Toxics Use Reduction Case Studies
TURA Data Review Cable & Wire Industry Sector, 2002.
|
| TURI Methods & Policy Report No. 22. Facilities in the Cable & Wire industry employed various toxics use reduction techniques. The predominant technique employed was "Improved Operation & Maintenance of Production Unit Equipment & Methods" which was reported in 45% of the reduction entries. In addition, 80% of the reduction entries occurred during the "Processing Operations" stage of the production operations lifecycle. Download PDF file (256.49 kB) |
Alternative Coating Systems, Intelicoat, 2002.
|
| Employing green chemistry thinking, InteliCoat developed product lines that utilize non-solvent based coatings and reaction conditions, including water-based and UV-curable coatings, to significantly reduce the amount of toxic organic chemicals it uses and releases annually. InteliCoat presented information on its financial and environmental decision-making process for switching its primary product lines and the associated impact of the changes made for the company. Download PDF file (229.08 kB) |
Coyne Textile Services. 2002.
|
| Coyne Textile Services, an industrial laundry service, used simple but effective toxics use reduction techniques that resulted in reductions of over 19,000 pounds of chemicals and conservation of 2 million gallons of water. This translates into over $25,000 in savings from the reduction of chemical use and wash loads, plus additional savings from water conservation. Their success in developing these new techniques has established Coyne Textile Services as a leader among their competition. Download PDF file (127.59 kB) |
Inner-Tite Corporation. 2001.
|
| Inner-Tite Corporation replaced its existing parts degreasing equipment with two entirely enclosed Forenta degreasing units. The new degreasing equipment has reduced air emissions of trichloroethylene (TCE) by 97% and will save the company over $12,000 annually in avoided chemical purchases. Download PDF file (162.59 kB) |
BOC Edwards. 2001.
|
| To improve quality of service and environmental, health and safety performance, BOC Edwards installed an enclosed, automated wash system and closed-loop wastewater treatment unit at its pump-remanufacturing center in Wilmington, MA. The new system recycles nearly 100% of the process water used to clean pump components and decreases waste sludge by approximately 80% compared to previous operations. Download PDF file (134.67 kB) |
Hampden Papers. 2001.
|
| In an ongoing effort to limit emissions and reduce use of hazardous chemicals, Hampden Papers spent four years researching, developing, testing and implementing a new coatings formulation used in over 70% of the company's manufacturing capabilities. The new formulation helps Hampden Papers reduce annual VOC emissions by 4-6 tons. More significantly, the change eliminates the use of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and thereby frees the company from filing requirements under both the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) and Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Section 313. Download PDF file (22.92 kB) |
Integration of Pollution Prevention and Occupational Health and Safety. 2000.
|
| TURI Technical Report No. 50. This study focuses on aspects of the relationship between pollution prevention (P2) and occupational health. It evaluates the effects of pollution prevention intervention programs (i.e., toxics use reduction) on worker safety and health at three Massachusetts printed wire board manufacturing facilities. Most important, it focuses on primary prevention (in the form of P2) and how this model benefits both the environment and the worker. In addition, it provides useful feedback on what motivates companies to approach environmental and occupational compliance issues as a single concern. Download PDF file (245.63 kB) |
Elimination of Acid and Lead on Wire Strand Annealing and Galvanizing, Riverdale Mills Corp. 2000.
|
| TURI Technical Report No. 48. Requiring the addition of a new multi-wire strand galvanizing line to meet growing market demand, Riverdale Mills made the goals of toxics use reduction a large part of the operational requirements of the new line. The company sought to reduce or eliminate the chemicals conventionally used in the process, the byproducts generated and the energy required. These goals required the innovative re-thinking of a mature industrial process. Riverdale Mills chose an induction heating chamber for the annealing process, eliminating the use of lead in the conventional liquid lead annealing process. Following annealing, commercial hot-dip wire galvanizing operations typically use hydrochloric acid in a pickling process, and zinc ammonium chloride as a flux prior to immersion into the zinc bath. Modifying the annealing process and annealing within an inert atmosphere replaced both the pickling and the flux processes; these were replaced by an alkaline soap pre-wash and hot water rinse. Re-engineering the process to eliminate the need to re-heat the wire during processing achieved significant energy savings. Download PDF file (55.55 kB) |
Developing and Analyzing Lead-Free Soldering Processes for Printed Wiring Boards. 2000.
|
| TURI Technical Report No. 52. Researchers on this project formed an industry-led "UMASS Lead-Free Consortium" (the Consortium) of local and national companies to evaluate various emerging alternatives to lead-based solders and finishes. The consortium members donated expertise, time, materials and equipment to this project. The various alternatives to lead-bearing materials, surface finishes and manufacturing processes were evaluated as factors in a set of designed experiments, and compared the results to a baseline of standard leaded processes and materials, using the quality characteristics of visual, mechanical and thermal testing criteria. The Manufacturing Research Laboratory facilities at UMASS Lowell were utilized to test and analyze the performance of alternatives based on the principles of Design of Experiments. Results were analyzed using statistical techniques resulting in determining whether a particular factor was significant to the quality characteristic being measured. A theoretical percent contribution to the total quality characteristic was calculated for significant factors. Download PDF file (307.96 kB) |
Technology Application Analysis Template Utilizing SuparatorTM Thin Film Oil Recovery System. 1999.
|
| TURI Technical Report No. 47. The design of the Suparator incorporates an innovative adaptation of Bernoulli's Principle. (Fluid flow across an asymmetric foil causes a pressure differential to be applied along the surface of that foil. This pressure differential is the result of the differing fluid velocities required to maintain laminar flow across the asymmetric structure.) The Suparator is capable of recovering thin films of floating oil by utilizing the specific gravity differential between oil and water. The thin-film separation technology used by the Suparator was originally developed for the petroleum refining industry, which required a continuous high efficiency oil-water separation process. This proven technology was adapted to aqueous cleaning applications to address the need for a reliable and consistent oil-water separation method for modern, high-throughput aqueous cleaning processes. The flow rates and oil loadings associated with such modern, high-throughput aqueous cleaning processes often exceed the processing capability of traditional EOP techniques. Download PDF file (5.36 MB) |
Olympic Manufacturing. 1999.
|
| By installing a recycling system for the coolant used on their roll threading machines, Olympic Manufacturing was able to reduce coolant disposal by 75% and solid waste disposal by approximately 88%. Prior to installation and operation of this recycling system, Olympic was discarding machining coolant after two days of use, generating roughly 600 gallons of waste coolant and two 55-gallon barrels of solid waste each week. The reduction in waste saved the company about $38,000 annually. Download PDF file (21.27 kB) |
ESP Lock Products, Inc. 1999.
|
| In 1997, the company replaced highly volatile lubricating oils used in making key blanks with a non-VOC lubricant derived from vegetable oil. Ultra-low volume misting units were installed to apply the new oil, These two changes completely eliminated 10.9 tons/year of VOC emissions, achieved a net savings of $20,500/year in materials purchasing cost, significantly limited worker exposure to hazardous chemicals, and freed ESP from air quality and flammable storage compliance requirements. Download PDF file (44.45 kB) |
<< Previous |
Next >> |
