Toxics Use Reduction Case Studies
TUR Case Study Summary Spreadsheet
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| A summary of toxics use reduction case studies from the TURA Program. Includes year of study, sector, chemicals, and TUR techniques. Download file (53.00 kB) |
Delaware Valley Corporation. 2008.
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| In 2006, Delaware Valley Corporation installed an air-to-air heat exchanger at their Tewksbury facility to recover heat for both process and space heating from two of their natural gas-fired textile heat-setting ovens. It cost $27,000 to purchase and install the new system. The company expected about a one-year payback from savings in gas related expenses. However, OTA worked with the company and identified utility incentives available from their gas provider, which reduced the payback period to eight months. In addition to cutting energy costs, the heat exchanger installation has resulted in more comfortable working conditions for their employees, because the workplace is now maintained at a constant, uniform temperature. Delaware Valley has been so pleased with their heat recovery system that they have gone on to install a second heat exchanger on the third oven, and are investigating the installation of yet another at their Lawrence facility, to capture waste heat from all their ovens. Finally, savings from the heat recovery system will be reinvested to implement future energy related projects. Download PDF file (4.76 MB) |
Seaman Paper Company. 2008.
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| Seaman Paper Company is a leader in resource conservation that has significantly reduced energy use and fuel consumption over the last 10 years by making changes to its operations. The company implemented an energy conservation program that reduced electricity use by 2.6 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year and oil use by nearly 1.7 million gallons per year. In addition, Seaman is installing a backpressure steam turbine/generator, which will enable the cogeneration of electricity and process steam and lead to further energy savings. All of these changes have saved Seaman Paper more than $1.5 million in yearly operating costs. Download PDF file (82.90 kB) |
Bio Based Floor Finish Stripping and Hard Surface Cleaning Project |
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| The purpose of this project was to evaluate bio-based replacements at a VA Hospital against products currently in used at that facility. The first phase evaluated a heavy duty floor finish stripper. The second phase evaluated hard surface cleaning products. Both phases were based on the preliminary laboratory testing previously at the facility. Read more... | |
Brooks Instrument, LLC. Lead-free Electronics Implementation. 2008.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 59. During 2007 and 2008, the Institute worked with representatives from Benchmark Electronics, Brooks Instrument, and Emerson Process Management to conduct and document a lead-free electronics implementation for a high reliability electronics product that is exempt from the European RoHS Directive. The research information provided by the New England Lead-free Consortium, as well as the information contained in this case study, is of high value to companies that need to transition to lead-free electronics for their high reliability products. The Institute's university research program continues to fund research efforts to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in the electronics industry. Download PDF file (5.56 MB) |
South Coast Technical Products. 2007.
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| SouthCoast Technical Products made changes to their operating processes which brought the company into compliance with Massachusetts environmental regulations and led to significant reductions in water use. By switching from an elaborate ultra filtration unit to a simple bag filtration process, the company was able to reduce more than 200,000 gallons of water and save $37,000 per year. Download PDF file (119.92 kB) |
Import Case: Formaldehyde in Construction. 2006.
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| Formaldehyde was discovered in 1867. It is a widely used basic building block chemical that is now in a plethora of products and processes including adhesives, hard surface building materials, insulation, floor finish, and composites. In 2003, 4 million metric tons (MMT) of 37% Formaldehyde was used in the US and 24 MMT was used worldwide. Formaldehyde-free products have slowly become more available. Initially imported from specialty manufacturers to meet niche consumer demand by chemical sensitive individuals and green-motivated builders, such products are increasingly developed by domestic and larger companies as demand increases. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), founded in 1993, publicly launched the Leadership in Energy and Environment (LEED) certification in 2000. In 1997 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Energy committee expanded to become the Committee on the Environment. Many other green building groups have emerged. LEED in particular has advanced green building, creating "bragging rights" for green firms and owners. Green-building cost premium estimates have reduced from +20% to +2-5% in up front cost (that pays for itself) . This change is attributed to greater availability of green technology and building materials. Download PDF file (337.70 kB) |
Local Case: Perchloroethylene in Dry Cleaning. 2006.
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| Perc was introduced as a drycleaning solvent in the late 1930s. It first replaced other synthetic solvents, and then gradually replaced petroleum derived solvents until it became the dominant solvent in the early 1960s. Perc was effective, reusable, noncorrosive, inexpensive, nonflammable and less toxic than existing alternatives. After regulation in 1993, a number of alternatives began to be developed (petroleum or hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, silicone based, and "wet" cleaning). However, adoption of these alternatives is slow. Perc is still used by over 70 % of drycleaners nationally. With better practices and equipment, the amount of Perc the industry consumes has declined dramatically. Download PDF file (172.59 kB) |
Export Case: Lead Free Electronics Industry. 2006
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| Work over the last several years to develop lead-free solder alloys has identified numerous technical challenges. Because no "drop-in" lead-solder replacement has been found, lead-free requires a change in design of whole products. Industry has been actively working on developing alternatives, with many industry consortia sharing R and D resources. In 1997 one of the largest consortia conducted a study of 80 lead-free solder alternatives, recommending 3 alloys for further study. However the rapid time frame of EU legislation, combined with technical difficulties, concerns that new solders will become future regulatory targets, and difficulty agreeing on either a lead-free solder or a standard definition of "lead free", have made for a difficult transition with many companies scrambling to meet EU guidelines. Download PDF file (124.51 kB) |
Improved Lead-Free Wire and Cable Insulation Performance Using Nanocomposites. 2006
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| TURI Technical Report No. 58. The goal of this project is the production of high-performance, low-cost lead-free PVC compounds for wire and cable insulation, to address the serious environmental issues surrounding the use of their leaded counterparts and the lack of market acceptance of current alternatives to PVC. Clay nanocomposite technology has been chosen as a means to achieve this goal, as it has been demonstrated that such systems can improve a variety of properties relevant to the performance of wire and cable insulation (thermal stability, barrier properties, flame retardance, etc.). Here we report on the characterization of transparent, lead-free PVC nanocomposites produced by melt blending with organoclay loadings of 2, 5, and 10 wt%. Structural studies carried out via x-ray diffraction indicate significant intercalation as well as orientation of the clay sheets in the flow direction. From MOCON testing, nanocomposites with 2 wt% clay showed a five-fold increase in oxygen barrier. While a substantial improvement in thermal stability was not observed in TGA experiments, the greatly improved oxygen barrier properties may nevertheless enhance thermal stability in real-world settings. From mechanical properties testing, the modulus of the PVC/nanocomposite was found to increase with clay content; nevertheless, 2 wt% was found to be the optimal loading level due to the degradation of ultimate properties with higher clay content. Download PDF file (579.60 kB) |
Learning from the Solutia EMS Experience. 2005.
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| TURI Methods and Policy Report No. 24. The Solutia, Inc. Indian Orchard Plant in Springfield, Massachusetts (Solutia IO) is currently improving an existing environmental management system (EMS) and certifying it to the ISO 14001 standard, primarily because its customers are demanding it. Solutia is a leader in developing chemical application solutions for its customers, including manufacturing laminated safety glass, performance films, pharmaceutical chemicals, water treatment chemicals, heat transfer fluids, aviation hydraulic fluids, and nylon products. In the fall of 2004, Solutia IO received a grant from the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) to host a series of meetings for a work group of peers -- lead staff from other Massachusetts companies working on EMS projects. Download PDF file (478.07 kB) |
Columbia Manufacturing, Inc. 2005.
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| Columbia Manufacturing Inc. in Westfield, Massachusetts eliminated the use of 150,000 gallons of water per day in their plating operations. Columbia saved $80,000 in sewer fees, among other cost savings, by upgrading the plating equipment and integrating a zero discharge wastewater treatment system. The new, efficient plating line enables the company to recover and reuse 98% of the plating chemistry resulting in a drastic reduction of hazardous waste generation. Download PDF file (22.13 kB) |
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