U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Transitioning TCE in vapor 

degreasing applications at 

military facilities

Alternatives and Risk Reduction Approaches 

to Trichloroethylene (TCE) Use as a 

Degreaser

Wayne Ziegler

Materials Engineer

U.S. Army Research Laboratory

29 July 2014
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Communication

Collaboration 

Coordination

2
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Implementing Alternatives
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Implementing Alternatives

3
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Anniston Army Depot

Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) performs depot level 

maintenance for combat tanks, tracked combat vehicles, 

small arms weapons and components, and optical and 

electronic fire control systems. ANAD has a large production 

capability, including painting, depainting, surface cleaning, 

and plating, which makes ANAD a major emitter of 

hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).

In order to reduce hazardous emissions at ANAD and to 

address environmental regulations and mandates, ARL and 

the NDCEE directly supported efforts at ANAD through the 

following tasks:

Task 0512: Dem/Val of HAP-Free Chemical Depainting Materials and 

Processes Thrust Area

Task 0527-A2: HAP-Free Vapor Degreasing for Critical Weapon 

Systems Applications
UNCLASSIFIED

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Reducing Hazardous Emissions 

at Anniston Army Depot

HAP-Free Chemical 

Depainting 

HAP-Free Vapor 

Degreasing 

Reducing Hazardous Emissions 

at Anniston Army Depot
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Background and 

Objective

HAP-Free Vapor Degreasing for Critical Weapon Systems 

Applications

EPA proposed Residual Risk standards under the NESHAP for 

Halogenated Solvent Cleaning (August 2006) to limit facility-wide 

emissions of perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene (TCE), and methylene

chloride used in solvent cleaning

Over 90% of TCE use in the DoD is from ANAD

Current operations at ANAD include TCE vapor degreasing of small 

arms and miscellaneous components of combat vehicles

ANAD will be unable to comply with the proposed TCE limit without 

installing costly and burdensome pollution control devices

In order for alternatives to be implemented, the identified solvents and 

technologies require evaluation in accordance with critical engineering 

and performance requirements
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Approach

Identify and downselect alternative degreasing/cleaning 

technologies for three applications of interest to ANAD

Degreasing (Building 409)

Removal of plating wax (Building 114)

Small arms cleaning/degreasing (Building 129) 

Conduct bench-scale testing on downselected alternatives

Vendor, commercial, and DoD locations

Evaluate alternatives as a method for removing Lubricant, 

Small Arms with Teflon (LSAT), cleaner lubricant 

preservative, grease, dirt/sand, carbon and powder residue, 

copper, lead, and brass fouling, plating wax, and other 

contaminants

Up to two select technologies will undergo full-scale testing at 

ANAD
UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED Technology 

Downselection

Multiple technologies from 13 manufacturers/vendors were identified as 

potential solutions

Product data was collected on various cleaning technologies from 13 

manufacturers and solvent vendors

The following 6 technologies, solvents, and/or systems were selected for and 

participated in the bench-scale technology demonstrations

Vendor Product Technology

Flo-Matic No Chemical Cleaning System Aqueous-based ultrasonic cleaning system

Police Products Ultrasonic Weapon Cleaning 

System Conventional cavitation ultrasonic system 

Crest Ultrasonics Dual-frequency Ultrasonic 

System

Custom dual-frequency ultrasonic system for wax 

removal

Better 

Engineering F-4000-P using PDN-50 Industrial cabinet washer with an alkaline detergent

DuPont Vertrel SDG Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based immersion vapor 

degreaser with ultrasonics

3M HFE-72DE Hydrofluoroether (HFE)-based immersion vapor 

degreasing (tested without ultrasonics)
UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED Bench-Scale Test 

Results: Small Arms

Police Products Ultrasonic Weapon Cleaning System provided the 

best results for small arms degreasing (Building 129)

System tested at the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) in Anniston, AL

Small arms parts were cleaned sufficiently after an 8-minute ultrasonic 

immersion in the first cleaning bath (ANAD max requirement is 30 min)

Police Products system degreases and cleans to a level acceptable by ANAD 

personnel and surpasses the performance of the TCE benchmark

Police Products system at CMP

Small arms component following cleaning (left) and 

weapon prior to lube (below)
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Bench-Scale Test Results: 

Plating Wax Removal

Crest Ultrasonics Aqueous Dual-frequency Ultrasonic 

System provided the best results for plating wax removal 

(Building 114)

System tested at the Crest Ultrasonics facility in Trenton, NJ

Effective at removing heavy wax loadings

Secondary lube wash chemically dissolves remaining residues and 

leaves a light surface preservative to reduce 

oxidation potential while the parts 

are staged for downstream processing

Parts Before and After Plating Wax 

Removal at Crest Ultrasonics
UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED Bench-Scale Test 

Results: Degreasing

Crest Ultrasonics Aqueous Dual-frequency Ultrasonic System and 

DuPont Vertrel SDG provided the best results for degreasing 

(Building 409)

Both systems/products were effective at degreasing the various vehicle 

components and should be considered for full-scale test and evaluation in an 

actual production setting

Above: DuPont Lab Cleaning Test Tank Interior

Right: Roller Bearings Before and After Testing
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SPOTA Solvent Thrust Technical Review 

ANAD TCE Alternatives Demonstration

 Ultrasonics

 Small arms and 

wax removal 

systems installed 
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Laboratory Evaluation of Drop-in 

Solvent Alternatives to n-Propyl 

Bromide for Vapor Degreasing 

Mark A. Mitchell 

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center 

Nikki M. Lowrey 

Jacobs Technology, Inc. 
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Novec® HFE 72DE (3M) 113oF

Vertrel® SDG (DuPont) 109oF

Azeotrope A1 R&D Solvent (DuPont)* 118oF

AE3000ATE (AGC Chemicals)* 108oF

(nPB 156oF)

Alternative Solvents Tested:

*These solvents are not yet approved by the EPA for 

use in the United States. Samples were provided by the 

suppliers “for laboratory use only”. 

Note: Perfluorobutyl Iodide was to be included in this study but a suitable sample was not available in 

the required time frame. 
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Cleaning Effectiveness Tests 

A standard contaminant was applied to 

aluminum 2219 coupons and baked for 2 

hours at 130oF. 

All coupons were photographed and 

weighed: 

Before contamination 

After contamination and baking 

After vapor degreasing for 30 minutes 

Photos were taken in bright white and long 

wave ultraviolet light 

Clean control coupons, degreased and not 

degreased, were included. 
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94.0

95.0

96.0

97.0

98.0

99.0

100.0

Cleaning efficiency

Solvent

Cleaning Effectiveness Ranges and Averages - Combined

Combined Cleaning Results
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Bench Scale Results

All solvents were compatible with metals tested

All solvents cleaned in the range of or better than n-propyl

bromide

Vertrel SDG cleaned the most consistently; AE3000ATE 

was very close.

All but Vertrel SDG showed reduced cleaning 

effectiveness on aged contamination

Cleaning effectiveness did NOT correlate with tDCE%

Cleaning effectiveness of any of these solvents may be 

adequate for the end use

Results may vary with other materials, contaminants, and 

hardware configurations
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Corpus Christi Army Depot

Performs refurbishment of all Army rotorcraft

Two major shops - Engine Cleaning Shop and Plating Shop. 

Both perform vapor degreasing 

Specified alternative cleaning processes that are approved 

for aviation components 

Tank aqueous cleaning 

Aqueous cleaning, utilizing parts washer (Daraclean 282 or Brulin

815GD) 

Solvent cleaning using Positron, Electron QED, Electron, Electron 296 

or equivalents 

Ultrasonic cleaning (aqueous and solvent) 

Aqueous Cleaning Using Manual High Pressure Washing (CCAD 

process standard A.12) 

Assessment was performed to determine the most viable 

process 
UNCLASSIFIED

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Dem/Val of Vapor Degreasing with 

Vertrel SDG at Corpus Christi Army 

Depot (CCAD) 

Considerations performance, throughput or sustainment of 

degreasing operations in support of production schedules for 

other depot processes, ESOH considerations and costs 

It was determined that vapor degreasing was the only 

process that could meet production throughput requirements

modifications were required

prior to the demonstration 
UNCLASSIFIED

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Demonstration Results

Vertrel SDG will clean as well or better than nPB

Vertrel SDG is a suitable substitute for nPB and should be 

implemented by CCAD as the universal vapor degreasing 

solvent for both the Engine Cleaning and Plating Shops. 

Approval by AMRDEC Maintenance Engineering Division 

(MED) was provided on 9 July 14 

Mark Feathers 

US Army Aviation and Missile Command 

G-4 Environmental Division 
UNCLASSIFIED

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