OAR Box 1313 

Prepped by LaTeia Shed 

Document Number: 

34) ll-B-8 

Docket Number: 

A-88-02 

Printed 6/12/2008 9:03:28 AM Sheet 34 of 99 

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A-88-02 

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MIDWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 

4505 Creedmoor Road 

Raleigh, N.C. 27612 

JTglephone (919) 781-5750 

Date: July 16, 1986 

(Finalized September 2, 1986) 

Subject: Site Visit—Consolidated Engravers 

Chromium Electroplating NESHAP 

EPA Contract 68-02-3817; ESED Project 85/02a 

MRI Project 7717-K 

From: 

To: 

Randy Strait Jl\~ 

Al Vervaert 

ESED/ISB/SSS (MD-13) 

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27711 

I. Purpose 

The purpose of this site visit was to gather background information 

about the chromium electroplating operation at this plant and to determine 

the suitability of this plant for chromium emissions testing. 

II. Place and Date 

Consolidated Engravers Corporation 

Post Office Box 33669 

Charlotte, North Carolina 28233 

May 2, 1986 

(704) 333-0365 

III. Attendees 

Consolidated Engravers 

Richard Steele, Vice President 

Buzz King, Electroplating Supervisor 

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Al Vervaert, ISB 

Midwest Research Institute 

Randy Strait 

Beth Friedman 

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IV. Discussion 

We arrived at the plant at 9:30 a.m. The visit consisted of a tour 

of the plating shop and a discussion about the hard chromium electroplating operations and chromium emissions capture and control equipment. 

A. General 

Consolidated Engravers has four plants in the U.S. The Charlotte, 

North Carolina, and Chester, South Carolina, plants are captive shops that 

perform chromium plating of industrial rolls for the packaging and textile 

industries. Hard chromium plate is applied as the final, finishing 

stage. The chromium plating tanks are operated one shift per day. 

B. Process Information 

There are three hard chromium plating operations used at this plant, 

which are referred to as Operations A, B, and C in the following 

discussion. Operation A consists of three hard chromium plating tanks, 

arranged as shown in Figure 1. Tank 2 was not in operation during the 

visit but is expected to be brought on line by the end of May. The three 

tanks are used to chromium plate engraving rolls for the packing 

industry. After being plated, the rolls are lifted from the plating 

solution and rinsed with water directly over the plating tanks to reduce 

drag-out of chromic acid. 

Operation B consists of two tanks. The tanks are used to chromium 

plate hollow textile rolls, and two rolls are plated simultaneously in 

each tank. Operation C consists of one tank and is used to chromium plate 

gravure rolls. One roll is plated at a time. The roll is rotated in the 

plating bath so that no more than on§ half of the surface area is 

submerged during plating. 

C. Emissions Control 

The emission control system for Operation A is shown in Figure 1. 

Tanks 1 and 3 are equipped with one-sided draft hoods, and Tank 2 is 

equipped with a double-sided draft hood. All three tanks are vented to a 

chevron-blade mist eliminator (Serial No. 1054) located on the roof of the 

plant. The design gas flow rate of the mist eliminator is 8,000 actual 

cubic feet per minute (acfm). The capture and control system was 

manufactured and installed by Duall Industries, Inc., in February 1986. 

A moisture extractor is installed in the stack downstream of the 

mist eliminator in the event that chromium emissions are drawn through the 

mist eliminator. The moisture extractor consists of a stationary set of 

blades that centrifugally forces acid mist or droplets entrained in 

exhaust gas to impinge against the sides of the extractor wall. The 

droplets drain down the sides of the extractor into collection areas and 

then are flushed out of the unit. 

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Figure 1. Schematic of hard chromium plating Operation A 

at Consolidated Engravers. 

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The mist eliminator and moisture extractor are rinsed approximately 

once per week with 20 gallons (gal) of water. The rinse water drains 

through a 2-inch (in.) pipe into a holding tank located inside the plating 

shop. This rinse water is used as plating bath makeup. Rinsing frequency 

may be increased when Tank 2 is brought on line and plating personnel have 

more experience with the system. According to plant personnel, the 

critical factor in the rinse schedule is the need for plating bath makeup 

solution. However, the efficiency of the mist eliminator would not be 

impaired by less frequent rinsing under normal conditions. Plant 

personnel stated that they are pleased with the performance of the 

emissions control system to date. 

Tanks 1 and 2 of Operation B are equipped with double-sided draft 

hoods, and chromium emissions from each tank are vented to separate mist 

eliminators for which the manufacturer and age are unknown. The hard 

chromium plating tank for Operation C also is equipped with a double-sided 

draft hood, and the surface of the tank is covered with a panel. 

Emissions from this tank are vented to a mist eliminator for which the 

manufacturer and age are unknown. 

0. Conclusions 

The mist eliminator used to control chromium emissions from 

Operation A is a good candidate for emission testing for the following 

reasons: (1) operating parameters of the plating tanks are within the 

ranges typical of hard chromium plating tanks, (2) the type and amount of 

work plated would generate adequate emissions loading for testing, and 

(3) the chevron-blade mist eliminator is typical of impingement-type mist 

eliminators in use at other hard chromium plating facilities. The major 

drawback is that the straight section of duct at the inlet location is 

only 28 in. in length and 21 in. in diameter, which is equivalent to only 

1.33 duct diameters downstream of the nearest elbow. Minimum conditions 

would require at least 2 duct diameters downstream and 0.5 duct diameters 

upstream of the nearest flow disturbance. Consolidated Engravers 

personnel were cooperative during the visit, and the information provided 

will be most useful to the chromium study. 

E. Additional Information Obtained for the Chromium Plating 

Operation at the Chester, South Carolina, Plant 

We also met briefly with Mr. Jim Steele from the Chester, South 

Carolina, plant. The plant has one hard chromium plating tank. The tank 

is vented to a Duall chevron-blade mist eliminator and a moisture 

extractor installed in the stack downstream of the mist eliminator. The 

design gas flow rate of the mist eliminator is 3,200 acfm. However, the 

operating gas flow rate currently is less than the design gas flow rate 

because the mist eliminator was designed to control emissions from a 

second tank that has been removed from service. The mist eliminator and 

moisture extractor are washed down once per day, and the rinse water 

drains directly into the plating tank. The plant has significantly 

reduced its chromic acid consumption and the control system has paid for 

itself through recovery credits. 

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The mist eliminator and moisture extractor have been tested by a 

consultant to provide data for a South Carolina permit application. 

Mr. Steele agreed to provide a copy of the test report in response to a 

written request from EPA. 

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