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Product category: Materials and components
News Release from: Mykal Industries | Subject: Safe solutions for industrial degreasing
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 22 July 2004

Safe solutions for industrial degreasing

A new catalogue covers every aspect of industrial degreasing from simple maintenance products to sophisticated process degreasing solutions.

Cleaning and degreasing are an essential part of daily life for many businesses in the UK, ranging from simple maintenance applications to sophisticated, automated process operations vital to the engineering, manufacturing and assembly of components In the past, highly volatile traditional solvents have been used for anything from the cleaning of a critical component in a GBP 200 million aircraft to the final wiping of a microwave oven prior to dispatch

Mykal Industries has produced a definitive guide to industrial degreasing with its "Safe solutions for industrial degreasing" catalogue.

The catalogue covers every aspect of industrial degreasing from simple maintenance products to sophisticated process degreasing solutions and is a must for anyone involved in industrial cleaning or degreasing.

Since the 1980s, environmental legislation has dictated to industry which chemicals and processes are acceptable in a bid to protect not just the environment but also the workforce using them.

One of the most recent bouts of legislation occurred 2002 with the implementation of CHIP 3 for material safety datasheets.

CHIP 3 brought in new symbols relating to hazards for plant and animal life, and even led to the reclassification of certain chemicals, increasing their carcinogenic hazard rating.

This has had a serious impact on the thousands of UK businesses using solvents on a daily basis.

Since the increases in legislation began, companies have been looking for degreasing or cleaning chemicals that offer a safer working environment, the same or higher levels of cleanliness for finished components, lower emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), easier disposal and cost effectiveness.

Many consider this to be the "Holy Grail" of the degreasing industry.

Alternatives to the more traditional solvents such as acetone, methylene chloride and isopropyl alcohol are many and varied.

They include citrus-based degreasers, cleaners containing enzymes as well as variations on the more traditional solvents.

The advantages of this new breed of "safe" degreasers, particularly the citrus-based ones, are many.

Their effectiveness at removing all types of oils and greases easily is due to their lower volatility, allowing a longer contact time with the contaminant and reducing VOC emissions.

Their higher OELs (occupational exposure limits) allow operators to work safely with little or no restrictive personnel protection equipment, while the recycling nature of the products offer much towards the protection of the environment.

The cost effectiveness of these products can be seen in the reduction in quantities used; typically 80% less than a traditional volatile solvent, helping businesses reduce their solvent usage.

However, the tightening of legislation, and the need for safe degreasers to become more efficient in terms of time and cost, has meant chemical manufacturers have had to create further new technologies and processes beyond solvents to replace completely some hazardous systems.

One area that has seen a large growth because of this is aqueous cleaning technology.

Previously water-based or dilutable products have been dismissed as too weak or incompatible, particularly with metals.

However, the rise in popularity of automated hot spray washers and ultrasonic cleaning systems has lead to the development of water-based degreasers, specifically for the cleaning and pre-treatment of metal components.

The advantages and benefits of these types of cleaners include operating at elevated temperatures to ensure a high level of cleaning performance and aid in improving drying times.

Aqueous cleaners also operate at concentration levels as low as 2% but are powerful enough to sustain repeated use before needing to be replaced, leading to overall reductions in chemicals bought, used and kept in stock.

More than that, they are far safer to handle and dispose of than traditional caustic or high alkaline solutions.

Of course, the effects of health and safety legislation reach far beyond just oils and greases.

Chemicals for the removal of polyurethane, adhesives, resins, inks, paints, lapping and polishing compounds, to name a few, have also been forced to move with the times.

Issues of flammability, odour, emissions and disposal have all brought about a re-examination of what is and is not acceptable.

Dedicated specialist solutions have now been individually formulated for dedicated cleaning applications, effective on specific soils but providing reduced VOC emissions, higher OELs and improved occupational health.

More importantly many of these new formulas can operate within existing process systems, thereby reducing the potential trauma of any changeover.

Many companies are understandably reluctant to change an established system, despite the pressures of health and safety laws, but in our experience many are simply unsure of where to go for advice or guidance.

However, with the help of a company like Mykal, businesses can find not only the right chemical solution but also the right process to maintain performance without sacrificing safety or cost efficiency.

The "Safe solutions for industrial degreasing" catalogue is at the heart of Mykal's desire to make it easy for users to choose and specify safe degreasing products.

In addition, Mykal's products come with approvals at the highest level from the MoD, aerospace and automotive markets and this is clearly highlighted in the catalogue. Request a free brochure from Mykal Industries ...

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