Laser Strip: A Portable Hand-Held Laser Stripping Device for Reducing VOC, Toxic and Particulate Emissions - December 2009 (no appendices)

This project was conducted under a grant by the California Air Resources Board of the California Environmental Protection Agency under the Innovative Clean Air Technology Program (ICAT.) This project involved testing and demonstrating a portable laser device in four stripping applications where such a laser system could be used. The laser successfully stripped a variety of different paints applied to a range of substrates. The project also included performing a cost analysis of using a laser for stripping in the four applications and comparing the cost of using the device to the cost of using the most commonly used conventional stripping method. The results indicate that the laser stripping technology holds promise for some applications.

This project was sponsored by US EPA Region IX. It focused on developing and testing safer alternative methods for cleaning energized electrical equipment. Historically, halogenated solvents have been used for cleaning both energized and non-energized electrical equipment. These solvents contribute to ozone depletion, global warming or are carcinogens or reproductive toxins. The findings indicate that for non-energized electrical equipment cleaning, any process or non-halogenated material can be used. Alternatives that were tested included water-based cleaners, soy based cleaners and acetone cleaners. For cleaning mechanism cabinets, with a small residual current, water-based and acetone cleaners can be used as long as workers clean carefully. A carbon dioxide cleaning method called the Sno-Gun was effective for removing dust from these cabinets. Insulators and other energized electrical equipment can be cleaned with a variety of alternatives including; high-pressure deionized water, corn cob or limestone blasting and carbon dioxide pellet blasting. The alternatives that were identified, developed and demonstrated during this project are much safer from a health and environmental standpoint than the halogenated solvents.

This project was sponsored by Cal/EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). There may be as many as 8,000 autobody shops in California and nearly all are small businesses. IRTA recruited seven autobody facilities to work on pollution prevention measures during the project and used information on two additional shops from earlier projects. The project focused in four areas:

• demonstrating low-VOC, low toxicity alternative cleanup materials;
• developing and demonstrating low-voc, low toxicity alternative thinners;
• evaluating emerging alternative waterborne base coats; and
• testing and evaluating an alternative sanding technology

The results of the project demonstrate that low-VOC, low toxicity alternative cleanup materials and thinners based on acetone are effective. The results also highlight the successful conversion to waterborne base coats for two of the participating facilities. The alternative sanding technology that minimizes dust generation was tested in three facilities and two of the facilities adopted the technology.

This project was sponsored by the California Air Resources Board under a program established by Assembly Bill 998. The project featured five textile cleaning facilities that had converted to or adopted water-based or carbon dioxide alternatives to perchloroethylene (PERC). The document includes cost analysis for three of the facilities that have been using the alternative technologies for more than one year. IRTA held showcase events at four of the five participating facilities during the project and arranged and held an EXPO at Southern California Edison's CTAC facility. IRTA developed a fact sheet on safer alternative spotting chemicals based on research performed in an earlier project sponsored by Cal/EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control and EPA.

Tert-Butyl Acetate: Safer Alternatives in Cleaning and Thinning Applications -2007 (No Appendices)

This project was sponsored by U.S. EPA Region 9. Tert-Butyl Acetate (TBAC) has been designated as exempt from VOC regulations by EPA. It forms a metabolite called tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) that is a carcinogen. This document describes and analyzes safer alternatives to TBAC in cleaning and thinning applications. Safer alternatives include acetone and acetone blends, water-based cleaners and soy based cleaners. The results indicate that there is no reason to exempt TBAC from VOC regulations in California.

Low-VOC, Low Toxicity Alternatives for Consumer Product Cleanup and Thinning Solvents - 2007 (No Appendices)

This project was sponsored by Cal/EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control. It involved working with wood furniture refinishers, autobody shops, architectural contractors and various manufacturers of metal parts. Low-VOC safer alternatives were tested for cleaning up coating application equipment like spray guns, brushes and rollers and for thinning the coatings. Alternatives that performed well and were cost-effective included acetone, water-based cleaners and soy based cleaners.

Spotting Chemicals: Alternatives to Perchloroethylene and Trichloroethylene in the Textile Cleaning Industry - 2007 (No Appendices)

 This project was sponsored by Cal/EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control and US EPA.  This project involved working with seven textile cleaning facilities that have adopted alternatives to PERC in dry cleaning. IRTA identified and developed safer spotting agents. Spotting agents that are used currently include trichloroethylene (TCE) and PERC. These chemicals are carcinogens and TCE is a VOC. The safer alternatives include water-based cleaners, soy based cleaners and acetone based cleaners. The cost analysis indicates that the alternatives are less costly than the spotting agents used today.

This project was sponsored by Cal/EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control.  The project involved working with 10 auto repair facilities in the southern California area to assist them in converting away from toxic and high VOC aerosol cleaners for at least a three month period.  Facilities decided to convert to various alternatives including spray bottles using water-based cleaners instead of aerosols, water-based brake cleaning systems in place of aerosols and alternative water-based, vegetable based and acetone low-VOC aerosols developed by IRTA.  The results demonstrated that auto repair shops can convert to low-VOC, low toxicity alternatives.

This project was sponsored by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).  It involved working with eight facilities to test low-VOC alternatives to vanishing oils and high VOC rust inhibitors.  The document combines the results of the testing during the SCAQMD project and an earlier project sponsored by EPA (see 2004 EPA project below).  The EPA project involved working with five facilities to identify, test and demonstrate alternative low-VOC lubricants.  The results of the two projects indicate that alternative water-based and vegetable based products are viable and cost effective.  The SCAQMD is considering developing a regulation on the industry. 

This project was sponsored by HESIS and U.S. EPA. The project involved evaluating and demonstrating safer alternatives for five solvents that are known or likely to be toxic. These include decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), parachlorobenzotrifluoride (PCBTF), n-propyl bromide (NPB), 1,2-trans-dichloroethylene (DCE) and N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP).  In each case, IRTA focused on the applications where the solvent is used widely or was likely to expose consumers, workers or community members. 

In this project, IRTA identified, tested and demonstrated alternative low-VOC materials and methods for cleaning ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) curable coating and adhesive application equipment. Four facilities participated in the project. The first facility, Sandberg Furniture, is a major wood furniture manufacturer. The company uses UV curable coatings in a flat wood coating operation. The second facility, Medtronic Diabetes, is a medical device manufacturer. Medtronic has several operations that use UV curable adhesives. The third facility, DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems, is an aerospace facility that uses a UV curable conformal coating for electronic devices. The fourth facility, Huhtamaki, applies an EB clear coating to consumer packaging.

 The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) contracted with IRTA to work with three screen printers to identify, test, develop and demonstrate alternative low toxicity, low-VOC cleanup materials. In an earlier project, sponsored by Cal/EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control and U.S. EPA, IRTA worked with nine screen printers to demonstrate alternatives. In the SCAQMD project, IRTA worked with three textile printers. The printers that participated in the two projects used a range of different inks and printed on a variety of different substrates. This report summarizes the results of both projects.

The Hazard Evaluation System and Information Services (HESIS) contracted with IRTA to identify and test alternative safer water-based aerosol cleaning products. The focus was on developing and testing alternative aerosol cleaners for four categories of automotive cleaning including engine degreasing, carburetor and fuel injection system cleaning, brake cleaning and general purpose degreasing. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) also contracted with IRTA to conduct a related project that involved investigating low-VOC, low toxicity alternatives and the research and testing for the HESIS project were expanded and enhanced. The reports prepared for CARB can be accessed on their website at http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm

In order to help develop low- or non-VOC technologies to comply with the provisions of SCAQMD Rule 1171 and to satisfy the AQMP’s goals, the District contracted with IRTA. Under the contract, IRTA investigated and tested low- and non-VOC alternatives in a variety of cleaning processes. The aim was to identify technologies that could be substituted for high VOC technologies used today in many types of cleaning. A link to the full report is on SCAQMD's website at http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/support.html#r1171

This project was sponsored by U.S. EPA under the Environmental Justice Pollution Prevention program. The aim of the project was to investigate, test and demonstrate alternatives to petroleum based VOC emitting lubricants and lubricants containing chlorinated paraffin additives. VOC emitting lubricants are petroleum based vanishing oils and lubricants that are diluted with VOC solvents. IRTA found effective alternatives for the eight facilities that participated in the project.

Effective alternatives were found in all of these applications.