# OAR Box 1313 Preppedby LaTeiaShed



## Document

Number: 

# 14 ) l-B- 7

Docket Number: 

# A-88-0 2

Printed 6/12/20089:03:27

AM Sheet 14 of 99 P. 1P. 2

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. MIDWES T STITUT E ^JLs * rf DJK I UL-fb-T 450 5 Creedmoo rRoa d 

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Raleigh , N.C

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

# il» Y F

Date : Apri l 26 , 198 5

(Finalize dNovembe r 1 , 1985 ) Subject : Sit e Visit—Genera l Plating , Incorporate d

Surve y o f Chromiu

m Emissio nSources—Chromiu m Platin g EPA Contrac t 68-02-3817 ; ESE D Projec t 85/0 2 MR I Projec t 7711- L
From : Bar bDuletsky fr^
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 no nth e decorativ e chromiu m platin g operatio na t th e subjec t plan t andt o determin e th e suitabilit y o f th e plan t fo r chromiu m emission s testing . II . Plac e andDat e Genera l Plating , Incorporate d 654 7 St . Pau l Avenu e " :

### '~-' ' "P- —TM.-.-- . - • Detroit , Michiga n4820 7 '"• i' ; 

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### „ , . . }.] (313 ) 579-263 9 ;\ • , l ! Marc h15 , 198 5 ! 

### Z JAN i 8199 1 •! • III . Attendee s

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### Genera l Plating , Incorporate d' '
RonGuidebeck , Presiden t .. . Bil l Martin , Genera l Manage r U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y (EPA )
A l Vervaert , Lea dEnginee r Midwes t Researc hInstitut e (MRI )
Bar bDuletsky

/ • Principa l Laboratorie s 42 5 Volke rBoulevard

. Kansa s City

. Missour i 6411 0P. 3

IV . Discussio n
W e arrive da t th e plan t a t 10:0 0 a.m . Th e visi t bega nwit ha discussio nabou t decorativ e chromiu m platin g a t th e Genera l Plating , Incorporated , plant . A tou r o f th e platin g facilitie s followe dth e discussion . Operatin g informatio nonth e chromiu m platin g tank s wa s provide ddurin g th e plan t tour .
A . Genera l
Genera l Plating , Incorporated , plate s bumper s fo r us e i nth e automotiv e industry . Th e plan t operate s two automate ddecorativ e platin g line s 2 4 hour s pe r day , 5 day s pe r week , 5 2 week s pe r year . Th e averag e productio nrat e i s 3,00 0 bumper s pe r day . Th e plan t employ s abou t 10 0 people .
B . Proces s
Th e tw o platin g line s a t thi s plan t ar e identifie da s Lin e Nos . 3 and 4 . Lin e No . 3 wa s installe d i nDecembe r 1984 , andwa s operatin g th e da y o f th e visit . Lin e No . 4 wa s no t i noperatio nbecaus e on e o f it s tank s wa s bein g replaced . Eac hlin e consist s o f abou t 1 5 tank s tha t contai nvariou s cleaning , rinsing , andplatin g solutions . Automaticall y controlle dconveyor s transfe r bar s (racks ) o f bumper s t o eac htan k i n sequence . Eac hsyste m i s programme dt o complet e 1 5 bars , containin g 2 t o 8 bumper s pe r bar , ever y hour . Ther e i s on e chromiu m platin g tan k o neac hplating line . Th e tank s ar e line d wit hrubbe r andmeasur e 8 fee t (ft ) i nlength , 4 f t i n width , 6 f t i ndepth , andhol d1,20 0 gallon s o f platin g solution . Th e solutio ncontain s chromi c aci di na concentratio no f 3 0 ounce s pe r gallo n(oz/gal) . Sulfuri c aci di s use da s th e primar y catalys t i na 150: 1 (chromi c acid:sulfuri c acid ) ratio . A smal l amoun t o f fluorid e i s use d a s a secondar y catalyst . Th e tota l chromi c aci dconsumptio nfo r bot hline s i s abou t 30 0 pound s pe r day . Typically , a ba r remain s i non e o f th e chromiu m plating tank s fo r 2. 5 minutes , althoug hth e electrode s ar e energize dfo r onl y 1. 5 minutes . Th e norma l operatin g temperatur e i s 115°F . Th e electrode s ar e energize d b y a separat e transformer/rectifie r se t o neac htan k tha t automaticall y control s the.operatin g voltag e andcurrent . Durin g a typica l platin g cycle , th e tank s operat e a t 2. 5 volt s (V ) andles s tha n3 ampere s (A ) fo r 3 0 second s andthe nincreas e t o 1 1 V and9,00 0 A

fo r 1 minute . Th e rectifier s ar e automati c an dwil l provid e a s muc hcurren t a s eac hba r needs . C . Contro l

A fum e suppressan t i s use di nth e chromiu m platin g solutio nt o inhibi t th e releas e o f hydroge nga s bubbles . Th e suppressant , whic hi sP. 4

calle d"Aldolyte, " i s manufacture db y Udylite . Simila r type s o f fum e suppressant s ar e available throug hQuinte c andHarshaw . Thes e manufacturer s advertis e tha t th e us e o f fum e suppressant s retard s fumin g b y 7 0 t o 8 0 percent . Th e chromiu

m platin g tan k onlin e No . 3 di dno t hav e a nemissio n captur e o r contro l syste m a t th e time o f th e sit e visit , althoug hth e genera l platin g are a wa s ventilate d b y roof-mounte dexhaus t fans . (Th e company ha s sinc e installe dhood s andductwor k o nth e chromiu m plating tank , andemission s ar e directe dt o a Hartzel l fiberglas s No . 600 0 scrubber) . Th e chromiu

m plating tan k o nlin e No . 4 ha s a ventilatio nhoo d alon g on e edg e throug hwhic hemission s ar e draw nt o a contro l devic e o n th e roof . Th e contro l devic e i s a Tri-Mi r FS- 9 fum e scrubber . Th e devic e wa s installe d i n1972 . I t ha s a desig nga s flo w rat e o f 18,00 0 standar dcubi c fee t pe r minut e (scfm) . Becaus e lin e No . 4 wa s no t operatin g durin g th e visit , th e effectivenes s o f thi s emissio n captur e andcontro l syste m coul dno t b e determined .
D . Conclusion s
Genera l Plating , Incorporated , i s a larg e jo bsho pperformin g decorativ e chromiu

m platin g o f automobil e bumpers . Emission s fro m th e chromiu m platin g tan k onlin e No . 3 ar e inhibite db y th e additio no f a fume suppressant . Althoug ha fume suppressan t i s used , th e presenc e o f chromi c aci dmis t wa s noticeabl e i nth e immediat e are a o f th e tank . Becaus e ther e wa s no emissio ncaptur e o r contro l system onlin e No . 3 durin g th e sit e visit , anemissio nsourc e tes t coul dno t b e recommended . Th e effectivenes s o f th e emissio ncaptur e andcontro l syste m onlin e No . 4 andit s suitabilit y a s a tes t sit e coul dno t be accuratel y determine d durin g th e visi t becaus e i t wa s no t operating .