# OAR Box 1313 Prepped by LaTeia Shed



### Document

Number: 

# 29 ) ll-B- 3

Docket Number: 

# A-88-0 2

Printed 6/12/20089:03:28AM Sheet 29of 99 P. 1P. 2

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## A-88-0 2 MIDWES T RESEARC H INSTITUT E

4505 Creedmoo rRoad Raleigh , N.C

. 2761 2 Telephon e (919) 781-575 0 

# FINA L

Date : Marc h14 , 198 6

(Finalize d Septembe r 18 , 1986 ) Subject : Sit e Visit—-Tri-Mer ®Corporatio n

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
To : Al 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 visi t wa s t o gathe r background informatio nabou t contro l device s manufacture d b y Tri-Mer ®

fo r controllin g chromiu m electroplatin g emission s an d t o obtai nname s o f plant s tha t properl y operat e an

d maintai nTri-Mer ®

contro l device s tha t coul d serv e a s possibl e tes t candidates . II . Plac e an

d Dat e Tri-Mer ®Corporatio n 140 0 Monro e Owosso , Michiga n4886 7 (517 ) 723-783 8 Januar y 8 , 198 6
III . Attendee s Tri-Mer ®Corporatio n Kevi nBanghart , Director o f Engineerin g U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAqenc y Al Vervaert , IS B Midwes t Researc hInstitut e Randy Strai t

/P. 3

IV . Discussio n
W e arrive da t Tri-Mer ®Corporatio na t 9:0 0 a.m . an dwer e me t b

y Mr . Banghart . Th e visi t bega nwit ha discussio nabou t th e type s o f contro l equipmen t manufacture dan d markete db

y Tri-Mer ®t o contro l chromiu m electroplatin g emissions . Thi s wa s followe d b y a tou r o f th e manufacturin g facility . A . Genera l Tri-Mer ® Corporatio nmanufacture s industria l an dmunicipa l ventilation , ai r pollution , an dodo r contro l systems . Th e system s ar e typicall y

mad e o f polyviny l chlorid e (PVC) , polypropylene , o r othe r corrosio nresistan t materials . Tri-Mer ®wa s founde di n1961 . Brochure s describin g th e variou s type s o f contro l equipmen t wer e provided . Tri-Mer ® manufacture s tw

o basi c type s o f fume scrubbers : conventiona l packed-be dunit s an d fan/separato r units . Mr . Banghar t estimate dtha t upunti l 5 t o 1 0 year s ago , abou t 5 0 percen t o f Tri-Mer®' s busines s wa s wit hplaters , bu t i t i s now les s tha nthat . Abou t 8 0 percen t o f curren t busines s wit hplater s i s directe dtowar dne w plant s an

d 2 0 percen t towar d existin g plants . A doubl e packe dfan/separato r i s th e contro l devic e generall y recommende db

y Tri-Mer ®fo r controllin g chromiu m emission s fro

m chromiu m platin g facilities . Fan/separator s provid e hig h contro l efficiencie s wit hlo w operatio nan

d maintenanc e costs . B . Contro l Devic e Informatio n 1 . Fan/separato r scrubber . A schemati c o f th e fan/separato r scrubbe r i s show ni nFigur e 1 . Th e fan/separato r uni t wa s develope di n1965 . Th e desig no f th e uni t i s base d o nth e concep t o f impingemen t rathe r tha n absorptio na s th e principa l mechanis m fo r th e contro l o f chemica l fume s o f relativel y

highmolecula r weigh t an d size . Th e fan/separato r operate s i n tw o stages : a dynami c scrubbin g stag e an d animpingemen t stage . Inth e firs t stage , ventilatio nai r i s ducte dint o th e ey e o f a backward-blad e centrifuga l fa nwher e i t i s spraye d wit hhighpressure , lo w volume wate r o r scrubbin g liquid . Contaminan t aerosol s presen t ar e entraine dan dspun ou t centrifuall y

ont o th e fa nscroll . Th e centrifuga l actio ncreate db y th e fa nwhee l eliminate s approximatel y 5 0 percen t o f th e chromium . Inth e secondstage , th e chemica l fume s flow int o anexpansio n chambe r containin g on e o r mor e pack s o f hydrophobi c tubin g mad e o f polypropylene . Th e expansio nchambe r i s designe dt o slow th e ga s flow rat e t o no mor e tha n50 0 fee t pe r minut e fo r maximu m impingemen t efficienc y

an dt o lowe r th e humidit y i nth e chambe r t o eliminat e potentia l plume problem s associate d wit hwe t scrubbing . Th e gase s ar e spraye d withwate r befor e th e firs t pack . Th e secondpac k i s dr y an di s use da s a mis t eliminator . Contaminate d wate r i s pumpe dfro m th e uni t throug ha venturi-typ e drai nt o a recirculatio ntank o r a wastewate r treatmen t system .CLEAR
. II T 11 1 ITIAHI C aiiia t

CERIIIFOCA L TRIO R i r HEAVIER TRA R ti l PARTICLE

S

NIC ! PIESSOIE
. IO R fOlON E RATE I

PIIHAI T URIRI I SEPAIITIO I (mi r PARTICLES

) iO * OIIECTIIRA l II I CURS E T O PIECUI E ILICIIR C

CIITARIRATE I RATE I T t lllll l WAST E HEATHER ! I I PIICES S IEIS E SECIIIAI T SEPAIATII I I T ITOIOPIOII C TII E PAC I EIICTII I El l CIITIRIII S TH E iinr r

TEITIAI T SEPAIATII I I T PARTICLEIRPACTII I t IRTEKEPTII R Figur e 1

. Fan/separato rscrubber

. 

### U 

### EP. 5

Th e pack s canno t b e bac k washe d i nth e fan/separator ; however , th e unit s ar e designe d s o tha t th e pack s ca nb e easil y removed , cleaned , an d reinserted . Plater s ca nremov e chromiu m deposit s b

y placin g th e bed s ina chromiu m platin g cleanin g solution . I f th e fan/separato r i s properl y operate dan

dmaintained , th e pressur e dro pacros s th e uni t shoul dno t excee d3 inche s o f wate r column . Contro l efficiencie s ar e estimate dt o rang e fro

m 9 5 t o 9 9 percent . Th e majo r advantage s o f th e fan/separato r scrubbe r ove r th e conventiona l packed-be d scrubbe r ar e tha t th e fan/separato r scrubbe r use s abou t one-tent ha s muc hwate r an dcost s les s t o operat e an dmaintai n becaus e ther e ar e fewe r movin g parts . Th e fa ni s constructe do f PVC t o protec t agains t corrosion , an dit s lo

w horsepowe r requirement s reduc e energ y costs . Waterflo w

rate s t o th e scrubbe r rang e fro m 5 t o 2 0 gallon s pe r hour . 2 . Packed-be dscrubber . Tri-Mer ®doe s no t recommen dtha t packed-be d scrubber s b e installe d t o contro l chromiu m emission s from

chromiu

m platin g operation s becaus e the y cos t mor e t o operat e an drequir e mor e wate r tha n th e fan/separato r unit . Doubl e packed-be dscrubber s ar e recommende di f packed-be dscrubber s ar e t o be use da t all . 3 . Packin g materials . Tri-Mer ®market s a specia l typ e o f packin g materia l (Tri-Packs® ) fo r vertica l packed-be dscrubbers . Tri-Packs ®ar e spherica l i nshap e an d ar e designe dt o provid e maximu m surfac e contac t betwee nth e ga s an

d th e scrubbin g liqui d b y continuousl y

formin g droplet s throughou t th e packe d bed . Th e Tri-Packs ®als o ar e designe dt o eliminat e pluggin g an

d puddling , produc e ver y lo w stati c pressur e pe r uni t volume , reduc e th e siz e o f th e packe d bed required , an dmaximiz e impingemen t efficienc y

b y reducin g th e amoun t o f scrubbin g liqui drequired . Tri-Packs ®

ca nb e mad e o f PVC , polypropylene , o r othe r type s o f plasti c dependin g o nth e application . 4 . Captur e systems . Tri-Mer ®design s captur e system s base do nth e America nConferenc e o f Governmenta l Industria l Hygienists , "Practice s fo r Ventilatio nan

dOperatio no f Ope nSurfac e Tanks. " C . Tes t Dat a an

d Candidat e Plant s "Mr . Banghar t sai d tha t the y hav e had independen t firm s tes t thei r scrubbers . However , mos t o f thes e test s wer e performe do nunit s controllin g exhaus t gase s containin g hydrochlori c aci d(HCl) . Exhaus t ga s stream s containin g HC l ar e use d a s th e standar dfo r documentin g contro l efficiencie s eve nthoug ha uni t ma y be use dt o contro l othe r chemica l pollutants . On e tes t wa s performe d o na fan/separato r scrubbe r use dt o contro l chromiu

m emissions ; however , th e result s o f th e tes t ar e confidential . Mr . Banghar t sai dtha t he woul dcontac t chromiu m electroplatin g shop s tha t us e th e fan/separato r scrubbe r t o contro l chromiu m emission s t o se e i f an

y woul dbe willin g t o allow EPA t o tes t th e scrubber .



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