Solvent Distillation Processing

1
Solvent Distillation Processing

• Economics, Technology, Regulation and Waste
  Minimization
• 14 December 2006
• By Victoria Jas
• victoriajas_at_gmail.com

2
What chemicals can be recycled?

• Non-halogenated hazardous chemicals
• Xylene
• Ethanol (methanol)
• Formalin and formaldehyde

3
Where are they generated?

• Engineering
• Dialysis
• Laboratories
• Pathology
• Histology

4
Why are they hazardous?

• Flammable (in some concentrations, explosive,
  waste codes D)
• Toxic (formaldehyde U122)
• Worker safety

5
How does solvent recovery work?

• Distillation
• Refers specifically to heating a liquid chemical,
  returning it to its original or more concentrated
  state
• Recycling
• Can include filtration

6
Distillation

• Still boils waste solvent into water vapor,
  clean product and bottom stills
• Bottom stills are hazardous waste and consist of
  paraffin, tissue, and histology dyes

7
Filtration

• Filtration systems filter out impurities but
  cannot increase the concentration of solvent
• Effective on formalin, reduces need for titration
  and buffering

8
Distillation Process

• Collect segregated waste in fire rated jugs,
  place jugs into unit
• Clean product flows into another container,
  bottom stills into another
• 4 sets of containers and labeling needed to be
  processed, processed, bottom stills waste and lab
  collection

9
Logistics

• Labeling
• Transport (internal and DOT)

10
Available Equipment

• Distillation
• B/R Solvent Recycler http//www.brinstrument.com
• CBG Biotech Solvent Recycler
• http//www.cbgbiotech.com

11
Available Equipment

• Filtration
• Creative Waste Solutions Solvent Filters
• http//www.cwsincorp.com
• Suncycle Technologies Inc. Alcohol Recycling
  Cartridges
• http//www.suncycletech.com

12
Waste Minimization

• Plan/organize what wastes am I generating?
• Assess What is the best means of handling the
  waste?
• Feasibility Can I do it? Have other facilities
  done it? What were their successes? Failures?

13
Waste Minimization

• There are several ways to reduce your costs, but
  they all begin with
• Waste generation volume, type and contaminant
  risk (Bouins/picric acid)
• Locations and rates of generation
• How much solvent is purchased and whether any
  leaves the hospital (outsourced clinics or
  doctors offices)

14
Improving Solvent Performance

• Where is it used?
• Can operations be improved?
• Are wastes properly labeled and segregated?

15
Pollution Prevention

• Product substitution/process modification
• Xylene substitutes
• Americlear (d-limonene)
• Clear-Rite 3 (aliphatic hydrocarbons)
• Histo-Sol, Histo-Clear, and Histo-Clear II (food
  oil distillates)
• Pro-Par Clearant (propylene glycol ether)

16
Distillation Feasibility

• Critical to know your waste generation rates
  after P2 efforts
• Typical capital equipment return on investment
  (payback) is 2 years or less IF
• Typical lt100 beds, in-house lab and hazardous
  wastes are already segregated and shipped
  appropriately

17
Hidden Costs

• Location renovation and fire code compliance
• Collection containers and labeling
• Staff labor costs of moving chemicals,
  maintenance of equipment and titration
• Replacement cost of 100 ethanol

18
Hidden Opportunities

• Worker safety (xylene and formalin)
• Hazardous materials tracking
• Documenting recycling cost avoidance and adds to
  your waste reduction numbers (large volume
  higher weights)
• Might change your generator status

19
Economics Ethanol

• Distill 100 to 95
• 90 to 90
• Purchase 100 replacement of 200 proof
• Assume 100 handled by distillation of 190 proof

20
Ethanol before distillation

• 70 gallons of 200 proof/month
• 15 gallons of 190 proof/month
• 595 purchase/month
• disposal/month 185/month
• 780/month

21
Ethanol after distillation

• Ethanol purchases 60/month
• Disposal of bottom stills 10/month
• Cost of maintenance of still and supplies
  20/month
• 90/month (780 - 90 690/month or
  8,280/year savings

22
Economics Formalin

• 129 bed hospital with in-house lab
• One still for formalin, xylene and alcohol
• Recovered 90 of formalin 115 gallons
• Used 128 gallons/year, now purchased 13
  gallons/year
• Saved 3,600/year, payback is 4.5 years (need to
  add cost savings for alcohol and xylene)

23
Regulatory Concerns

• Federal (Environmental Protection Agency,
  Occupational Safety and Health Administration and
  Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms)
• State (NH Department of Environmental Services,
  Hazardous Waste Division
• Local (Fire Marshall)
• Other (CLIA)

24
Federal Regulatory Concerns

• Solvents are hazardous materials and must be
  handled throughout their useful lives as such.
  Recycling does NOT alleviate the life cycle
  responsibilities of the generator YOU.
• Bottom stills are still hazardous waste

25
State Regulatory Concerns

• Permit by Rule
• Hazardous Waste Rules
• Solvents are NOT universal wastes (like batteries
  and light bulbs)

26
The Agencies

• EPA Managing hazardous materials Resource
  Recovery and Conservation Act
• OSHA Transporting hazardous materials on public
  roads
• ATF Documenting use and flow of alcohol
  throughout the hospital

27
Local Concerns

• Fire Departments
• Ambulatory and non-ambulatory spaces
• Accumulated volumes of ignitables and flammables
• Explosion proof lighting, venting, and signage
  and emergency communication

28
Summary

• Recycling can save a lot of money and tighten up
  inventory and management controls of hazardous
  materials, IF
• Costs of implementing are kept at a minimum while
  meeting compliance and tracking realistic labor
  costs of managing the material differently