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# OAR Box 

# 1814 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 26 ) ll-B- 4

Docket Number: 

# A-88-0 2

Printed 11/7/20087:22:07

AM Sheet 26 of 63

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$

Oate :
Subject : Marc h24 , 198 6

(Finalize d Novembe r 3 , 1986 )



# W A-88-0 2 11 - 6- q MIDWES T RESEARC H INSTITUT E

450 5 Creedmoo rRoad Raleigh , N C 2781 2 Telephon e (919) 781-5750

Sit e Visit--CRECO , Incorporate d Chromiu m Electroplatin g NESHA P EPA Contrac t 68-02-3817 ; ESE D Projec t 85/02 a MR I Projec t 7717- K
From : Randy

Strai t f l 

### 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 d informatio n abou t contro l device s manufacture d b y CREC O fo r controllin g chromium electroplatin g emission s an d t o obtai nname s o f plant s tha t properl y operat e and maintai nCREC O contro l device s tha t coul d serv e a s possibl e tes t candidates .
II . Plac e an

d Dat e
CRECO , Incorporate d 50 0 Smit hAvenu e Pos t Offic e Bo x47 3 Owosso , Michiga n4886 7 (517 ) 725-535 5 Januar y 8 , 198 6

III . Attendee s
CRECO , Incorporate d
Kir k Dreuth , Owne r
U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y
A l Vervaert , IS B Midwes t Researc hInstitut e Randy Strai t

/P. 3

IV . Discussio n
W e arrive da t CREC O a t 2:3 0 p.m . Th e visi t consiste do f discussion s abou t th e type s o f contro l device s manufacture db y CREC O t o contro l chromiu m electroplatin g emission s an dabou t plant s tha t operat e an d maintai nCREC O contro l device s tha t coul dserv e a s possibl e tes t candidates . Th e informatio nprovide dherei nwa s obtaine dbot hdurin g th e plan t visi t an

di na telephon e communicatio nwit hMr . Dreut ho n Januar y 17 , 1986 . A . Genera l
CREC O manufacture s moistur e extractors , ai r washers , an dtripl e packed-be dwe t scrubber s tha t ar e use dt o contro l chromiu m emission s fro

m chromiu m electroplatin g tanks . Mr . Dreut hprovide dbrochure s an d backgroun dinformatio nabou t thes e contro l devices . B . Contro l Devic e Informatio n 1 . Moistur e extractor . Th e moistur e extracto r consist s o f a stationar y

se t o f blade s tha t centrifugall y force s aci dmis t o r droplet s entraine di nexhaus t ga s t o imping e agains t th e side s o f th e extracto r wall . Th e droplet s drai ndow nth e side s o f th e extracto r int o collectio n area s an dthe nar e flushe dou t o f th e unit . Mr . Dreut hstate dthat , dependin g o nth e siz e o f th e droplets , 6 0 t o 9 0 percen t ma y b e collected . However , h e doe s no t hav e tes t dat a t o substantiat e thi s claim . Th e moistur e extracto r i s bein g use db y severa l chromiu

m platers . Sometime s i t i s use dalone , bu t generall y i t i s installe dahea d o f a scrubber . Th e moistur e extracto r i s mad e o f polyviny l chlorid e (PVC ) o r polypropylen e an

dcost s fro

m $30 0 t o $3,00 0 dependin g o nth e ga s flow rate . 2 . Ai r washer . Th e ai r washe r i s a horizonta l uni t containin g a filte r pad . Th e frame o f th e padi s mad e o f PVC , an dth e fram e i s wrappe d wit hsevera l layer s o f polypropylen e mesh . Th e filte r padi s manufacture d b y Chemrae . Exhaus t gase s ar e spraye dwit hwater , an d chromiu

m droplet s imping e o nth e mes hpad . Th e mes hpadi s washe d dow nwit hwate r periodically . Mr . Dreut hsai dtha t thi s uni t work s ver y wel l fo r controllin g chromiu

m emissions . H e estimate s contro l efficiencie s t o rang e fro

m 9 5 t o 9 8 percent . Th e uni t doe s no t requir e a lo t o f wate r t o operate , an

dchromiu

m capture d b

y th e uni t ca nbe recycle dt o th e platin g bat ho r a rins e tan k t o reduc e wastewate r treatmen t costs . Th e ai r washe r i s simila r t o a fume scrubbe r an d ca nb e designe d wit ha packe dbed . Whe nspac e i s limite da t a plan t site , Mr . Dreut h recommend s tha t a vertica l packed-be dwe t scrubbe r be installed . Th e cos t o f th e ai r washe r range s fro m $3,00 0 t o $10,00 0 dependin g o nth e ga s flow rate .P. 4

3 . Packed-be dwe t scrubber . Mr . Dreut hrecommend s tha t chromiu m plater s instal l a tripl e packed-be dscrubbe r t o achiev e maximu m contro l o f chromiu m emissions . Th e bed s ar e packe d wit hpolypropylen e material . Exhaus t gase s ar e spraye dwit hwate r befor e th e firs t an dsecondpacks , an dchromiu

m impinge s onth e packin g material . Th e thir dpac k act s a s a mis t eliminato r t o captur e moistur e entraine di nth e exhaus t ga s stream . Th e packe dbed s ar e spraye dwit hwater , whic htypicall y i s pumpe dt o a holdin g tank an

drecirculated . Mr . Dreut hsai dtha t continuou s recirculatio no f th e scrubbe r wate r t o was hdow nth e pack s ma y

reduc e th e efficienc y

o f th e scrubbe r becaus e th e evaporatio no f wate r fro m th e holdin g tank concentrate s th e chromi c acid . H e sai dtha t some plant s monito r th e chromi c aci dconcentratio ni nth e holdin g tan k and , whe nth e concentratio nreache s a certai nlevel , pum pth e wate r t o th e platin g bat h o r a rins e tank . Fres hwate r i s use da s makeu pwater . Mr . Dreut h recommend s tha t plant s us e a secondtank t o concentrat e chromi c aci d washe dfro

m th e scrubber . C . Tes t Dat a an

dCandidat e Plant s
Mr . Dreut hsai dtha t he doe s no t hav e performanc e tes t dat a fo r CREC O contro l devices . H e sai d tha t h e woul dcontac t a fe w plant s tha t hav e recentl y

installe dan

dproperl y

operat e an

d maintai nCREC O scrubber s t o determin e i f the y

woul db e receptiv e t o a visi t an dpossibl e testin g b y EPA . Mr . Dreut hidentifie d Superio r Platin g 1 nMinneapolis , Minnesota , a s a har dchromiu

m electroplatin g sho ptha t ma y b e receptiv e t o a visi t b y EPA . H e indicate dtha t the y ma y hav e already

performe d some test s becaus e the y wer e unde r a complianc e orde r b y th e Cit y

o f Minneapoli s t o instal l equipmen t t o contro l chromiu m emissions . Th e engineerin g specification s fo r th e scrubber s installe da t Superio r Platin g wer e provide d by : McGinle y Associate s 1370 1 13t hStree t Circl e Stillwater , Minnesot a 5508 2 Contact : Mr . Chuc k McGinle y

(612 ) 439-170 8
Mr . Dreut hals o sai dtha t Goodyea r Aerospac e i nAkron , Ohio , ha s performe dtest s o nCREC O equipmen t tha t wa s installe di n196 8 o r 1969 .