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# OAR Box 

# 1814 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 35 ) ll-B-1 3

Docket Number: 

# A-88-0 2

Printed 11/7/2008 7:22:07

AM Sheet 35 of 63P. 2

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### -K-K-K 

## A-88-02

MIDWES T RESEARC H INSTITUT E

450 5 Creedmoo rRoa d Raleigh

. N C 2761. : Telephon e (919 ) 781-575 C

Date : Octobe r 21 , 198 6

(Finalize d Marc h4 , 1987 ) Subject : Sit e Visit—Reliabl e Platin g Work s

Chromium

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

Strait./'. V

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 visi t wa s t o determin e th e suitabilit y o f th e plan t fo r chromium

emission s testin g t o asses s th e effectivenes s o f a fume suppressan t t o inhibi t mistin g fro m a decorativ e chromium platin g bath .
II . Plac e an

d Dat e Reliabl e Platin g Work s 523 0 Sout h13t hStree t Milwaukee , Wisconsi n5322 1 (414 ) 271-573 1 Septembe r 4 , 198 6

III . Attendee s Reliabl e Platin g Work s Jef f Smith , Chemis t

U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y (EPA )

A l Vervaert , IS B Midwes t Researc hInstitut e Rand y Strai t

/P. 3

IV . Discussio n
W e arrive da t th e plan t a t 1:3 0 p.m . Th e visi t consiste do f a tou r o f th e platin g sho pan da discussio nabou t th e decorativ e chromiu m platin g operatio nan

dpossibl e emissio ntestin g t o asses s th e effectivenes s o f a fume suppressan t use dt o contro l mistin g fro m th e decorativ e chromiu m platin g bath . A . Genera l
Th e Reliabl e Platin g Work s plan t visite d1 s a jo bsho ptha t perform s decorativ e platin g o f pape r towe l fixtures , exercis e equipment , an dtubin g products . Th e sho poperate s 1 6 hour s pe r day , 5 day s pe r week , an d 5 2 week s pe r year . Annua l chromi c aci dconsumptio n1 s abou t 54 4 kilogram s (1,20 0 pounds) . Th e compan y als o operate s a decorativ e platin g jobsho p a t 64 4 Sout h5t hStreet , Milwaukee , Wisconsi n53204 . B . Proces s Informatio n Ther e i s on e decorativ e chromiu m platin g line a t thi s plant . Th e U n e 1 s equippe dwit hthre e automati c hoist s tha t transfe r eac hrac k o f part s throug ha serie s o f tanks . Seventee nrack s o f part s ar e plate dpe r hour . Th e platin g lin e consist s o f th e followin g tank s i nseries : 1 . M1l dcausti c soa pwit hsodiu m hydroxide ; 2 . Ho t causti c wit hrevers e curren t applied ; 3 . Wate r rinse ; 4 . Aci dpickl e wit h24 0 gram s pe r lite r (g/a ) (3 2 ounce s pe r gallo n [oz/gal] ) o f sulfuri c aci d(H 2 S0 4 ) ; 5 . Wate r rinse ; 6 . Ho t causti c wit hrevers e curren t applied ; 8 ! Aci ddi pwit h9 0 g/ a (1 2 oz/gal ) o f H 2 S0„ ; 9 . Wate r rinse ; 10 . Brigh t nicke l plat e wit h5 2 g/ a ( 7 oz/gal ) o f nicke l (tw o tanks) ; 11 . Wate r rins e (tw

o tanks) ; 12 . Aci ddi pwit h1 5 g/ a ( 2 oz/gal ) o f chromi c aci d(Cr0 3 ) ; 13 . Chromiu

m plat e wit h27 0 t o 28 5 g/ a (3 6 t o 3 8 oz/gal ) o f Cr0 3 ; 14 . Wate r rins e (five tanks) ; an d 15 . Drye r (on e tank) . Th e chromiu

m platin g tank i s 3. 0 meter s (m ) (1 0 fee t [ft] ) long , 0. 9 m ( 3 ft ) wide , an

d2. 4 m ( 8 ft ) dee pan

dcontain s abou t 6,06 0 liter s (1,60 0 gallons ) o f platin g solution . Th e platin g tank hold s on e rac k a t a time , an dth e platin g tim

e pe r rac k i s 8 0 seconds . Th e tank 1 s equippe d wit ha transformer/rectifie r tha t automaticall y adjust s th e amoun t o f curren t applie dbase donth e curren t density . Eachrac k firs t 1 s plate d fo r 1 0 second s a t 1 1 volt s an dfro m 6,00 0 t o 8,00 0 ampere s an dthe nfo r 7 0 second s a t 8 volt s an d5,20 0 amperes . Th e decorativ e platin g bat hi s supplie db y M& T Chemical s (M&T-283) . Th e bat hcontain s chromi c ad d1na concentratio nrangin g fro m 27 0 t o 28 5 g/ a (3 6 t o 3 8 oz/gal ) o f platin g solutio nan da sulfuri c aci dP. 4

an dfluorid e catalyst . Th e norma l operatin g temperatur e o f th e bat hi s 44° C (112°F )
C . Emission s Contro l
Th e plan t add s a chemica l fume suppressan t t o th e platin g solutio n t o reduc e chromi c aci dmistin g fro m th e bath . Th e fume suppressant , M& T Fumetro l 205 , i s supplie db y M& T Chemicals . Th e fume suppressan t provide s a foa m blanke t ove r th e surfac e o f th e bat han dcontain s a fluorinate d wettin g agen t tha t reduce s th e surfac e tensio no f th e bath . Fro m 3 t o 4 day s woul db e neede dt o deplet e th e fum e suppressan t totall y fro m th e platin g bath . Th e chromiu

m platin g tank i s equippe dwit ha push-pul l ventilatio n system installe do nth e end s o f th e tank . Th e pus hsid e consist s o f a pip e tha t i s abou t 5 centimeter s (cm ) ( 2 inche s [1n.] ) 1 ndiamete r an d 0. 9 m ( 3 ft ) long an

dcontain s 1 8 hole s tha t ar e eac hspace dabou t 0. 5 cm ( 2 1n. ) apart . Ai r i s pushe dacros s th e lengt ho f th e tan k t o a hood . Th e pul l sid e hood1 s 0. 9 m ( 3 ft ) wid e an

d1. 2 m ( 4 ft ) highan

dcontain s fou r row s o f slot s wit hfou r slot s pe r row . Th e pul l sid e i s vente dt o a vertica l flow

packed-be dscrubbe r manufacture db y Aerovent , Incorporated . Th e ga s flow rat e o f th e scrubbe r i s abou t 85 0 cubi c meter s pe r minut e (30,00 0 cubi c fee t pe r minute) . A natmospheri c evaporato r i s use dt o reclai m

chromi c aci dfro

m th e wate r rins e tank s followin g th e chromiu m platin g tank . Th e evaporato r exhaus t als o 1 s vente dt o th e packed-be dscrubber . D . Conclusion s Th e plan t i s a jobsho ptha t perform s decorativ e chromiu m platin g o f towe l fixtures , exercis e equipment , an dtubin g products . Emission s fro m th e chromiu

m platin g tank ar e controlle db y a fume suppressan t an da packed-be dscrubber . Ther e wer e no visibl e emission s from th e chromiu

m platin g tank durin g th e visit . Emission s testin g o f th e fum e suppressan t a t thi s plan t i s no t recommende dbecaus e th e ductwor k configuratio nbetwee nth e ventilatio n hoodan dscrubbe r wil l no t allow fo r th e locatio no f a tes t por t tha t wil l mee t th e minimu

m condition s fo r testing , whic hrequir e th e tes t por t t o b e locate da t leas t tw

o duc t diameter s downstream an d0. 5 duc t diameter s upstream o f th e neares t flow disturbance . Ther e onl y i s abou t 0. 9 m ( 3 ft ) o f straigh t ductwork , an dth e ductwor k 1 s rectangula r i nshap e an d tapered , whic hwil l no t allow fo r unifor

m ga s flow

distribution . Reliabl e Platin g Work s personne l wer e ver y cooperativ e durin g th e visit , an

dth e informatio nprovide dwil l b e mos t usefu l t o th e chromiu m study .