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44-511: Safety-Kleen was started in the late 1950s and early 1960s when Ben Palmer invented the parts washer which he decided to lease to customers and service by removing and replenishing the solvent in the machines. In 1968, the Safety-Kleen business was acquired by Chicago Rawhide, and under the leadership of Don Brinckman Safety-Kleen became a publicly traded company and enjoyed tremendous growth and business success over 30 years, eventually joining

88-454: A leaving group , which can result in cellular damage. Many organochlorine compounds have been isolated from natural sources ranging from bacteria to humans. Chlorinated organic compounds are found in nearly every class of biomolecules and natural products including alkaloids , terpenes , amino acids , flavonoids , steroids , and fatty acids . Dioxins , which are of particular concern to human and environmental health, are produced in

132-498: A nucleophilic compound. The Wurtz reaction reductively couples two alkyl halides to couple with sodium . Some organochlorides (such as ethyl chloride ) may be used as alkylating agents . Tetraethyllead was produced from ethyl chloride and a sodium – lead alloy : Reductive dechlorination is rarely useful in chemical synthesis, but is a key step in the biodegradation of several organochlorine persistent pollutants . The largest application of organochlorine chemistry

176-419: A broad range of names, applications, and properties. Organochlorine compounds have wide use in many applications, though some are of profound environmental concern, with TCDD being one of the most notorious. Organochlorides such as trichloroethylene , tetrachloroethylene , dichloromethane and chloroform are commonly used as solvents and are referred to as "chlorinated solvents". Chlorination modifies

220-425: A lower viscosity at higher temperatures. Cleaning solution temperatures of 170 °F (77 °C) and above softens or melts most oils and greases causing them to flow like water so they are easily removed resulting in faster cleaning, better results and cleaner parts. Many parts washers are not capable of maintaining this operating temperature due to the lack of amply heating systems. Additionally, careful design

264-516: A mixture of water and detergent , which take hours to "soften" the built-up road grime, fluids, tars and oils enough to be manually rinsed off prior to disassembly and repair. Since the late 60's many methods of parts cleaning have been developed with improved levels of safety and lessened environmental impact. Stoddard solvent , gasoline , diesel fuel , and kerosene were commonly used to clean and degrease parts. Then, chlorinated solvents in vapor degreasers became an industry standard. During

308-587: A precise assessment, efficiency factors should be included, as even identical pumps can perform differently based on these design and operational elements. Chlorinated solvent Organochlorine chemistry is concerned with the properties of organochlorine compounds , or organochlorides , organic compounds containing at least one covalently bonded atom of chlorine . The chloroalkane class ( alkanes with one or more hydrogens substituted by chlorine) includes common examples. The wide structural variety and divergent chemical properties of organochlorides lead to

352-413: A very low concentration of cleaning detergent. The lower concentration causes the cleaning solution to last longer before it becomes supersaturated and requires disposal. Additionally, a low concentration of cleaning chemicals allows for easier rinsing of the detergent from the parts thereby minimizing rinse cycle requirements thus saving water and cycle time. A final factor used in the power wash process

396-464: Is an oscillating manifold system that is non-synchronous to the rotation of the turntable. This system assures that the blasted solution reaches all areas of the parts load that are otherwise blinded by the stationary manifolds used in the jet spray process. All things considered the power wash process is superior to the jet spray process for faster more thorough parts cleaning cycles while minimizing detergent use and waste generation. The power wash process

440-455: Is burned in the presence of chlorine, are persistent organic pollutants which pose dangers when they are released into the environment, as are some insecticides (such as DDT ). For example, DDT, which was widely used to control insects in the mid-20th century, also accumulates in food chains, as do its metabolites DDE and DDD , and causes reproductive problems (e.g., eggshell thinning) in certain bird species. DDT also posed further issues to

484-462: Is dichloromethane, which is mainly used as a solvent. Chloromethane is a precursor to chlorosilanes and silicones . Historically significant (as an anaesthetic), but smaller in scale is chloroform, mainly a precursor to chlorodifluoromethane (CHClF 2 ) and tetrafluoroethene which is used in the manufacture of Teflon. The two main groups of organochlorine insecticides are the DDT -type compounds and

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528-585: Is distinctly different from a pressure washer in that parts washers typically clean parts automatically in an enclosed cabinet, while pressure washers typically have a single spray jet mounted at the end of a manually operated wand. Modern industrial technology makes it possible to combine many parts of the finishing process into one. As an integrated part of the manufacturing process, automatic parts washers are able to load, wash, rinse, dry and unload parts in an automatic cycle. In industry, chemical solvents were typically used to remove oils, grease and dirt during

572-565: Is generally effective for difficult soil removal applications such as burnt hydrocarbons , paint, scale , varnish , carbon, mastic , or rubber . Additional power wash types of applications generally include cleaning diesel engine s, aerospace components, aluminum automobile engine parts and rolling mill equipment. There are some considerations when using the "power wash" process in that comparatively high horsepower, thus high-current motors requiring an adequate power source, are utilized with correspondingly high washing pressures that require

616-411: Is no longer a subject of research for potential therapeutic uses. The frogs obtain epibatidine through their diet which is then sequestered into their skin. Likely dietary sources are beetles, ants, mites, and flies. Alkanes and aryl alkanes may be chlorinated under free radical conditions, with UV light. However, the extent of chlorination is difficult to control. Aryl chlorides may be prepared by

660-411: Is provided by the pump drive system. Most aqueous parts washers use an electric motor to drive a centrifugal pump. The mechanical energy delivered to the wash load is what defines the mechanical energy for cleaning and not the horsepower of the pump. Efficient use of the pump motor energy through a well designed centrifugal pump and attention to details of piping design and nozzle types are critical to put

704-463: Is required of the pumping system so it can pull in and deliver cleaning solution at temperatures that approach boiling in the parts washer. All centrifugal pumps require a net positive suction head (NPSHr) in order to be able to pump solution. As the temperature of the solution approaches the NPSHr, the pump stops pumping because the cleaning solution flashes to steam in the pump intake. Careful design of

748-508: Is safer than solvent-based systems because the risk of the cleaning solution catching fire is eliminated. The detergent for an aqueous parts washer may be in the form of a powder or a liquid. Each form has its advantages and the particular parts cleaning application will determine the best form. In general, powder detergents are the more aggressive and typically used in maintenance and rebuilding operations while liquids are more commonly found in lighter cleaning applications that were once commonly

792-1019: Is the production of vinyl chloride . The annual production in 1985 was around 13 million tons, almost all of which was converted into polyvinylchloride (PVC). Most low molecular weight and liquid chlorinated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane , chloroform , carbon tetrachloride , dichloroethylene , trichloroethylene , tetrachloroethylene , 1,2-Dichloroethane and hexachlorobutadiene are useful solvents. These solvents tend to be relatively non-polar ; they are therefore immiscible with water and effective in cleaning applications such as degreasing and dry cleaning for their ability to dissolve oils and grease . They are mostly nonflammable or have very low flammability. Some, like carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,1-Trichloroethane have been phased out due to their toxicity or negative environmental impact (ozone depletion by 1,1,1-Trichloroethane). Several billion kilograms of chlorinated methanes are produced annually, mainly by chlorination of methane: The most important

836-552: The Fortune 500 . In 1973, a UK-based off-shoot of Safety-Kleen was created. And in 1998 Safetykleen Europe, without a hyphen, separated from the US organisation to become a separate company that now operates in 14 countries in Europe and beyond. In 1998, Safety-Kleen fell victim to a hostile takeover by Laidlaw Environmental. Afterwards, the financial situation of the company deteriorated and finally

880-516: The Friedel-Crafts halogenation , using chlorine and a Lewis acid catalyst. The haloform reaction , using chlorine and sodium hydroxide , is also able to generate alkyl halides from methyl ketones, and related compounds. Chloroform was formerly produced thus. Chlorine adds to the multiple bonds on alkenes and alkynes as well, giving di- or tetra-chloro compounds. Alkenes react with hydrogen chloride (HCl) to give alkyl chlorides. For example,

924-467: The Lucas reagent , this mixture was once used in qualitative organic analysis for classifying alcohols. Alkyl chlorides are most easily prepared by treating alcohols with thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ) or phosphorus pentachloride (PCl 5 ), but also commonly with sulfuryl chloride (SO 2 Cl 2 ) and phosphorus trichloride (PCl 3 ): In the laboratory, thionyl chloride is especially convenient, because

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968-686: The Williamson ether synthesis ; reaction with thiols give thioethers . Alkyl chlorides readily react with amines to give substituted amines . Alkyl chlorides are substituted by softer halides such as the iodide in the Finkelstein reaction . Reaction with other pseudohalides such as azide , cyanide , and thiocyanate are possible as well. In the presence of a strong base, alkyl chlorides undergo dehydrohalogenation to give alkenes or alkynes . Alkyl chlorides react with magnesium to give Grignard reagents , transforming an electrophilic compound into

1012-414: The 1980s environmental and safety issues led to the banning of chlorinated solvents for parts cleaning. Aqueous-based cleaning systems took on new prominence that led to many improvements, in the systems and the processes. In 1971, Gary Minkin developed an aqueous based parts washer for degreasing automobile parts. The Minkin breakthrough used the force of hydraulic impact pressure to significantly improve

1056-506: The byproducts are gaseous. Alternatively, the Appel reaction can be used: Alkyl chlorides are versatile building blocks in organic chemistry. While alkyl bromides and iodides are more reactive, alkyl chlorides tend to be less expensive and more readily available. Alkyl chlorides readily undergo attack by nucleophiles. Heating alkyl halides with sodium hydroxide or water gives alcohols. Reaction with alkoxides or aryloxides give ethers in

1100-511: The chlorinated alicyclics . Their mechanism of action differs slightly. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were once commonly used electrical insulators and heat transfer agents. Their use has generally been phased out due to health concerns. PCBs were replaced by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which bring similar toxicity and bioaccumulation concerns. Some types of organochlorides have significant toxicity to plants or animals, including humans. Dioxins, produced when organic matter

1144-400: The cleaning action. There are two main process styles of aqueous parts washers, the jet spray process and the power wash process . In a cabinet parts washer, the parts are placed on a turntable and the door is closed. During the cleaning cycle heated solution is flooded or blasted on the parts as the turntable rotates. Many systems have a wash, rinse and dry cycle. When the cycle is complete

1188-468: The cleaning power of the aqueous parts washer. Beside high mechanical energy, higher cleaning temperatures are one of the most effective methods of improving the cleaning results in a parts washer. In general, a 10 to 15 °F (5 to 8 °C) rise doubles the chemical reaction of the detergent. The increased chemical reaction between the greases and oils and the detergent delivers faster cleaning cycles and cleaner parts. Additionally, all greases and oils exhibit

1232-439: The cleaning process, but recent environmental concerns and regulations have encouraged the innovation of water based detergents for parts cleaning. Today, most parts washers use a variety of alkaline based detergents as the cleaning chemical. Parts washers were originally developed for use in automotive transmission and engine repair shops as a way to improve the function of simple soak tanks . Soak tanks are vats filled with

1276-519: The company filed for and re-emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In this period, the company hid the failure of the merger and in 2002, civil and criminal charges were filed by the SEC and the United States Attorney's Office against Safety-Kleen and four of its former senior executives for "perpetrating a massive accounting fraud from at least November 1998 through March 2000." A $ 200 million judgement

1320-399: The domain of vapor degreasers. A jet spray washer cleans by flooding the parts with warm chemical solution and high chemical concentration to clean the parts. In the power wash process the parts are blasted with hot chemical solution utilizing the hydraulic impact force of the cleaning solution as the primary cleaning mechanism. A parts washer utilizing the power washer process operates at

1364-454: The door is opened and the parts removed. There are four primary factors that affect the cleaning results in an aqueous parts washer. These factors are mechanical energy, temperature, detergent and time. Adjusting any one of these factors in a cleaning cycle changes the cleaning results. A parts washer with large amounts of mechanical energy and a high temperature delivers shorter cleaning cycles and uses less cleaning detergent. Mechanical energy

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1408-548: The environment as it is extremely mobile, traces even being found in Antarctica despite the chemical never being used there. Some organochlorine compounds, such as sulfur mustards , nitrogen mustards , and Lewisite , are even used as chemical weapons due to their toxicity. However, the presence of chlorine in an organic compound does not ensure toxicity. Some organochlorides are considered safe enough for consumption in foods and medicines. For example, peas and broad beans contain

1452-680: The high temperature environment of forest fires and have been found in the preserved ashes of lightning-ignited fires that predate synthetic dioxins. In addition, a variety of simple chlorinated hydrocarbons including dichloromethane , chloroform , and carbon tetrachloride have been isolated from marine algae. A majority of the chloromethane in the environment is produced naturally by biological decomposition, forest fires, and volcanoes. The natural organochloride epibatidine , an alkaloid isolated from tree frogs, has potent analgesic effects and has stimulated research into new pain medication. However, because of its unacceptable therapeutic index , it

1496-416: The industrial production of chloroethane proceeds by the reaction of ethylene with HCl: In oxychlorination , hydrogen chloride instead of the more expensive chlorine is used for the same purpose: Secondary and tertiary alcohols react with hydrogen chloride to give the corresponding chlorides. In the laboratory, the related reaction involving zinc chloride in concentrated hydrochloric acid : Called

1540-416: The manual "sink-on-a-drum" common to many auto repair shops, or they may be very complex, multi-stage units with pass-through parts handling systems. Parts washers are essential in maintenance, repair and remanufacturing operations as well, from cleaning fasteners, nuts, bolts and screws to diesel engine blocks and related parts, rail bearings, wind turbine gears boxes and automotive assemblies. A parts washer

1584-515: The most mechanical energy into the cleaning process. Additionally, one must consider the work volume of the parts washer. In order to achieve similar results, from one size machine to another, the power density must be the same for a given work volume, This factor requires that substantially higher horsepower pumping systems be used as the work volume increases exponentially on larger diameter machines. Aqueous-based parts washers use alkaline detergents mixed with water to clean parts. This solution

1628-439: The natural chlorinated plant hormone 4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid (4-Cl-IAA); and the sweetener sucralose (Splenda) is widely used in diet products. As of 2004 , at least 165 organochlorides had been approved worldwide for use as pharmaceutical drugs, including the natural antibiotic vancomycin , the antihistamine loratadine (Claritin), the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft), the anti-epileptic lamotrigine (Lamictal), and

1672-655: The parts to be adequately secured to the turntable. The "jet spray" process is found to be adequate for cleaning applications that do not involve removal of difficult soils but in general the power wash process is the superior cleaning process. A parts washer's performance can be gauged by its power density, calculated as the total pump horsepower divided by the washer's work volume, typically measured in horsepower per cubic foot. This value helps compare systems and adjust for consistent cleaning in different volumes. However, power density assumes full pump efficiency, which varies with pump operation, piping , and friction losses . For

1716-401: The physical properties of hydrocarbons in several ways. These compounds are typically denser than water due to the higher atomic weight of chlorine versus hydrogen. They have higher boiling and melting points compared to related hydrocarbons. Flammability reduces with increased chlorine substitution in hydrocarbons. Aliphatic organochlorides are often alkylating agents as chlorine can act as

1760-422: The pump is required to minimize NPSHr and allow pumping of high temperature cleaning solution. A typical parts washer is aqueous based but there are some types that use solvent. Ben Palmer invented a solvent style parts washer in 1954. The parts washer was a success from the start, and he decided in the early 1960s not to sell his machine, but to lease it to the customer and service it by removing and replenishing

1804-527: The top of the settling tank, and pumps it at low pressure through a stiff flexible nozzle onto a metal grating above the liquid where the metal components rest. Dirt and dissolved heavy greases fall into the bottom and settle to the bottom of the tank. Originally, mixtures of oil distillates such as gasoline, diesel fuel, lacquer thinner or kerosene were used in solvent-based manually operated parts washers, but these are highly volatile and can ignite easily, potentially leading to an explosion and severe burns to

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1848-419: The used solvent. Since the early 1990s there has been a significant shift towards aqueous based systems due to the environmental and safety hazards associated with solvent systems. A solvent style parts washer is filled with several gallons of solvent that is stored in a settling pan at the bottom of the washer. A small flame-tight electric liquid pump is immersed in the solvent and skims clean solvent from near

1892-435: The workers. For this reason, the solvent-based "tub" washer typically has a large cover that is propped open by a lead fusible link . In the event of a fire, the lead will melt and the cover will slam shut to snuff out the fire before it can cause further damage to the building... An aqueous-based parts washer is much like a large dish washer. It uses water and detergent combined with heat and mechanical energy to provide

1936-868: Was subsequently enforced by a Canadian court. The company successfully emerged from bankruptcy and refinanced its senior debt in 2005. In 2012, Clean Harbors acquired Safety-Kleen. Safety-kleen is also an official partner of NASCAR as part of the NASCAR green initiative. Parts washer A parts washer is a piece of equipment used to remove contaminants or debris, such as dirt , grime, carbon , oil , grease , metal chips , cutting fluids , mold release agents , ink , paint , and corrosion from workpieces. Parts washers are used in new manufacturing and remanufacturing processes; they are designed to clean, degrease and dry bulk loads of small or large parts in preparation for assembly, inspection, surface treatment, packaging and distribution. Parts washers may be as simple as

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