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# OAR Box 

# 1313 Preppedby LaTeiaShed



### Document

Number: 

# 15 ) 

# l-B- 8
Docket Number: 

# A-88-0 2

Printed 6/12/20089:03:27

AM Sheet 15of 99

# MR!$ J P. 2 r-\-%xJx.j-\JtC MIDWES TRESEARC H INSTITUT E ZH- fc" S 4505 Creedmoo rRoad

Raleigh , N.C

. 2761 2 Telephon e (919) 781-5750 

# FINA L 

# FIL E COP

Y

Date : Ma

y 21 , 198 5 

### (Finalized : Jun e 28 , 1985 ) Subject : Sit e V1s1t--Chevrolet-Ponttac-Canad a Grou p

Surve y o f Chromium

Emission s Sources—Chromiu m Platin g EP A Contrac t 68-02-3817 ; ESE DProjec t 85/0 2 MR I Projec t 7711- L From : Bar bDuletsk y

[h ^ To : A l Vervaer t

ESED/ISB/SS S (MD-13 ) U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y Researc hTriangl e Park , N.C . 2771 1
I . Purpos e Th e purpos e o f thi s sit e visi t wa s t o gathe r backgroun dInformatio n o nth e decorativ e chromium platin g operatio na t th e subjec t plan t andt o determin e th e suitabilit y o f th e plan t fo r chromium emission s testing . II . Plac e an dDat e Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canad a Grou pr " \'S Genera l Motor s Corporatio n'"'"-' ii ! 1300 0 Eckle s Roa d-••; , .,'. ; Livonia , Michiga n4815 1 ".:. j JA N I o |99 | > . j (313 ) 464-508 1 \ \ MarC h 15 > W8 5 

# LEJttAJRTOCKJ T III . Attendee s Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canad a Grou p(CPC ) Joh nKary , Chie f Manufacturin g Metallurgis t Larr y Slersma , Environmenta l Contro l Enginee r Reggi e Sobczynski , Senio r Chemis t U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y (EPA ) A l Vervaert , Lea dEnginee r Midwes t Researc hInstitut e (MRI ) Bar bDuletsk y

Principa l Laboratorie s 425 Volke rBoulevard , Kansa s City

. Missour i 6411 0P. 3

IV . Discussio n W e arrive da t th e plan t around1:3 0 p.m . Th e visi t bega nwit ha discussio nabou t th e emissio ncontro l system i nplac e o nth e decorativ e chromiu m platin g Une s a t th e CP C Group , Livoni a plant . Followin g this , w e wer e give na tou r o f th e platin g facility , durin g whic hMr . Slersma provide doperatin g Informatio no nth e chromiu m platin g Une s an

dth e associate dcontro l devices . A . Genera l CP C 1 s anorigina l equipmen t manufacture r (OEM ) o f bumper s fo r the automotive Industry . Ther e ar e fiv e decorativ e chromiu m platin g Une s a t thi s plant : Lin e Nos . 1 throug h3 wer e installe d2 5 t o 3 0 year s ago , an d U n e Nos . 4 an

d5 wer e installe d1 5 year s ago . Th e plan t operate s tw o shift s pe r day , 5 day s pe r week . B . Proces s Eac hplatin g Un e consist s o f abou t 2 0 tank s tha t contai nvariou s platin g an

dcleanin g solutions . Th e Une s ar e service db y automaticall y controlle dconveyor s tha t transfe r rack s containin g upt o 1 4 bumper s t o eac htank1nsequence . Th e chromiu m platin g segmen t o f eac hUn e consist s o f a platin g tankan dsevera l rins e tanks . Eac hchromiu

m platin g tankmeasure s 2 0 fee t (ft ) 1nlength , 1 2 f t 1 n width , an

d9 f t 1ndept han

di s divide dInt o thre e cell s tha t ar e 6. 7 f t 1 nlength . Eac h3-celle dtan khold s 17,00 0 gallon s o f platin g solution , whic hcontain s chromi c aci di na concentratio no f 3 3 t o 5 0 ounce s pe r gallo n(oz/gal) . Sulfuri c aci di s use da s a catalys t i na 180: 1 (chromi c a d dt o sulfuri c add ) ratio . Th e solution s hav e no t bee ndispose do f sinc e the y

wer e originall y

mad e up ; make-u pwate r an dchromi c ad dar e adde dcontinuall y

t o replac e losse s du e t o evaporatio nan ddrag-out . Th e tota l chromi c ad dconsumptio na t thi s plan t 1 s 15,00 0 pound s pe r month . Typically , a rac kremain s inon e cel l o f a chromiu m platin g tankfo r a littl e ove r 2 minute s t o receiv e a chromiu m plat e thicknes s o f 0.01 2 mils . Th e electrode s i neac hcel l ar e charge db y tw o separat e transformer/rectifiers . Durin g a typica l platin g cycle , th e tankoperate s a t 1 6 t o 1 7 volt s (V ) an d8,50 0 t o 10,00 0 ampere s (A) . Th e electrica l setting s ar e determine db y th e require dcurren t densit y fo r a particula r rac ko f bumpers . Typica l curren t densitie s ar e i nth e rang e o f 15 0 t o 20 0 A/f t . C . Emissio nContro l Plan t personne l sai dtha t abou t 9 9 percen t o f th e ga s emitte dfro m a chromiu m platin g tanki s du e t o th e formatio no f hydroge nga s bubble s a t th e surfac e o f the lea danodes . Th e remainin g 1 percen t i s cause db y th e formatio no f oxyge nga s a t the surfac e o f th e Item s being plated . Operatin g curren t 1 s th e predominan t facto r affectin g emission s fro m a typica l tank .

&P. 4

Th e ventilatio n syste mo n th e tank s appeare d t o b e effectivel y drawin g mis t Int o th e contro l syste mdurin g th e visit
. Eac h chromium platin g tank ha s si x hood s (tw o o n eac h cell ) tha t dra wemission s fro m alon g th e 12-f t width
. Abou t 30,00 0 cubi c fee t o f ai r pe r minut e (cfm ) ar e draw n fro mth e platin g tank s o n Un e Nos . 1 throug h 3
. Abou t 35,00 0 cf mar e draw n fro mth e tank s o n Un e Nos . 4 and 5
. OSH Arequire s tha t ambien t chromium level s remai n belo w0.0 5 mg/ m, and monthl y monitorin g ha s shew n th e level s a t thi s plan t t o b e unde r 0.0 2 mg/ m, Indicatin g tha t goo d ventilatio n 1 s achieved
. Thi s plan t ha s ha d abou t si x differen t contro l devic e configuration s sinc e 1 t bega n operating
. Th e presen t configuration , whic h wa s Installe d les s tha n 1 0 year s ago , i s show n 1 n Figur e 1
. Th e emissio n contro l syste m 1 s uniqu e and combine s bot h off-the-shel f and speciall ydesigne d equipment
. Eac h syste mroute s exhaus t gase s fro mon e chromiumplatin g tan k throug h a packed-be d spra ytowe r scrubber , a n Impingemen t mis t eliminator , a 2-1nch-th1c k polypropylen e blanket , a fan , a wate r Impingemen t tank , anothe r Impingemen t mis t eliminator , and a 2-1nch-th1c k fiberglas s blanket
. Eac h scrubbe r measure s 1 6 fee t 1 n heigh t an d 9 fee t 1 n diameter , and ha s 4 fee t o f packing
. Ther e 1 s a 6-1nc h pressur e dro p acros s eac h scrubber
. Th e packin g i n eac h scrubbe r consist s o f "Maspac® " towe r packing
. Thes e object s ar e mad e o f Saran®(Do wChemical ) and hav e bee n 1 n servic e sinc e 1975
. Previously , polypropylen e wa s use d a s a packin g material , bu t thi s disintegrate d and ha d t o b e replace d afte r onl y 1. 5 years . Chromi c aci d no t onl ydisintegrate s certai n plastics , 1 t corrode s meta l duct s a s well
. Part s o f th e contro l syste mtha t com e int o contac t wit h chromi c ad d mis t ar e mad e o f titanium o r fiberglass-reinforce d PV C t o withstan d th e corrosiv e aci d attack
. Th e scrubbe r packin g i s flushe d wit h clea n wate r fo r 1 5 minute s eac h week
. Condensat e fro mth e scrubbe r and spen t wate r fro mth e wate r impingemen t tan k ar e draine d t o a n evaporato r extensio n tan k wher e the y ar e concentrated
. Th e concentrat e i s returne d t o th e chromiumplatin g tan k a s make-u p solution
. Plan t personne l estimate d tha t th e efficienc y o f chromiumutilizatio n a t thi s plan t increase d fro m1 0 percen t t o ove r 9 0 percen t whe n thi s recover ysyste mwa s installed
. Th e scrubbe r als o serve s a s th e coolin g devic e fo r controllin g th e temperatur e o f th e platin g bath
. Th e exces s hea t 1 n th e platin g tank 1 s transferre d t o th e recirculatin g scrubbe r scrubbin g liqui d vi a a I1qu1d/I1qu1 d hea t exchanger
. Th e warme d scrubbin g liqui d enter s th e scrubbe r abov e th e towe r packin g and flow s b ygravit ydow n throug h th e packing
. Th e contaminate d ai r tha t 1 s draw n fro mth e platin g tan k enter s th e scrubbe r belo wth e towe r packin g and 1 s draw n up throug h th e packin g b yth e exhaus t fan
. Th e flo wo f ai r 1 s counte r t o th e flo wo f th e scrubbin g liquid
. Th e liqui d washe s th e chrom e contaminatio n ou t o f th e ai r strea mand als o warm s th e ai r stream , resultin g 1 n th e absorbtio n (evaporation ) o f 4 gallon s o f liqui d int o th e ai r stream . Thi s evaporatio n proces s cool s th e scrubbin g liquid
. Th e coole d lqiul d 1 s recirculate d t o th e hea t exchange r and reheated
.

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. Figur e 1 . Typica l emissio ncontro l syste m o nchromiu

m plating tan k a t th e CP C Group , Livonia , plant .

\P. 6



### Th e remova l efficienc y o f th e contro l syste

m o non e o f th e tank s wa s teste dabou t 6 year s ago . Th e result s o f thi s isokineti c sampling wil l be mad e availabl e t o EPA

upo nreceip t o f a writte nrequest . Port s o nth e inle t sid e o f th e scrubbe r ar e stil l 1nplace ; however , th e duc t containin g port s o nth e outle t sid e ha s bee nreplace dsinc e th e tes t wa s performed . Visua l Inspectio nshowe dth e contro l system s t o b e very efficient , a s n o visibl e emission s wer e observe dexitin g fro m th e stacks . D . Conclusion s Th e contro l system s o nth e decorativ e chromiu m platin g tank s a t th e CP C Grou pplan t ar e effectiv e i nremovin g chromi c ad dmis t fro m th e platin g tankexhaus t gas . Th e contro l device s ar e o f uniqu e design , however , an

dno t representativ e o f thos e typicall y found1nth e Industry . Suitabl e tes t site s fo r eac hsyste m ar e locate dupstream

o f th e scrubber , downstream

o f th e scrubbe r (upstrea m o f th e fan) , an

dupstrea

m o f th e fina l mis t eliminato r (downstrea m o f th e fan) . Th e overal l efficienc y o f th e system s canno t be measure dbecaus e ther e ar e no stack s onth e outlets .

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