Waste Treatment
Every cleaner - be it acetone or water - generates waste. Domestically, wash water is drained away and treated at the local water treatment facility.With acetone, because of the way it works in dissolving the waste and remaining in solution, the waste is either put into drums and disposed of by specialist hazardous waste companies, or redistilled. Distillation is a complex, expensive, power intensive process which many companies have now abandoned. Hazardous waste removal is expensive and becoming more so.
The ideal is to minimise the waste by only disposing of the unwanted waste resin, and not the reusable cleaner. In this respect alone, the Chymera cleaners are ideal.
Acrastrip Waste Treatment Process
fig.1 Acrastrip Waste Treatment Process
Whether you are using Acrastrip at room temperature or warmed, the waste treatment process is the same. The used Acrastrip cleaning fluid is simply left overnight. The waste separates into a clearly defined layer at the bottom of the wash tank which can either be removed through a tap at the bottom of the tank, or the top (larger) layer siphoned off. The waste layer is stored in a drum and then disposed of when full.
On average, compared to acetone, you will generate only 20% of the waste - i.e. an 80% reduction in waste costs immediately! And the waste is non-flammable, non-toxic and hence non-hazardous - saving you even more over an equivalent drum of acetone.
RST-5 Waste Treatment Process
fig.2 RST-5 Waste Treatment Process
With RST-5, the waste does not dissolve in the cleaner, but forms a suspension. This needs to be filtered off and the liquid reused. Each day, add water to replace evaporation, then when the RST-5 has been well used - say at the end of the week, simply filter off the suspended waste resins and reuse the water.
This is easily done by collecting the RST-5 liquid and heating them to around 70oC for 1 to 1.5 hours. The waste resins start forming insoluble clouds of large, easily filtered particles. Filter and reuse all the liquid - just add a small amount of RST-5 concentrate to return the pH to 10 - 10.5.
After several reuses, the water may need changing, but with cheap, liquid flocculants, all the remaining resin is easily filtered out and the water can be disposed of by normal means. All that is required is the space to put a bath where the waste can be heated and subsequently filtered. This is done using a polyester "Big Bag" suspended over a 1000 litre IBC container. The filter costs a few pounds and can be easily disposed of with other non-hazardous sold waste in a skip.
fig.3 1,000 litre Polyester "Big Bag" |
fig.4 Filter suspended over 1,000 litre IBC |
In other systems provided by Chymera, the RST-5 is continually pumped around a trough and filtered through different filter media. This means the water rarely needs removing.
fig.5 Pumped trough with integral heating unit and filter
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fig.6 Integral coarse gravel filter
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Chymera can also supply cleaning stations with adjustable drain outlets to allow removal of waste that may have settled in the bottom of the unit.
fig.7 Stand alone wash station with adjustable waste outlet. |
fig.8 Adjustable waste outlet. |
(HERE?)To find the best solution for your needs, contact us and we will arrange a suitable time and date to visit and talk through your options. The equipment and process required depends on your own particular circumstances. Just contact Chymera on 02476 694702 or e-mail [email protected] to arrange a trial.