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# OAR Box 1384 Prepped by Charmelle Mathews



### Document

Number: 

# 19tf)ll-E-15 5 Docket Number: 

# A-94-52

Printed 7/2/2008 8:42:10 AM Sheet 196 of 264JUn 

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### «t1c s R& D 248619240 4 P. 2 P.O l 

### A 9452,-. .

From : Date : Conuct : Company : Contac tRepor t

Rober tJemison , Pacifi c Environmenta l Services,|lnc . (PES ) Jun e 1 & 24,199 8 Mr . Vino d C . Sha

h Th e Budd Compan

y - Plastic s Divisio n Telephon e Number : (248)619-229 4 Fa x Number : (248 ) 619-240 4 Contac tSummary : Mr . Vino d C . Sha

h wa s contacte

d o n Ma y 14,199 8 vi a telephone o n behal f o f th e U.S . EPA t o obtain infonnatio n pertainin g t o th e us e o f

nitroge n blanketing a

tfacilitie s owne d an d operated b y The Bud d Compan

y • Plastics Division . Durin g th e telephone conversation , Mr . Shah requeste d tha tMr . Jemison submi

ta lis to f question s vi a fa x an d provid e irdbTmano

n abou tth e natur

e an d th e scop e o f th e project

. Mr . Sha h als o indicated tha

th e woul d lik e t o hav e information aboutPES' s authorit y t o collec tinformatio

n fo r the EP

A Mr . Jemiso n provided th e requeste d informatio n an d lis to f question s t

o Mr . Sha h o n Ma y 21,1998 . O n Jun

e 1,1998 , Mr

. Sha h contacte d Mr

. Jemiso n an d responde d t o the faxed hs to f questions vi a telephone . Th e faxe d lis to f

question s i s show n belo w wit h th e response s o f Mr . Sha h i n italics . Lis to f Question s For th e mixin g an

d storag e operation

s conducte

d a tyour facihty , pleas e indicate th e following- . 1. ) D o yo u us e nitroge

n blanketin

g for an y reaso n durin g an y o f you r mixin g operations ? I f so , pleas e describ e carefull

y ho w thi s nitroge

n blanketing proces s i s conducte d an d stat e th e reaso n fo r th e nitrogen blanketing . Nitrogen Blanketing is used when mixing sheet

molding compound

(SMC) paste in Little Ford mixers at Budd Company facilities where SMC

is manufactured

A nitrogen/oxygen mixture is metered from a stationary 8500 lb capacity storage tank to the mixervia plastic tubing using a regulatorand

gas meterbox. The gas contains approximately 96% nitrogen and 4% oxygen. The regulatorsends this gas mixture to the mixer until the pressure equalizes at a pressure of

approximately 3.5 ounces persquare inch. The nitrogen blanket remains in place at this pressure during mixing. Nitrogen blanketing is conducted to prevent

moisture from condensing on the resin which would significantly decrease the quality of the SMC manufactured

by the facility. Nitrogen blanketing also hos the additional effect of reducing HA? emissions

from the mixing

process. INFORMATIO N I S ACCURAT E 

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Mr . Vino d C . Sha

h - Th e Budd Compan

y Jun e 1 & 24,199 8 Pag e Tw o 2. ) D o yo u us e nitrogen blanketin g i n an y o f your resin storag

e containers for an y reason ? I f so , pleas e describ e carefully ho w thi s nitroge n blanketin

g proces s i s conducte d and stat e th e reaso n for th e nitrogen blanketing . Nitrogen blanketing is Used on all resin storage _a_]_l

using the same method

and for the same reasons discussed in response to question I.) above. 3. ) I s you r facilit

y subjec tt o an y federal , stat

e o r local regulation orpermi tconditio n tha t requires di e us e o f

nitrogen blanketing ? Mr. Shah indicated

that while he thought

that nitrogen blanketing was good engineering practice, he was not

aware of any federal, state or

local regulation orpermit

condition that required the Budd Company to use nitrogen blanketing. 4. ) Ar e yo u awar

e o f th e effects (i f

any ) o f nitroge n blanketing o n HAPemissions fro m resi n storag e orresi n mixing ? I f so , pleas e discus s th e effect s o f nitrogen blanketin g o n HA P emissions . Pleas e indicat e you r sourc

e o f infonnatio n for mi s discussion . Informatio n source s ca n b e actua

l testin g o n mixer

s (or storage containers ) wit h an d withou tnitroge n blanketin g or simpl y your persona l experienc

e and/o r th e experience o f

othe r individual s tha

t wor k a x you r facilities . Mr. Shah indicated

that while Budd

Company had

not conducted

any studies oremission testing, he

felt that it was reasonable to assume that HAP emissions were reduced due to the nitrogen blanketing

process, since the nitrogen would form a pressure blanket

that could not readily be penetrated

by the styrene vapors that would ordinarily be given off

from the mixing process orfrom resin storage tanks.

Mr. Sha h note d tha

twhil e nitrogen blanketing i s use d fo rth e overwhelmin g majorit y o f th e resi n mixin g conducte d b y th e Bud d Company , the compan y occasionall y use s tw o Cowles-typ e mixer s for variou s reasons . Sinc e thes e tw o mixer s ar e ope n durin

g mixin g operations , th e us e o f nitroge n blanketin g i s no tfeasibl e durin g thei r operation . A s such , th e nitroge n blanketin g proces s i s no tuse d fo r thes e tw o mixers .

INFORMATION I S ACCURAT E ^'" ^ Q-* -



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