichloroethane (TCA) for degreasing but sought ConnTAP’s assistance to switch to an aqueous cleaner. Joma also asked ConnTAP to target kerosene-based tumbling operations.

By switching to aqueous cleaning, the company planned to reduce waste disposal, chemical purchas- ing, regulatory requirements, liability, and tax bills. Another motivation was the federal law banning production of TCA after Jan. 1, 1996. By eliminating TCA, the company eliminated its waste generation. The waste generated had been 700-800 gallons per year.

“Our first experience with ConnTAP was the Site Visit,” Company Vice President Gloria Francis said. “We had spent months evaluating the best ways to elimi- nate TCA; C O ~ ~ T A P gave us several additional ideas.” she noted.

Consultants had worked with Joma before ConnTAP’s Site Visit Representatives visited the com- pany. The company had already developed a debumng process that reduced hazardous waste genera- tion. It had progressed from being classified as a Large Quantity Generator to Small Quantity Generator status.

:ance Revolving Loan Fund lends money Is Site Visit Program advice

”This new ‘soap and water system’ will pay for itself, and we no longer have any hazardous chemicals in our plant.”

Gloria Francis Vice President

Joma Inc.

Joma then learned of ConnTAP through Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) notices and at Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) workshops. Mirroring the challenges ConnTAP clients face, Joma’s initial question- naire declared, “We will be replac- ing TCA as soon as we can find the right substitute, equipment, and monies to proceed.”

ConnTAP Quarterly/Summer 1994

ConnTAP’s Site Visit Team suggested that Joma:

use a rotary drum washer and dryer for aqueous cleaning, since these are gentle on parts; work with several vendors to find a manufacturer who would cost-effectively cus- tomize a cleaning product suited for the parts; and experiment with dry tumbling in a centrifugal barrel to possibly eliminate kerosene from current operations.

The company applied through ConnTAP to the Environmen- tal Assistance Revolving Loan Fund for money to purchase an automatic agitatorhotator aqueous cleaning system from Coscina Assoc. of Terryville. It became the first company in the state to access this funding source.

“If JOma did not make the process change from solvents to non-hazardous chemicals we would have been forced to send a large percentage of our work to outside vendors for cleaning, which would have made us non-competitive. This new ‘soap and water system’ will pay for itself, and we no longer have any hazardous chemicals in our plant,” Gloria said.

For more information: Contact Site Visit Program Administrator Walter Bonn at 241-0777.

Loan program project eligibility information is available from: Bob Brown, 24 1-0777 at ConnTAP.

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New ConnTAP service: free financial analysis assistance Determines economic feasibility of pollution prevention projects

n the scramble to pro- I cure and implement environmentally - friend1 y chemicals and equip- ment, decisions are often based on hardware cost estimates rather than a detailed analysis of projected long-

1 term expenses.

1 To assist Connecticut businesses in determining long-term costs associ- ated with any given

pollution prevention project, ConnTAP has obtained P2/ HNANCE, a pollution prevention financial analysis software package. P2FINANCE is designed to simplify the task of organizing and analyzing cost data for pollution prevention investments. P2FINANCE is highly flexible and can be used for both small and large projects with either few or many cost considerations.

P2FINANCE calculates and

50 Columbus Blvd., Fourth Floor Hartford, CT 06106

(203) 241-0777 FAX (203) 244-2017

reports simple payback, net present value, and intemal rate of retum. P2FINANCE computes cash flow over a fifteen year period since some of the benefits of pollution prevention occur years after a project's implemen- tation. Liability avoidance, avoidance of capital costs for pollution control, and increased revenue from improved product image are a few of the long-term financial benefits of pollution

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pvemi0ni"ent.s . , - \ - T

For more information: contact ConnTAP's Technical Specialist Bob Brown at 241-0777. You will receive an information packet to complete. ConnTAP's staff will run the numbers you supply through the P2FINANCE program. You will receive a customized print-out of your results.

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ConnTAP offers free technical assistance to

businesses. Call Bob Brown at 241 -0777 for

more information.

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