Specific Issues Isopropyl alcohol was chosen as the material to replace CFC 113 for precision cleaning operations. An enclosed booth is used to pressure spray the alcohol onto and through the hardware being cleaned. Alcohol best met the required criteria and Martin Marietta has over twenty years of experience designing alcohol systems and using low pressure alcohol spray for cleaning components. Alcohol has a number of concerns which were addressed in design of the system. These concerns were addressed during the demonstration program.
Isopropyl alcohol has a low flashpoint.
This is accomplished by the high turnover of air in the chamber and the use of a blower in the exhaust stack to evacuate the chamber atmosphere. Several systems currently under consideration include activated carbon recovery, incineration, or barrier membrane technology. Final selection is planned by November 1992 and will be sized and designed in the same timeframe. Uses for the spent alcohol must be found to reduce or eliminate disposal as a hazardous waste. Alcohol will be reused in the cleaning system through a distillation process.