Safety Solvents: An Easy Solution for Eliminating Harsh Chemical Agents

By Timothy Byron

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The use of volatile cleaners brings about concerns both in regards to human and environmental safety. Companies require solvents in order to clean parts or equipment during manufacturing, maintenance, or other industry specific processes. Several chemicals will evaporate under regular temperature conditions thus making them potentially more harmful and certainly more difficult to use or store. Formed gas from evaporation enters the air without any visual sign that can make them very dangerous. Health problems have been directly linked to highly volatile solvents in addition to being problematic for the environment. Indoor concentrations pose increased risk to individuals because they are much higher. Air filtration systems and other methods may be taken to reduce this hazard, but the amounts often released in the immediate environment are still troublesome. The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has created usage regulations to reduce the adverse effects of volatile solvents. Suppliers have taken steps to provide safety solvents that offer reduced danger of fire as well as minimal evaporation, and fall within compliance of EPA regulations to deliver an affordable yet effective industrial solution.

Organic Solvents: What Measures Have Been Taken to Reduce Hazards?
Degreasers can consist of numerous hazardous ingredients that put companies at risk for human injury as well as EPA violations. Newer organic solvents do not contain chlorinated compounds or other high-risk ingredients to provide a safer product for businesses that must apply these cleaning agents quite frequently.

Part cleaning is a constant process in most manufacturing and mechanical servicing industries. New products are being offered to businesses requiring these agents to operate efficiently. Environment oriented organic solvents include minimal to no hazardous materials and are typically hydrocarbon based. Hydrocarbon is an organic compound created from combining two specific elements: carbon and hydrogen. These compounds may be alkaline, alkene, cycloalkane, or alkyne-based in nature. Hydrocarbons may be utilized as a gas, liquid, polymer, or solid ranging from simple to complex combinations. Methane, ethane, butane, propane, and octane are a few of the simplest hydrocarbons.

Combustion or fire is one of the largest concerns when using these compounds in a high concentration or in areas where evaporated gas buildup has ignition possibilities. Higher-grade hydrocarbon bases provide the strength necessary for effective cleaning, are odorless, and have an increased flash point for improved safety.

Flash points supply a measurement of the vaporization temperature of volatile materials to determine when an ignitable mixture may be present. This measurement can be applied to either flammable or combustible liquids, with those having a flash point of below 60.5 degrees Celsius being considered as highly flammable.

Any liquid above this temperature is categorized as combustible thus making this temperature measurement very important when selecting safety solvents. Today's products offer a higher flash point to reduce the risk of fire and increase safety. Limited need for protective equipment, compliance with EPA standards, and a high flash point are only a few benefits provided by these products. Safer products contain no water and fully evaporate meaning no residue is left behind after cleaning. Products have met multiple corrosion testing standards making them a good choice for any company in need of a dependable cleaning agent with decreased hazard concerns.

Organic solvents are made with harmful hazardous materials evaporate under normal conditions. Safety solvents use less volatile compounds that do not decrease cleaning performance.
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