Betz Laboratories, Inc.

Year Submitted: 2003

Process: Parts Cleaning

Industry: Chemical Manufacturing

Wastes Reduced: Solvent

Equipment: Aqueous Cleaners

Location: Beaumont TX

No. of employees: 40

Contact: Doug Stafford

Phone: (409) 866-4778 ext. 304

Description:

As with most manufacturing facilities, Betz has a maintenance shop that routinely degreases equipment which is being repaired. Rather than using a hazardous solvent to clean parts, which generates hazardous waste, Betz uses an aqueous degreaser. The maintenance shop found an aqueous based product (Sanco ULTRA 2000 extra heavy duty degreaser) that mixes up 30 to 1 with water and is used in a normal parts washer set-up. Since the parts are being disassembled for repairs, it is not critical that they be dry after cleaning. Also, the parts have not been contaminated with hazardous wastes in the process itself, so the wash water is not hazardous. The resulting wastewater is acceptable for treatment in a POTW.

Environmental Benefits:

If not using the aqueous cleaner, Betz would generate 400 gallons per year of hazardous cleaning solvent wastes.

Details of Reductions

Additional Information :

The degreaser costs $12 a gallon, after diluting this corresponds to $22 per 55-gallon barrel. A typical charge for solvent recycling of a hazardous waste solvent is $125 a drum

Source: TCEQ