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 2014UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED



# Communication Collaboration Coordination

2UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

### Implementing AlternativesUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

### Implementing Alternatives

3UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

## 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 ApplicationsUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

## Reducing Hazardous Emissions at Anniston Army Depot

HAP- Free Chemical Depainting HAP- Free Vapor Degreasing Reducing Hazardous Emissions at Anniston Army DepotUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

## 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 requirementsUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

## 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 ANADUNCLASSIFIED 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)UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

### 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 UltrasonicsUNCLASSIFIED 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 TestingUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

## SPOTA Solvent Thrust Technical Review 

## ANAD TCE Alternatives Demonstration  Ultrasonics  Small arms and wax removal systems installedUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

# 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.UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED



# Novec ® 

# HFE 72DE (3M) 113 o 

# F 

# Vertrel ® 

# SDG (DuPont) 109 o 

# F Azeotrope A1 R&D Solvent (DuPont)* 118 o 

# F AE3000ATE (AGC Chemicals)* 108 o 

# F 

# ( nPB 156 o 

# F) 

# 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.UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 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.UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED

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 ResultsUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 

### 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 configurationsUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 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 processUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 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 demonstrationUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 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 DivisionUNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED