Industrial manufacturing companies should practice parts cleaning to protect all essential machinery components. Since this machinery costs thousands of dollars to purchase, companies should not overlook the parts cleaning process. The easiest way to complete parts cleaning is by using degreasers, which are chemicals that remove grease and other contaminants from the surface of machine parts. Once degreasers have been applied to these parts, they are ready to be painted or galvanized. There is a wide range of chemicals produced by different manufacturers and companies will sometimes find it too time-consuming to research the advantages and disadvantages of using certain chemicals, and will simply go for the least expensive chemical available. Failure to properly research these products before making a purchase not only endangers the condition of the company’s machines, it can also harm the environment.
An environmentally friendly alternative is to use organic solvents. Unlike degreasers and inorganic solvents, these solvents are made entirely from natural ingredients and are therefore environmentally friendly. The product’s eco-friendly properties aren’t the only thing that make solvents a better parts cleaning tool, as even inorganic solvents perform better than degreasers when it comes to properly cleaning machine parts. Here are some advantages of using chemical solvents for cleaning parts:
- Solvents have fewer air emissions than vapor degreasers.
- Less ventilation is required for parts cleaning, which means it is easier to set up a cleaning operation.
- Solvents are much safer for employees to work around and around compared to vapor degreasing agents.
While inorganic solvents offer advantages like those mentioned above, there are also some disadvantages to using these chemicals for parts cleaning. Among them:
- Petroleum-based minerals, which are often included as an ingredient in solvent formulas, pose a fire hazard.
- Solvents emit fewer emissions into the air, but they will still emit traces of toxic substances into the environment. People who work with these chemicals in a poorly ventilated area can be exposed to health risks.
- Complex government regulations restrict certain disposal methods, which means disposing of solvent waste is complex and expensive.
However, these disadvantages are not encountered when using organic solvents. Since organic solvents are only made from natural materials, an employee can apply these chemicals to dirty parts of the machine, wait for the contaminants to be removed, and then wash them off with water. This saves the company money because it doesn’t have to pay expensive disposal fees.
The company also avoids costly lawsuits that result from worker illnesses caused by exposure to dangerous chemicals. Inorganic solvents have been shown to include cancer-causing substances and may also contain volatile organic compounds. Even workers who are not seriously ill can suffer a minor side effect and call in sick for work, resulting in a loss of productivity in the workplace. On the other hand, the use of organic solvents keeps employees safe.
Organic solvents are the only degreasers that are safe for employees and the environment, and they also work better than other cleaners. Companies that need to complete parts cleaning should verify that all cleaning agents are organic before beginning the cleaning process.