Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Call if you have a problem not solved here. We charge for consulting
but we are always happy to talk a while for free.
There are a great many medical and legal issues here. I am not a doctor,
nor a lawyer, nor am I holding myself out as an expert on any of these
issues. I am writing this as someone who uses coolants and builds
coolant management systems. I do not take any liability whatever for
anything connected with this.
Think of this as advice from someone who has the same problems you
have, but has worked for years to find really good solutions. This
material has helped a great many people to run more profitable shops
over the years. Hopefully it will do the same for you.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Walz
President
Table of
Contents
Chapter Title Page
Benefits of Overall Cleanliness Especially Coolant
1 4
Filtering
2 Case Studies: Annual Cost and payback calculations 10
3 How You Get The Benefits 20
4 Cutting Costs with Coolant Management 26
5 What Coolant Is and Does 28
6 Types Of Coolants 32
7 Example of a Synthetic Coolant 39
8 Coolant Selection 40
9 Water Quality 43
10 Parts Of A Coolant Management Program 47
11 How To Get Coolant Where You Need It 53
12 Why Coolants Become Unusable 55
13 Sump Cleaning 62
14 Cleaning Systems 64
15 Example: Filtering Carbide Grinding Coolant 71
16 Kinds of Filters 73
17 Filtering EDM fluids 80
18 Testing 81
19 Sample Coolant Analysis 89
20 One Bottle Coolant Testing 91
Chapter 1
Better quality
14. No burning
15. Clean coolant will also help prevent problems with heating
of the tools.
16. Less heat during machining therefore less change in surface
condition
17. Smoother cuts and grinds
Reduced Labor
Cleaner workplace
If particles of any size come between the tool and the work it will tend to
damage both the tool and the surface of the work. The same way that a
rock in your shoe will try to make a hole in both your foot and the shoe.
What you need to filter out of your sump or what's tearing up your
machinery
The big chunks on the left are broken diamond and the little bright spots
are tungsten carbide. This was collected in a carbide tool grinding
operation. Diamond and tungsten carbide both have a lot of sharp fracture
edges, which means they are extremely abrasive. The right picture is the
same material, but the diamond and tungsten carbide are glued into chunks
with oil and grease. Some of these are one micron (1/25,000 inch) or less.
They are small enough to get anywhere such as cylinders, bearing,
bushings, controls, etc.
Because the particles in coolant are so small, the coolant looks dirty when
there are as few as 30,000 particles per cubic centimeter. In fact really
dirty coolant can have as many as 75,000,000 particles per cubic
centimeter.
If you let the coolant stand for a couple days, most of the particles will
filter out and settle on the bottom.
However, many of these particles are so small that they will float forever.
Comparison of Sumps
Filtered
Unfiltered sump
Sump
1 - 2% tramp oil
Surface Clean
film
10%
5 - 7 % coolant
Mixture coolant
70 - 80% water
90% water
A good grinding operation will still dump huge amounts of oil and grease
into the sump. We ran a test on a high production machine. In twenty-two
days of double shift we pulled out about ten pounds of oil and grease. This
oil and grease clogs the wheel. Clogged wheels mean slower grinds, worse
quality, and shorter wheel life. Clean coolant increases diamond wheel life
by at least 30% overall, and as much as 50% depending on the wheel and
the application. This is a saving of 25% to 35% in annual diamond wheel
cost. Removes oils and greases.
Longer Coolant Life - Save $1,000 a year per machine + the saving in
labor.
If you filter your coolant, you will get much longer life. In actual tests we
see coolant last six months and it is still doing an excellent job. This saves
you on coolant costs, and the maintenance of sump cleaning and coolant
changing.
West Coast Saws in Tacoma, WA has been running our filter units for
three years on five machines with a unit full time on each machine. They
estimate that they save $5,500 a year in coolant costs not counting the
tremendous saving in labor from fewer cleanings and coolant changes.
The big advantage in clean coolant is that it protects the machine. Dirty
coolant can shorten machine life by 5% to 7% a year. Saw and tool
grinding generates a huge amount of very small, very abrasive particles.
These particles get into the coolant and then are sprayed all over.
These particles get into controls, cylinders, rods and bearings where they
increase wear and reduce quality. The CP 2002 removes particle down to
one micron, and removes them with incredible efficiency.
"The air in the office doesn’t seem to have that oily smell anymore."
Kathie Rundstrom
Co-owner of Paso Robles Carbide in California
"The grinds are smoother, our wheels stay cleaner, and the oil and
grease on our machinery is less than it was."
Alastair McLean
Shop Foreman at Cal Saw Canada in B.C. (They now own 3 of our units.)
"In approximately an hour, the color of the coolant went from dark
gray to green."
Scott Whiting
Scott’s Sharpening Service in Arizona
He was amazed at how fast and efficient his system was, and could hardly
wait to tell us.
Chapter 2
A shop with six grinders for saws and tools bought six filter units for
$9,000. They bought an additional $600 in cleanable, reusable filters.
They had been spending $10,800 a year in coolant use and disposal.
Their coolant use and disposal dropped to $500. This is a saving of
$10,000, which paid for the original investment. The labor of filter
maintenance was less than the labor of sump cleaning and recharging.
This shop does ultra-precise grinding. The six machines had a
depreciated value of about $550,000 dollars. (This is considerably less
than replacement cost, and uses IRS depreciation schedules.) This is a
savings of $55,000 a year in machine life. The shop estimated another
$10,000 a year in savings on grinding wheels because of longer wheel
life and less need to dress the wheel since they did not gum up as rapidly.
The shop also estimates that they can work about 5% faster with no
burning.
Cost of filter
units
Filter unit 995.00
Filter costs 780.00
Filter change
120.00
labor
Total 1,895.00
Unmanaged Managed Managed
Coolant Coolant Coolant
(Change every 3 (No changes in (Change every
weeks) a year) 6 weeks)
(17 changes per (8.5 changes
year) per year)
Costs
Coolant 637.50 150.00 318.75
Labor 170.00 85.00
Disposal
Hazardous waste 2,754.00 None
Recycled coolant None 459.00
Totals 3,561.50 150.00 862.75
Cost Reduction
If you change your coolant every three weeks, and have the used coolant
hauled away as hazardous waste, then you will spend $3,561.50 per year
on every grinder or machine with a thirty-gallon sump. In a shop with
five machines this is $17,800 per year. If you change the coolant every
six weeks, and have it hauled away as ordinary waste, then you will
spend $4,300 per year for five machines. This is a saving of $13,500 per
year.
Assumptions
1. One machine with a thirty-gallon sump
2. Coolant cost at $25 per gallon
3. Coolant is mixed about 20:1 so it costs about $37.50 to charge a sump after each change
4. Labor is at $20 an hour and it takes a half hour to drain, clean and recharge a sump
5. Disposal costs
Unmanaged coolant is not filtered, and is hauled away as hazardous waste. Managed coolant is
filtered at least one hour a day, and is classified as used grinding coolant for disposal.
Before
Example 1
40-gallon sump
Changed every three weeks - 17 times a year
Uses 4 gallons of coolant at $20 gallon = $80
Changed every three weeks - 45 min. at $70 per hour
Disposal of 40 gallons at $1.50 / gallon = $60
Annual coolant = $1,360
Annual labor = $1,190
Annual disposal = $1,020
Total = $3,570
Example 2
With filtering the coolant life goes from three weeks to six weeks.
Change time goes from 45 minutes to 15 minutes.
Annual coolant = $ 680
Example 3
Untreated Waste vs. Filtered, Treated Waste
A shop can easily have 500 gallons of used coolant that is disposed of as
hazardous waste. Separation and evaporation can reduce this to a salable
product and leave only 50 gallons of hazardous waste. This is a
considerable financial savings for the business. It also reduces hazardous
waste, which is a good thing for society in general.
A coolant filter system that costs fifteen hundred dollars can save its
price in coolant alone in under a year.
A coolant filter system can totally replace the need for a separate oil
skimmer at no extra cost.
Recycling
Fluid from each machine sump is recycled at least weekly, and often
twice a week. When metalworking operations involve metals that readily
degrade fluid quality (such as cast iron), fluid recycling is performed on a
daily basis. One employee is responsible for fluid recycling and fluid
Finally, fluid then enters the polishing compartment where biocide and
concentration adjustments are made. When cutting fluid in a sump needs
recycling, fluid from the polishing compartment is pumped into a mobile
container and used to recharge the machine sump being serviced.
Results
Since acquiring the recycling unit and establishing the fluid management
program approximately three years ago, the facility has realized the
following benefits:
Just prior to 1990, the total sump capacity for the facility was
approximately 150 gallons and approximately 1,300 gallons of coolant
were used annually. In 1994 the number of machines used by the facility
doubled, increasing the total sump capacity to 300 gallons. The facility
now operates six chip-making machines, (including five CNC lathes and
one CNC mill) for its cast iron and mild steel metalworking operations.
Once a month, coolant from each machine sump is pumped out for
recycling using a sump sucker. The fluid is then transferred into the
settling tank of the coolant-recycling unit for particulate removal. The
settling tank is also equipped with a belt skimmer to remove any free-
floating tramp oil. After twelve hours in the settling tank, the coolant is
drawn through a centrifuge where any residual tramp oil is removed for
transfer into a 55?gallon drum. Finally, the coolant enters the bottom
chamber of the recycling unit where the fluid concentration is
automatically adjusted. No biocide adjustments are performed on the
recycled fluid, and no other monitoring is performed at the facility. If a
problem is experienced with fluid quality, a sample is collected and
submitted to the fluid supplier for analysis.
Results
The facility has realized the following benefits since acquiring the
recycling equipment and establishing the fluid management program:
A. Fluid life has been prolonged at the facility and very little, if any,
requires disposal. The facility also tested the fluid and obtained
permission from local wastewater treatment authorities to discharge small
amounts of cutting fluid to the sanitary sewer system when necessary.
B. Although the total sump capacity for the facility doubled since
installing the recycling equipment, the facility's annual fluid consumption
has increased by only 200 gallons (a 15 percent increase in fluid
consumption with a 100 percent increase in sump capacity).
B. The facility intends to fabricate external sumps for its machines. The
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Originally the facility used nine different coolants and had several chip
making operations. Employees often reported cases of dermatitis, and a
heavy haze existed throughout the shop.
Each month, the coolant in each sump is vacuumed out with a sump
sucker. After they are pumped out, machines are thoroughly washed out,
rinsed with clean water and recharged with fresh coolant. Coolant
recovered from machine sumps is transferred to the settling tank of the
coolant recycling system. Particulates in the coolant are allowed to settle
out for approximately 12 hours while free floating tramp oil is skimmed
off of the top with a belt skimmer. The coolant is then drawn through a
centrifuge, where any residual tramp oil is transferred to a holding barrel.
Finally, the coolant is transferred to the bottom chamber where its
concentration is automatically adjusted.
During the facility's 1995 shutdown, coolant from the facility's machine
sumps was completely replaced with new coolant. The first time in five
years! It is now anticipated that the coolant will only need to be
completely changed out every 3 to 5 years. The fluid recycling and
In addition to recycling the semi synthetic coolant, the facility also filters
and reuses the straight oil used for the facility's automatic screw
machines. Straight oil is reused for approximately 3 years before being
provided to a recycler.
Equipment Modifications
In addition to purchasing the coolant recycling system and providing
coolant and deionized water lines to each work station, the following
equipment modifications were made at the facility to prevent fluid from
spoiling:
A. Most of the machines have been modified so that the sumps are
external, and there are no hard to reach areas where coolant can become
trapped and promote bacterial growth.
B. Some of the older machines have also been equipped with skimmers
for removing tramp oil right at the machine sump.
C. The facility's 1,300 gallon sump was equipped with its own filtering
system and centrifuge for particulate and tramp oil removal.
D. Metal chips generated by the facility are either spun dry using a
centrifuge, or the fluid is allowed to drain off through the use of magnetic
chip conveyors. Chips are then collected and provided to a scrap metal
dealer. Fluid from grinding operations is passed through a vacuum
filtration system for particulate removal. Fines collected from this
operation are land filled. Any tramp oil recovered at the facility is
provided to a used oil marketer.
Results
The facility has realized the following benefits since acquiring the
A. Not one documented case of dermatitis has been reported since 1990,
and the haze that once existed in the shop has been completely
eliminated.
B. No hazardous waste is generated from the facility's chip-making
operations.
C. Costs for purchasing and installing the recycling system were
recovered in approximately 6 to 8 months.
Chapter 3
An inescapable fact is that all machines are sensitive to wear. All the
materials in any machine are susceptible to wear from diamond, and
carbide dust as well as other particles. No machine can entirely eliminate
exposure to particles if the particles are small enough.
back up into the work area. As the coolant gets between the work piece,
and the work, these particles are ground and reground. They get finer and
finer. The finer they get the easier it is for them to get into critical spaces,
and destroy machine tolerances.
Every big chip means lots of small chips the same way boulders are
surrounded by little rocks. It is the little chips that do the most damage. A
great deal of expense is incurred by particles of tools, dust and metals
that are too small to see or feel. Probably the greatest source of unnoticed
damage is the grit in coolant that gets sprayed on, and into machines.
Several hundred times more damage is done by chips too little to see
than is done by big chips.
3.Less down-time
As the machine wears out, it will break down more often which means
more down time.
5.Faster operation
away from the work area. Increased friction, increased heat, and impact
with particles in dirty coolant all contribute to greatly increased tool
wear. The microscopic grit produced during machining is like fine sand.
You can run faster at cooler temperatures if you are using coolant that
does not have sand in it. Your tools will last longer if they are just cutting
metal without having to work with sand, and grit in the way.
Better quality
9.Measured as the smoothness of the worked surface
Parts machined with clean coolant typically have better surfaces than
parts where the tool was scratching the surface with the grit in the
coolant. It also eliminates the instances where the occasional very large
particle puts a big scratch on the surface.
In an operation where a drill makes fifty holes once an hour, the first hole
will be a certain size. As the drill heats up the tendency will be for the
following holes to get slightly larger. As the material heats with the
drilling and then cools after the drilling, it will tend to grow during
drilling, making the holes bigger and then shrink after drilling, which will
shrink the holes. At the same time wear tends to make the drill smaller.
12.Reduced rework
Better work the first time means less rework.
13.Reduced scrap
Tighter tolerances and reduced defective parts.
16.Clean coolant will also help prevent problems with heating of the
tools.
Improperly managed coolants lose their lubricity. Lubricity obviously
reduces friction, which reduces heat, which can reduce or eliminate the
possibility of burning.
Reduced Labor
Cleaner workplace
28.Perhaps increased operator safety
We are not experts, but a lot of experts think this is both true and
important.
There are a million to a million and a half people in the US who are
exposed to grinding and machining coolants. These coolants and their
contaminants cause skin rashes, allergic reactions, epidermal scarring,
lung scarring, emphysema, severe emphysema and death.
Filtering grinding coolant makes the workplace safer. It does not make
the workplace safe. Every workplace is different and you need to have
individual assessments done to adequately ensure worker safety.
The safety and health issues are incredibly important and very complex.
If you have any concerns you should call in a consultant from the
government or a private consultant to do a thorough analysis.
Bacteria grow in dirty sumps for two reasons. The sludge is an excellent
place for it to grow. Tramp oils seal off the coolant and keep air out of it.
Filtering coolant prevents bacteria growth by removing the sludge where
bacteria grow. Filtering also removes tramp oils, which create an
anaerobic environment as well as providing food for the bacteria.
30.Eliminate smells
Coolant stinks because it has bacteria in it that eat the oil and grease. The
bad smell is waste material from the bacteria. Bacteria are in the air so
you cannot keep them out of the sump completely. The bacteria that
create the worst smell are anaerobic, which is from the Greek meaning
"without air". They grow best under water without air. Filtering keeps the
coolant stirred up and keeps mixing air in. This keeps oxygen in the
coolant and further prevents bacteria growth.
34.Less waste
35.Cleaner waste
hazardous because it was the safest course. One of these companies had
been involved in Superfund clean up that cost them about $50,000.This
was a company that did about $700,000 a year in sales at the time. The
clean up took all the cash reserve and created a debt load that took three
years to pay. They were most eager to avoid any new environmental
trouble.
The use of cutting, grinding and machining fluids results in the estimated
creation of well over ten million gallons of waste annually.
Used coolant has four several components. The dirty coolant. 5 - 10%
Solid waste 10 - 25%
Tramp oil 1 -5 %
Water 8-95 %
Filtering takes out the solid waste. The waste from grinding carbide tools
can be dried and sold for $0.10 to $0.15 per pound.
A shop can easily have 500 gallons of used coolant that is disposed of as
hazardous waste. Separation and evaporation can reduce this to a salable
product and leave only 50 gallons of hazardous waste. This is a
considerable financial saving for the business. It also reduces hazardous
waste, which is a good thing for society in general.
If coolant is not handled properly the business can face a one-time fine of
up to $25,000 for having hazardous waste without a license. The
company can face fines of up to $10,000 a day until the problem is
resolved. The EPA has also started looking for executives to send to jail
Chapter 4
1. Make sure the settings are proper. It is common to find coolant nozzles
that are pointed in the wrong place. To compensate for this the stream of
coolant is increased. A smaller stream of coolant that is aimed properly is
more effective than a bigger stream pointed in the wrong direction.
2. Make sure the air collection equipment you already have is working
properly. Equipment that is not turned on or plugged up does not do you
any good. Some machines are so dirty that you cannot see the air intakes
any longer. Older, dirty machines may have air intakes that are buried
under years of crud. There are several new air handling machines that are
portable, inexpensive and easy to use.
Make sure air and dust collection vents are as close to the work as
possible. Moving a vent four inches away from the work cuts the
efficiency of the vent in half.
The first sign of an expensive operation is the color of the air. The dirtier
the air is the more expensive the operation is. Haze is a combination of
everything that is eating up the equipment. The thicker the haze, the
faster the equipment is being destroyed. This haze is made of
consumables such as coolant, tool and wheel particles and fumes.
If there are enough of these to get in the air so you can see them then
there are definitely more than enough of these to get into the equipment
and cause excessive wear. Even if the air appears to be clean, there can
still be as considerable number of extremely fine particles. Micro
photographic analysis of airborne dust from a machining and grinding
operation shows bits of tungsten carbide, diamond, ceramic dust and
metals as small as one micron. These are much too small to see or feel,
but they are an excellent size to penetrate seals and damage smooth
surface in hydraulics, slides, ways and bearings.
In the most profitable shops they pretty well filter constantly, wipe the
machines down as they go several times a day, wipe the machines down
completely daily and clean them well once a week with a rebuild,
lubrication and greasing and calibration every month.
Overall cleanliness
The first step is overall cleanliness. This is a larger subject than coolant
cleanliness. A big part of dirt in a shop is sprayed coolant. However there
can be other sources of dirt such as road dust. Chips, normal dust and
accumulated dirt. More and more good shops look more like operating
rooms than anything else.
Cleanliness directly tells you how much life you are getting out of your
machines. It indirectly tells you how much waste there is and how good
the work is.
If the dust and coolant are getting loose then they are also getting into
sensitive areas such as bearings and eating up machines. It is pretty easy
to see how rapidly the machines are wearing out inside by the build-up
on the outside.
Coolant management
Coolant management covers several areas and we will cover them in the
following chapters.
Chapter 5
Temperature Control
Laboratory tests have shown that heat produced during machining has a
definite bearing on tool wear. Reducing cutting-tool temperature is
important since a small reduction in temperature will greatly extend
cutting tool life.
No one particular fluid has cooling and lubrication properties suitable for
every metalworking application. Straight oils provide the best lubrication,
but poor cooling capacities. Water, on the other hand, is an effective
cooling agent, removing heat 2.5 times more rapidly than oil alone.
Water is a very poor lubricant and causes rusting. Soluble oils or
chemicals, which improve lubrication, prevent corrosion and provide
other essential qualities must be added in order to transform water into a
good metalworking fluid.
Fluid Properties
In addition to providing a good machining environment, a cutting fluid
should also function safely and effectively during machining operations.
Corrosion Protection
Cutting fluids must offer some degree of corrosion protection. Freshly
cut ferrous metals tend to rust rapidly since any protective coatings have
been removed by the machining operation. A good metalworking fluid
will inhibit rust formation to avoid damage to machine parts and the work
piece. It will also impart a protective film on cutting chips to prevent
their corrosion and the formation of difficult-to-manage chunks or
clinkers.
A good cutting fluid resists decomposition during its storage and use.
Most cutting fluids are now formulated with bactericides and other
additives to control microbial growth, enhance fluid performance and
improve fluid stability.
Toxicity
Most metalworking fluids are not highly toxic. The fluid becoming
rancid, super concentrated, or contaminated usually causes toxicological
problems associated with metalworking fluids. The main routes of
exposure for metalworking fluid include inhalation (via vapor, smoke or
mist), ingestion and skin absorption. Dermatitis and respiratory problems
are the most frequent health problems of machine shop personnel.
Flammability
Machining operations typically generate a significant amount of heat,
which can cause cutting fluids to smoke and/or ignite. A fluid should
have a high flashpoint to avoid problems associated with heat damage,
the production of smoke, or fluid ignition.
Misting
High-speed metalworking operations such as grinding may atomize fluid,
creating a fine mist, which can be an inhalation hazard for machine tool
Chapter 6
Types Of Coolants
Cutting fluids have been used extensively in metal cutting operations for
the last 200 years. In the beginning, cutting fluids consisted of simple oils
applied with brushes to lubricate the machine tool. Occasionally, lard,
animal fat or whale oil was added to improve the oil's lubricity. As
cutting operations became more severe, cutting fluid formulations
became more complex. Today's cutting fluids are special blends of
chemical additives, lubricants and water formulated to meet the
performance demands of the metalworking industry.
There are now several types of cutting fluids on the market, the most
common of which can be broadly categorized as cutting oils or water-
miscible fluids. Water-miscible fluids, including soluble oils, synthetics
and semi synthetics, are now used in approximately 80 to 90 percent of
all applications. Although straight cutting oils are less popular than they
were in the past, they are still the fluid of choice for certain metalworking
applications
Essentially there is water, water with oil and synthetic coolants. Adding
oil or synthetic materials to the water does several things. It adds rust
preventative, it helps carry away the heat, it more effectively removes
particles, it helps prevent corrosion and it retards or prevents bacteria and
fungus build up.
keep the coolant away from the operator since all the work takes place in
a deep, sealed hole.
Some coolants are a lot easier to test than others. Some coolants show a
color change as the amount of dissolved coolant gets greater. Some
coolants trap particles and float them in suspension a lot better than
others. Some coolants are safer than others and some work better for
grinding. Some are also much safer to breathe and dispose of. For the
purposes of easy testing we recommend clear coolants.
The most common metalworking fluids used today belong to one of two
categories based on their oil content:
petroleum - based cutting oils are frequently used for drilling and tapping
operations due to their excellent lubricity while water- miscible fluids
provide the cooling properties required for most turning and grinding
operations.
Advantages
The major advantage of straight oils is the excellent lubricity or
"cushioning" effect they provide between the work piece and cutting tool.
This is particularly useful for low speed, low clearance operations
requiring high quality surface finishes. Although their cost is high, they
provide the longest tool life for a number of applications. Highly
compounded straight oils are still preferred for severe cutting operations
such as crush grinding, severe broaching and tapping, deep-hole drilling,
and for the more difficult to cut metals such as certain stainless steels and
superalloys. They are also the fluid of choice for most honing operations
due to their high lubricating qualities.
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Straight oils offer good rust protection, extended sump life, easy
maintenance, and are less likely to cause problems if misused. They also
resist rancidity, since bacteria cannot thrive unless water contaminates
the oil.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages of straight oils include poor heat dissipating properties
and increased fire risk. They may also create a mist or smoke that results
in an unsafe work environment for the machine operator, particularly
when machines have inadequate shielding or when shops have poor
ventilation systems. Straight oils are usually limited to low temperature,
low speed operations. The oily film left on the work piece makes
cleaning more difficult, often requiring the use of cleaning solvents.
Straight oil products of different viscosities are available for each duty
class. Viscosity can be thought of as a lubricant factor. The higher the
oil's viscosity, the greater its lubricity. Highly viscous fluids tend to cling
to the work piece and tool. This causes increased cutting fluid loss by
dragout and necessitates lengthier, more costly cleanup procedures. It can
be more efficient to choose low viscosity oil that has been compounded
to provide the same lubricity as a highly viscous one.
Advantages
Soluble oils offer improved cooling capabilities and good lubrication due
to the blending of oil and water. They also tend to leave a protective oil
film on moving components of machine tools and resist emulsification of
greases and slideway oils.
Soluble oils are a general-purpose product suitable for light and medium
duty operations involving a variety of ferrous and nonferrous
applications. Although they do not match the lubricity offered by straight
oils, wetting agents and EP additives (such as chlorine, phosphorus or
sulfur compounds) can extend their machining application range to
include heavy-duty operations. Most cutting operations handled by
straight oils (such as broaching, trepanning, and tapping) may be
accomplished using heavy-duty soluble oils.
Disadvantages
The presence of water makes soluble oils more susceptible to rust control
problems, bacterial growth and rancidity, tramp oil contamination, and
evaporation losses. Soluble oils are usually formulated with additives to
provide additional corrosion protection and resistance to microbial
degradation. Maintenance costs to retain the desired characteristics of
soluble oil are relatively high. Other disadvantages of soluble oils include
the following:
When mixed with hard water, soluble oils tend to form precipitates on
parts, machines and filters.
Due to their high oil content, they may be the most difficult of the water
miscible fluids to clean from the work piece.
Advantages
Synthetics provide excellent microbial control and resistance to rancidity.
They are largely nonflammable and nonsmoking with good corrosion
control and superior cooling qualities. Synthetics have greater stability
when mixed with hard water. In addition they reduce misting problems
and foaming problems.
Synthetics are easily separated from the work piece and chips, allowing
for easy cleaning and handling of these materials. In addition, since the
amount of fluid clinging to the work piece and chips is reduced, less
makeup fluid is needed to replace coolant lost to dragout.
Disadvantages
Although synthetics are less susceptible to problems associated with oil
based fluids, moderate to high agitation conditions may still cause them
to foam or generate fine mists. A number of health and safety concerns,
such as misting and dermatitis, also remain with the use of synthetics in
the shop. Ingredients added to enhance the lubricity and wettability of
emulsifiable synthetics may increase the tendency of these fluids to
emulsify tramp oil, foam and leave semi crystalline to gummy residues
on machine systems (particularly when mixed with hard water).
Advantages
Like synthetics, semi synthetics are suitable for use in a wide range of
machining applications and are substantially easier to maintain than
soluble oils. They provide good lubricity for moderate to heavy-duty
applications. They also have better cooling and wetting properties than
soluble oils, allowing users to cut at higher speeds and faster feed rates.
Their viscosity is also less than that of a soluble oil, providing better
settling and cleaning properties. Semi synthetics provide better control
over rancidity and bacterial growth, generate less smoke and oil mist
(because they contain less oil than straight or soluble oils), have greater
longevity, and good corrosion protection.
Disadvantages
Water hardness affects the stability of semi synthetics and may result in
the formation of hard water scum deposits. Semi synthetics also foam
easily because of their cleaning additives and generally offer less
lubrication than soluble oils.
Straight Oils
Advantages Disadvantages
Soluble Oils
Advantages Disadvantages
General-purpose product
Susceptible to evaporation
for light to heavy-duty
losses
operations
Misting
Nonflammable /
May emulsify tramp oil
nonsmoking
Easily contaminated by
Superior cooling qualities
other machine fluids
Easy maintenance
Semi - synthetics
Advantages Disadvantages
Nonflammable /
May cause dermatitis
nonsmoking
Easily contaminated by
Good lubrication
other machine fluids
Easy maintenance
Chapter 7
Applications:
This coolant is recommended for use in internal and external grinding as
well as form and thread grinding. It is suitable for a wide variety of
metals as well as other materials such as carbides and ceramics. The
recommended initial concentration is 20:1.With applications involving
harder materials a higher concentration may be desirable. It may be
possible to reduce the concentration if the results remain satisfactory.
Chapter 8
Coolant Selection
Coolants perform two important functions: lubrication and
cooling.Lubrication is important because metal sliding on metal produces
about 30% of the heat and the resistance of metal to being cut produces
the rest.Good lubrication reduces friction and reduces heat.This increases
tool life and helps keep the part temperature constant.Coolants reduce
friction because chlorine, sulfur, and phosphorous atoms penetrate the
metallic surfaces.This reduces friction and improves the shear angle.
Typically good lubricants are bad at cooling and vice versa. Water is the
best coolant because it picks up the most heat, and transfers it
fastest.Water is not a good lubricant. It rusts iron and steel and it doesn't
wet and penetrate well.Oil is an excellent lubricant, but it is a poor
coolant and is flammable. A common and often good solution is to mix
oils and similar with water to get both lubrication and cooling.
Don't choose a fluid just on its initial cost but on the cost per gallon
divided by its life expectancy.Although purchase of a premium product is
initially more expensive, the long?term cost of the fluid will likely be
lower than products of inferior quality because of its superior fluid life.
Easy removal of the slurry, chips, etc. from the coolant is also essential.
Machining functions
Noncutting functions
● Corrosion inhibition
● Fluid residues
● Flammability
● Filtration
● Toxicity
● Recycling
Operator Acceptance
● Operator safety
● Dermatitis
● Odor
● Feel
● Appearance
Financial return
● Effect on production costs
● Purchase price
● Effective life
Coolant properties
● Ease of fluid maintenance and quality control
cuttings
● Storage practices Surface tension
● Densities
● Biodegradability
galvanic attack
● Stability
● Precipitation properties
● Ease of disposal
Chapter 9
Water Quality
Water used in coolant mixtures should be made as pure as possible.
Even the cleanest of shop water is not pure. Average tap water can
contain 170 ppm or greater of dissolved solids. This level of
contaminants generally requires a pretreatment procedure. Calcium and
magnesium ions constitute virtually all the hardness minerals found in
water. Other elements such as iron and aluminum are minor sources, but
they can cause problems far out of proportion to their concentration.
Since water miscible fluids may consist of up to 99% water, the quality
of the water used to dilute the concentrate is an important consideration
in fluid preparation. Dissolved minerals and gases, organic matter,
microorganisms, or combinations of these impurities can lead to
problems.
Deionization
Deionization is often referred to as a demineralization or ion exchange.
Ions are removed from the water through a series of chemical reactions
that take place as the water passes through an ion exchange resin bed.
Deionization systems typically provide water free of dissolved
inorganics.
Distillation
Distillation is the most common water purification technique. Water
undergoes phase changes during the process, changing from liquid to
vapor and back to liquid. The change from liquid to vapor prompts a
separation of water from its impurities. It effectively removes most
inorganic solids, all organics with a boiling point greater than water and
virtually all bacteria.
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis occurs when water is pushed through a semi permeable
Filtration systems
Filtration systems are classified as either a depth or membrane type.
Depth filters are made by winding fiber around a hollow and slotted tube.
As water passes through the tube, particulates are removed and held in
the fiber. Membrane filters usually have a sub micron pore size. Particles
and bacteria cannot pass through the membrane and are held on the
membrane surface.
Ultra filtration
Ultra filtration can be used for pretreating water going into an additional
purification process or it can be used at the very end of the system to
remove pyrogens. Pure water permeates the membrane, but particles,
colloidal silica, bacteria, pyrogens, and high molecular weight organics
are rejected.
Ultraviolet oxidation
Ultraviolet oxidation is a process utilizing UV light used to eliminate
trace organics and kill microbes in pure water.
Coolant Preparation
If coolant life is a problem it is a good idea to do a water analysis. Often
the water supplier can do this. It may be necessary to use treated water
such as deionized water. These types of water purification equipment
extract ions. Deionizers can use an inline tank, or a reverse osmosis unit.
Distillation may also be an option.
Home type water softeners can help by removing the minerals that
contribute to metal corrosion and/or salt deposits but they are generally
not considered thorough enough for coolant preparation.
Chapter 10
Introduction
A great number of industrial processes such as grinding, milling and
turning create heat and particles. Coolants are used to keep the work
surface cool and to carry away chips and particles.
Far and away the majority of machining is done with carbide or ceramic
tools. These tools wear and microchip in use. Machining creates chips.
Tungsten carbide as used here is really particles of tungsten carbide held
in a cobalt matrix.
Typically machines and grinders are flood cooled which means that water
is flooded over the work area. This cools the work and washes particles
out of the way. The liquid is typically 90 to 95% water and 5 to 10%
coolant. The liquid runs over the work area and then down the machine
where it collects in a sump at the bottom of the machine. The liquid is
pumped out of the sump and constantly recirculated. As the work is done,
the tool material and pieces of the, metal or composite or other material
being machined collect in the sump.
rougher grinds and will increase the chance of burning during grinding.
Machine coolants need to be filtered for the same reason that oil in a car
engine needs to be filtered. The oils or coolant trap small, abrasive
particles. Unless these particles are removed they abrade away critical
surfaces. If you are filtering the oil in your $20,000 car then you ought to
be filtering the coolant in your $30,000 machine for exactly the same
reasons.
Record Keeping
Record keeping is an important aspect of fluid management, and it begins
with the initial preparation of the fluid.
Plant
Chemical maintenance - which includes checking:
● Water
● Bacteria growth
● Tramp oil control
● Lubricant chemistry
● Filtration
● Clarification
● Skimmers
● Heat exchange
● Tooling
Recycling
1. Recover lost coolant from metal fines and scrap, using methods
Disposal, & such as draining, centrifuging, chip wringers, and scrap
conveyors.
2. Do not mix different waste coolants.
3. Segregate metal waste by material type.
4. Recycle oils if possible. Consider "splitting" emulsions to recycle
oil. Check with sewer utility before discharging water portion.
5. Know whether your waste coolant tests to be a dangerous waste.
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Mixing
Coolant should always be mixed by following the suppliers' directions
and by measuring. Mixing coolant "by eye" doesn't work well enough.
Mixtures should be prepared according to the manufacturer's directions
(as obtained through the fluid supplier and/or product literature).
Mixing should always be done outside the sump. Mixing in the sump is
quick and easy method but the coolant doesn't get fully mixed and it is
almost impossible to measure fluid concentration accurately.
Fluid Concentration
If the concentration is too high it means there is too much coolant and not
enough water. This means wasted concentrate, poorer heat transfer,
foaming, reduced lubrication, residue formation and more built-up edges
for shorter tool life. Over-concentrated fluid can stain the work and / or
the machine and it increase the toxicity of the fluid, which means
increased skin irritation. Low concentration means poor lubricity, shorter
tool life, more bacterial growth activity and an increased risk of rust.
The coolant needs to be checked daily at the start. As the system gets
more stable weekly checks maybe appropriate. It depends on how well
your system is functioning and how much it changes from day to day.
System Inspections
Inspections of the fluid and over all system for cleanliness are important
to monitor fluid quality and avoid premature fluid failure. Operators and
maintenance personnel should both do this.
Tramp oils such as hydraulic oil, lubricating oil or residual oil film from
the work piece can cause coolant to break down prematurely. These oils
provide a source of food for bacteria, interfere with the cooling capability
of the fluid and contribute to the formation of oil mist and smoke in the
workplace. Tramp oils also interfere with fluid filtration and form
residues on machining equipment. Tramp oil is controlled through
prevention and removal.
General Housekeeping
Cutting fluid contaminants such as lubricating oils, greases and metal
particulates are an expected part of machining operations. Many of the
contaminants that cause fluids to be disposed of prematurely consist of
foreign materials such as floor sweepings, cleaners, solvents, dirt, waste
oils, tobacco, and food wastes. These contaminants have obvious
detrimental effects on fluid quality and should be eliminated through
improved housekeeping and revised shop practices. Facility personnel
should learn not to dispose of these materials in machine sumps.
Straight oils that are kept contaminant free and adequately filtered may
still require replacement due to the effect of oxidation. Oxidation of
straight oil increases its viscosity, making particulate filtration more
difficult. As a result, additives referred to as antioxidants may need to be
used to prevent oxidation from occurring.
Foaming
Sometimes the conditions are right so that the additives and surfactants in
coolants cause foaming. Foam layers are mostly air and insulate the
coolant, which prevents water from evaporating and traps heat in the
coolant.
This can seriously affect the ability to control part dimensions. Fluids are
more likely to foam when coolant concentrations are too high or when
soft water is used for coolant mixing. These combine with mechanical
effects such as agitation, air etc. to cause foaming. Foam generation
requires a surface-active liquid (one with wetting agents or emulsifiers)
and the agitation of that liquid in the presence of air. Foam control can be
tough because of high pressure and high flow rate coolant systems.
Chapter 11
Testing
1.Test to see how much of the fluid pumped actually goes through the
work zone and how the flow rate through the zone compares to the flow
rate from the pump. An increase in the flow rate of the coolant pretty
well equates to an increase in coolant efficiency (52% to 53% -
difference not statistically significant).
The coolant and machine are turned on. The tool or wheel is traversed
back and forth several inches on either side of the hole in the set block to
see where the pressure begins to build where it peaks and where it
declines and ends.
As coolant passes between the tool and the part it is squeezed and a
Test results
The type of nozzle can reduce temperature by 105 F from 280 F to 105
F. This means the difference between film boiling of the coolant and
consequent part damage and no film boiling and no damage. It also
means that higher metal removal rates are possible without damage to the
part or tool because of reduced temperature.
Air dams are designed to remove the layer of air, or air barrier, that can
surround a grinding wheel or tool especially at high rotational velocities,
and thus hinder coolant from entering the grinding zone. An air dam or
air scraper placed upstream of a grinding wheel created a 15%
improvement in efficiency
An air cushion is built up around the tool or wheel, which interferes with
the application of coolant by deflecting the coolant jet. It is important that
the nozzle design and airflow as well as air dams be used to get the
coolant into the work area.
A stripper can separates the rotating air cushion from the tool. Negative
pressure results from the rotation of the wheel in the area of the opening
and the enclosing nozzle shoe drags the lubricant into the work zone.
Multiple flow nozzles and nozzles with guide jets can also improve fluid
delivery.
Chapter 12
Bacteria find their way into fluids through a variety of ways. For
instance, there are bacteria in the water used for diluting and mixing.
They thrive on wet parts and lurk in the air. Bacteria from an operator's
hands, sweat, and saliva also get into coolants.
Surprisingly, there are people who find it easy to confuse coolant sumps
and holding tanks with toilets or food disposal units. Poor housekeeping
practices add huge numbers of microorganisms to the system. Bacteria
also live in the sludge that settles in machine sumps and coolant flumes.
In short, bacteria are everywhere.
The presence of wastes, tramp oils and metal fines can stimulate the
growth of bacteria. The life span of most metal working coolants can be
extended two or threefold with proper management techniques.
Bacteria live in the sludge that settles in machine sumps and coolant
flumes. There are more than 2,000 species of bacteria on earth, and there
is virtually no place that one species or another does not call "home."
Aerobic
Most bacteria which cause fluid to become rancid are aerobic. Aerobic
bacteria need oxygen for metabolism and efficiently destroy the coolant.
In the typical coolant system, there is no shortage of oxygen. As coolants
cycle through, they come into contact with air at the surface of sumps and
holding tanks. Fluids pick up oxygen as they are ejected from the nozzle
and just about anywhere else coolant is exposed to the air.
In the absence of oxygen, they will continue to survive, but grow very
slowly until oxygen is reintroduced. Once they can "breathe" again,
facultative bacteria will resume reproduction. Aerobic bacteria reproduce
by dividing in two approximately every 20 to 30 minutes. A single, well-
fed bacterium can produce billions of others in less than half a day.
Anaerobic
Anaerobic bacteria grow in oxygen-poor environments. They grow in
systems that are inactive for long periods of time. Inactivity allows tramp
oil to rise to the top of the sump, creating an effective barrier between the
metalworking fluid and atmospheric oxygen. Consequently, the amount
of oxygen present in the fluid decreases, aerobic bacteria die, and
anaerobic bacteria begin to flourish. They feed upon the coolant and
produce hydrogen sulfide, which produces the rotten-egg odor, which
causes Monday morning odor.
This type of bacteria grows much more slowly than the aerobic, dividing
in two approximately every four hours. Anaerobic bacteria will usually
not grow until aerobic bacteria have first attacked the fluid and the
oxygen is depleted. Some components of coolant-emulsifier systems are
naturally toxic to anaerobic bacteria; that's why adding fresh coolant
makeup to stinky coolant will "freshen up" the mix but only for a short
time.
Fungi
Bacteria Control
The more rapidly bacteria grow, the faster they alter the fluid. That
makes controlling the rate of bacterial growth extremely important. If the
rate of growth is limited, the harmful effects are reduced. Biological
growth is controlled through a combination of practices. These include
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Housekeeping
The best way to effectively control bacterial growth is good
housekeeping.
Train your employees to keep trash, solvents, tramp oil and other foreign
material out of the coolant system.
It does little good to put fresh coolant into a dirty machine if you're only
going to suck out the old before putting in the new. This practice
provides fresh food for the bacteria that are in the swarf and sludge that
remain in the machine sump, on machine surfaces, and in the coolant
circulating systems.
Fluid selection
One of the most important methods of keeping bacterial growth in check
is to be sure that the cutting fluid manufacturer you select uses high
purity materials for its products. Bacteria have very specific appetites and
some materials are much better food for them than others.
Even if the majority of the fluid is free of bacteria, the sludge in the
bottom will continue to harbor bacteria and create a septic condition. This
can dissolve metals, possibly increasing the toxicity of the fluid to a level
at which disposal through a local wastewater treatment plant is no longer
permitted. Laboratory analysis will reveal whether the toxicity of the
fluid makes it a hazardous waste.
Some bacteria prefer oil as a food source, so they tend to grow rapidly in
those machines that leak substantial amounts of lubricating and hydraulic
oils. Consequently, everything should be done to reduce tramp oil
contamination. Contaminant oils and greases that do make it into coolant
should be skimmed off the surface or centrifuged out of the fluid.
Some businesses have found that using an aerator and diffuser rod
purchased at an aquarium shop can reduce bacterial growth. The aerator
is used when machines are off line for an extended period such as a
weekend.
Clean sumps
Sanitize sumps and machinery on a regular basis. Remove all old coolant
and sludges. Flush out comers. It's no use putting good coolant into
bacteria laden equipment. If necessary, retrofit sumps to make cleaning
easier by lining with sheet metal or epoxy and creating rounded corners.
Central Systems
Central systems generally involve quantities of fluid three to five times
the amount used for an individual machine. As a result, if the bacteria in
a central system grow at the usual rate, the proportionately smaller
addition of fresh makeup will give the bacteria a greater period of time in
which to break down the coolant than would be the case with individual
machines.
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Chapter 13
Sump Cleaning
The main enemy of coolant is bacteria. Get rid of the breeding grounds
for bacteria properly and you simplify your problem. The coolant should
be filtered and recycled regularly. The machines also should drained and
completely cleaned once each year. This is the traditional figure. With
really good coolant management this may not be necessary.
Collecting dirty coolant from the sump is made much easier and requires
much less time when a sump vacuum or the filter system pump is used.
The cleaning is also made more effective if the sump has rounded
corners, nowhere for microbes to hide, and is made of sheet metal
construction. To prevent weekend growth of anaerobic bacteria be the
coolant can be agitated and aerated to prevent anaerobic conditions from
forming.
Pretreatment
1.Treat the sump for bio-contamination using a biocide / fungicide and
following the manufacturer's procedures and recommendations.
2.The old fluid with the biocide should be run for a minimum of 48 to 72
hours.
3.The mixture should be dumped and disposed of safely and according to
local, state and federal regulations.
Cleaning
4.Pump the sump out.
5.Shovel out all swarf, fines and chips.
6.Clean any oily residues that remain on any surface.
7.Clean as much as you can at this point.
Rinsing
18.Once the machine has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected, any
residual cleaning solution must be rinsed from the equipment. Fresh
water should be circulated through the system at least twice to rinse off
any remaining cleaner.
Recharging
27.During the rinsing you should mix up your coolant at the
manufacturer's suggested ratio and have it ready to place into the system
immediately after pumping out the rinsing agent. You can also add
another dose of biocide to start off.
28.After it is completely drained of the rinse solution, the system can be
charged with fresh fluid.
29.The machine should then be turned on and run for about 30 minutes so
as to get the coolant well dispersed on all parts of the exposed portions of
the machining area.
30.The fluid should then be circulated for at least 15 minutes prior to
production.
Chapter 14
Cleaning Systems
Contaminated fluids are directly responsible for 70% to 90% of machine
tool wear and failure. A filter system that removes contaminants as they
are generated helps keep fluids operating at peak performance. In
filtration systems for water-based coolants, a one-micron filter will also
remove bacteria.
Eliminating contaminants in oil based fluids has been proven to cut down
wear in pumps, bearings, cylinders, motors, gears, servo valves and any
metal surfaces used in or affected by the machining operation. A clean
system will always run at higher pressures and maintain higher levels of
accuracy and repeatability. Machining and part quality also become more
consistent.
The level of shop productivity will also affect the frequency of recycling.
Large shops that operate at maximum capacity around the clock will need
to recycle fluids more frequently than smaller or slower shops. It is
generally recommended that coolants be recycled every two or three
weeks on average to keep coolants fresh and usable for extended periods
of time unless the coolants are filtered on a constant basis.
Kinds of Equipment
Skimmers
Skimmers make sense where the goal is to collect tramp and save them.
They remove tramp oils that float to the surface of cutting fluid after it
has been allowed to sit for a period of time. Skimming is most effective
when tramp oils have a low water miscibility and the cutting fluids used
by the shop reject tramp oil emulsification. Since oil has an affinity for
plastic, most skimmers consist of plastic belts or disks that are partially
submerged in the fluid. Tramp oil adheres to the skimmer as it passes
through the fluid. The tramp oil is then scraped from the skimmer with a
blade and collected for final disposition.
Coalescers
Coalescers are often used in conjunction with skimmers to enhance tramp
oil removal. Coalescers are porous media separators, which use oil-
attracting media beds, usually polypropylene, to attract oil out of. These
are often inclined corrugated plates or vertical tubes. Fluid is passed
through the coalescer at a low, non-turbulent rate. Dispersed tramp oil
droplets attach to the media and coalesce to larger droplets. Eventually
these droplets reach a size at which they rise to the top of the coalescing
unit for removal with a skimmer. Coalescer units have no moving parts,
are generally self-cleaning and may be purchased for $1,000 to $5,000.
Settling tanks
The simplest separation systems are settling tanks. They allow heavy
particles to settle to the bottom of a tank while allowing tramp oil and
light particles to float to the surface. Settling tanks can be equipped with
skimmers to remove the floating oil and light particulates. Chips and
other particles, which settle to the bottom, are removed using baskets or
automatic chip conveyors.
Magnetic separators
Copper oxide - 20
These are not common metals in most machine shops. However they do
show the difference alloys can make in magnetic susceptibility. As you
get more metals alloyed it becomes more confusing. Stainless steel may
or may not be magnetic depending on what you mean by stainless steel.
A magnetic system that works well with one alloy may not work as well
with another alloy even if the two alloys appear to be very similar.
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Magnetic filtering can be very good for low flows where there is a single,
highly responsive alloy being machined.
Hydrocyclones
Density differences between the cutting fluid and contaminants cause
their separation. In a hydro cyclone, cutting fluid rapidly enters a cone-
like vessel, producing a vortex that forces denser solids down and out.
The disadvantage of hydro cyclones is that they tend to emulsify tramp
oils.
Centrifuges
Centrifuges use a spinning bowl to develop the centrifugal force needed
for contaminant removal. Some centrifuge units can remove free,
dispersed and emulsified tramp oil as well as bacteria. The disadvantages
of centrifuges are the intensive maintenance required for the system and
cost. In addition, under certain conditions, centrifuges used for removal
of emulsified tramp oils may also separate fluid concentrate from the
working solution. Fluid suppliers should be consulted beforehand to
ensure centrifuging will not have a detrimental impact on fluid quality.
Flotation
Cutting fluid is aerated to achieve contaminant separation. Oil and
particulate matter adhere to the air bubbles and are carried to the surface
where they are mechanically skimmed off. This contaminant removal
process is typically used after larger and heavier particulates have been
removed by settling.
Filtration systems
Filtration systems are the most versatile and can be the most effective
depending on system design and use.
Cartridge systems work like the oil filter system in your car. They are
simple, easy, sturdy and cheap. They do not do well in very high
volumes.
A good quality pump and filter system starts at just under a thousand
dollars and goes as high as you want to pay. There are several kinds of
filter systems. There are centrifuge systems that generally cost $10,000 or
more to buy. They spin out the particles and are very good down to ten
microns in size. Most grinding particles are under ten microns in size.
The best method of recycling is a small system for each sump that runs
constantly. Small filter systems that filter to less than one micron in size
can be purchased for less than 1% of the cost of the machine they are
protecting. This is a range from $500 to $2,000.Filter life is typically a
month or more and requires 5 to 10 minutes and $20 every couple
months. Payback can be a couple months.
There are also batch treatment systems, which are portable, or non-
portable fluid recycling units. Fluid from individual machine sumps is
If you do not filter then you must batch treat. Typically, contaminated
fluid is removed from the machine sump using a mobile sump cleaner
(i.e. a sump sucker or high quality drum vacuum) and placed in the batch
treatment-recycling unit for contaminant removal. To keep fluid clean,
batch treatment must be done on a frequent basis. Many shops find that
batch treatment must be done two to three times as often as the fluid's life
expectancy. Thus, if a fluid lasts three months before it needs disposal, it
will need to be batch treated monthly. If the fluid only lasts two or three
weeks, it will need to be batch treated weekly.
Filter systems
In a large operation a central cyclonic or centrifugal collection system
can be more economical than individual filter systems on each machine.
What we have seen is the cyclonic or centrifugal separators are usually
very good at removing particles down to ten microns. The individual
cartridge systems remove particles from 10 microns to below one micron.
The smaller particles are also more dangerous than larger particles.
Really big particles do not carry very far. They are much less likely to be
pumped up and recirculated. When they are in the recirculated coolant
sprayed on the grinding area they tend to fall faster.
Big particles, around 100 microns, are caught in nose hairs and in the
throat. They are not as likely to get into lungs. Really small particles,
around 1/100th micron, are breathed in and out. They are so small and
light that they tend to just float in and out. It is the particles from 10
microns to one tenth of a micron that are most apt to be breathed in and
these are the particle that we filter rout.
Three tests
1. Fill a clear bottle with coolant. Let it sit. There should be a light layer
of fine particles on the bottom.
2. Measure the flow. The flow can be very slow and still be cycling the
entire sump twice an hour.
3. The filter bag should be really dirty. It should have a layer around it
that varies from one half inch thick to three-quarters inch thick. (See flier,
please)
Filter Life
The life of a filter depends on what you are filtering and how much of it
you filter out
What matters to most users is how long the filters will last before they
need changing or replacing. This determines the actual cost of running
the unit.
The starting point is rated filter life. Filter life is rated the best average
application. In a filter system for machine coolants this would be a metal
or similar particle in otherwise clean coolant. As the coolant acquires
other dirt, particularly oil and grease the life of the filter can drastically
reduced.
Filters are designed and made with holes in them to trap particles. A good
filter is made one of two ways. Cartridge filters are a couple inches
across or more. They work by forcing the liquid through the filter from
the outside to the middle. The liquid goes through and the particles get
trapped in the filter media.
There are larger holes on the outside so that the whole depth of the filter
is available to trap particles. A bag filter is a big bag where the liquid is
pumped into the inside of the bag and then forced though the bag. The
particles are trapped inside the bag. A bag will a hold a great deal more
dirt and particles than a cartridge simply because there is more room to
put them in the middle of a bag than there is in the material wound
around a cartridge filter.
Filters do very well trapping particles. When oils and greases are allowed
to contaminate a system then the filters become “blinded”. This means
that they rapidly get a coating of oil and grease on the outside and then
the filter plugs up and will not allow any liquid to pass through it.
A filter system may work for weeks without a filter change if it is just
filtering particles. If there is oil and grease then the system may work for
a day. It can get to the point where the oil and grease will cause a system
to shut down in minutes that would ordinarily run a week.
As a comparison, even brand new coolant had 11,000 particles per cubic
centimeter.
One gallon is 3785.41 cu. cm. so forty gallons is 151,416.4 cu. cm.
Before filtering there were about 76,000,000 particles per cu. cm. x
151,416 cu. cm. =
In this case the particles left did not make much of an impression. I
suppose that the filter removed over 2 and one half quadrillion (a
quadrillion is a million times a million) particles and was still working
fine.
Chapter 15
Filtering out the chunks improves grinding coolant several ways. Shops
report that filtering doubles coolant life. This varies according to which
shops and how they measure performance, but double coolant life seems
to be a minimum performance improvement. Cleaner coolant gives
better, smoother, faster grinds and helps prevent any possibility of
burning.
Tramp oils seal off the coolant and keep air out of it. Filtering coolant
removes sludge and tramp oils and prevents bacteria growth. A filter
system prevents bacteria growth by removing the sludge where bacteria
grow. Filtering also removes tramp oils, which create an anaerobic
environment.
<1 0 17,209 0
1 140,317 25,575 11
9 420,952 80 55
10 280,634 478 66
11 0 319 22
12 140,317 00
13 70,159 159 22
14 70,159 0 0
15 140,317 80 11
16 70,159 0 29
17 65,774 32 5
18 85,506 112 0
19 26,309 80 0
20 0 48 0
Notes:
Chapter 16
Kinds of Filters
Kinds of Filters
1. Paper filters
2. String wound polypropylene filters
3. Bag filters
4. Activated carbon and other chemical filters
Paper filters
Paper filters - they absorb a lot of the essential materials out of the
coolant - we can supply these but we do not recommend them
Bag filters
The material is pumped through a bag. These are large capacity filters
and are removable and cleanable. The housing makes these more
expensive initially, but they can recover their cost rapidly in heavy use
situations.
Some filters are made with pleats or ridges, which increases the surface
area and the amount of material that will be trapped on the surface. Other
filters are made with bigger holes on the outside and smaller holes in the
middle so they can trap particles all the way through.
When a filter is rated for a particular size the rating is either "nominal" or
"absolute".
As filters get dirtier the holes get smaller and they trap more particles and
finer particles. A dirty filter will filter more effectively than a clean filter
until it gets so dirty that nothing can pass through it.
The smaller the filter size the more it will filter out and the faster it will
do it. A filter with larger size rating will also trap smaller particles but
just not as fast.
If you have a river and you string a fine net across it you will catch all the
grass, sticks, fish and logs.
If you take the same river and put a log across it you will catch other big
logs. When you catch enough big logs you will start catching smaller
logs. Then you will catch big sticks and smaller sticks. You may
eventually catch enough stuff to dam the river.
Filters work the same way. A 20-micron filter has bigger holes in it than
a one-micron filter. Because the holes are bigger they will hold more
material. As the holes fill up they will trap smaller and smaller particles
just like the log in the river.
A 20-micron filter will give you longer filter life and reduce costs. It will
also trap the smaller particles. It will not do as good a job of getting all
the small particles out immediately.
A five micron filter is supposed to trap anything five microns and larger.
It sort of does that. The filters are full of holes. As they get used they
collect dirt and the holes get smaller so it does a better job of trapping
particles.
Filters generally come in one, five, ten and twenty micron sizes. These
are the most common sizes. Three micron is also available some places,
but it is not as common.
The reason for using more than one filter is to spread the workload over
the two filters. Ideally the first filter will trap half the contaminants and
those will be the larger half. The second filter will trap the other half of
the contaminants consisting of the smaller particles.
Example:
Size is in microns, which is millionths of a meter, which is about
1/25,000 of an inch.
Volume of
Total Volume of
Particle in
Size Dirty Filtered Unused Particles This Size
Cubic
in Cubic Microns
Microns
<1 0 17,209 0
11 0 319 22 696.9
20 48 4,188.8
21 16 4,849.1
There are about five billion cubic microns of material in this sample. This
sample was taken from a dirty sump so the particle count is high,
however, the sump had never been filtered so the ratios by size are pretty
good.
About 37% of the particles are five microns and below by total volume of
the particles. In other words about 1/3 third of the mass of swarf and grit
generated by grinding will be below five microns.
The liquid from the sump was about 18% solids at five microns or less by
volume and about 31% solids six microns or above by volume. For a total
of 49% by volume.
Volume = 196.35 / 3
Volume = 65.45
We can see that a particle that is twice the size will have eight times the
volume
5. Filter material
Paper
Paper is cheap however it readily absorbs oils and essential components
of lubricants in cutting, grinding and machining materials.
Poly filters
These are plastic materials. They will trap dirt and will not or will not
absorb oil and other essential components depending on the material
selected.
Bag filters
Various kinds of cloth sewn into bags.
Hard cellulose
Cellulose fibers compacted into an extremely hard filter with ridges.
6.Filter construction
Folded paper
Folded Polyester
A plastic sheet that is folded and pleated to greatly increase the surface
area.
Roll up filter
These consist of a sheet of material that is rolled up around a core. This
sheet of material can be unwound, cleaned and then rewound for re-use.
Hard filter
A hard material filter as opposed to cloth or string wound. This filter is
ridged to provide a greater surface area. It is also graduated so that the
outer surface will trap the larger particles and the inner surfaces will trap
consecutively smaller particles.
Bag filter
These have a bag inside a canister. In bag filters the material is pumped
through a bag. These are large capacity filters and are removable and
cleanable. The housing makes these more expensive initially but you may
be able to recover their cost in heavy use situations.
will also remove some of the chemicals that make the coolant work well.
A possible use for these is to remove contaminants and clean the coolant
before final disposal. They will clog very rapidly unless the coolant going
into them is extremely clean. These are generally referred to as
“polishing” filters. They are especially good at removing dissolved
metals.
Filter selection
Solids
removed 7.0 12.0 2.5 2.1 3.3
(oz)
Cost per
oz of
$ 0.32 $ 0.27 $ 0.92 $ 2.50 $ 1.82
Solids
Removed
Cleanable
& Yes Yes No No No
Reusable
Cost of filters
Size in
Microns Case Size Order Size
Filter costs 1 3 5 10
Pleated poly
As the pressure increases the flow rate will decrease. As the filters get
clogged the amount of force required to pump through them will
increase. As the filters get used and start to clog up they will also do a
Chapter 17
A typical tool and die operation had 12 EDM's, each with its own
standard paper cartridge filter or diatomaceous earth filtering system.
"The fluid was as black as coal," recalled the foreman. "Forget about
being able to see the bottom of the work tank. Two inches under the
surface everything disappeared."
Chapter 18
Testing
Minimum Daily Tests
You should do this once at the start of a shift and again at the end of a shift in a one-shift
operation or once each shift in a three-shift operation. You need to keep good records.
Checking pH with meter and concentration with a refractometer takes 2 or 3 minutes and
may be enough for the daily tests.
If the coolant smells or if the pH has changed dramatically or if the pH is too high or too low
then you need to do a check for bacteria. There are simple test such as bio sticks that allow
you to do this easily and simply.
Why to test
Coolant changes as you use it. The water evaporates out of it. Coolant levels drop as it gets
splashed out. Coolant dissolves and chelates metals. Coolant loses its ability to lubricate. It
also loses its anti-rust ability. The pH will change which will encourage bacteria growth. It
also becomes oily and can break down faster.
The sludge in coolant means rougher grinds, more burning and much shorter diamond wheel
life. It also increase health hazards and breaks coolant down faster.
What you might see from the testing. This is what we have found in our tests.
Use a graduated cylinder. 1. Fill it to the top 2. Let it settle 3. Read the lines
Detect bearing and seal failure and help identify leaks
Thick coolant gets gummy and clogs diamond wheels and machines. Thin coolant allows
rust to form and bacteria to grow
How it works
What you see - As water evaporates the coolant gets thicker. Light bends as it goes through
liquid. Thicker liquid bends light differently than thinner liquid. There is a numbered grid
or scale shown by thin lines. You will see a thicker line or the edge where a darker area
borders on a lighter area, which tells you how thick or thin the coolant mixture is.
Run these tests daily at first. Once you get the system under control you shouldn't see
much change from day to day. Then run the tests weekly.
Outside Lab
2. Turbidity Quarterly
3. Viscosity Quarterly
4. pH Quarterly
5. Conductivity Quarterly
I suggest quarterly. I would recommend this as a minimum. It is enough to look pretty good
to the government. If you do a lot of grinding and have a lot of exposure you might want to
consider doing this monthly. Take a sample. Test half of it with your own tests. Send half to
the lab. This will tell you how good your instruments are. These instruments go bad just like
anything else.
Before you change the coolant get a small sample. This is as bad as your coolant will get.
Send it to a lab and get an official analysis. This will tell you several things.
1.Was your coolant safe and clean when you changed it?
2.You can use this to decide if you need to change more often or less often.
Tests
1. Particle size and count
Outside lab - $60
This tells you how much of each size particle you have in your coolant. This will help tell
you how much danger you and your equipment are in. Particles below 10 microns are
inhaled very easily. The smaller particles are more likely to be suspended in the atomized
coolant that you breathe. This test is essential at least once to tell you what size filters you
need on your coolant cleaning system.
2.Turbidity
Outside lab - Turbidity$30
Turbidity is a measure of how much solid material is suspended in your coolant. This is a
less accurate version of the particle count. The particle count uses a laser and a computer to
measure the particles in a sample and divide them by size. Turbidity measures how much
light shines through the material. The more particles, the less light that gets through. Another
way to get an idea is to fill a clear glass bottle and let the coolant settle down. It will
eventually (maybe an hour or two) settle down so there is a layer of particles on the bottom.
In really dirty coolant there may be a sludge layer about half the depth of the coolant. The
bottle of filtered coolant has a layer on the bottom but it is too small to measure and I can see
through the layer in places. It covers maybe 3/4 of the area of the bottom.
3. Viscosity
Outside lab - Viscosity$30
This is a test of how slippery the coolant is. It is a measure of the rate of flow of a liquid due
to internal restraints on that flow. Slippery coolant is good for cutting.
Test 1
The easiest and cheapest way to do it is to use a special cup. You dip the cup in the coolant
and fill it. Then you measure the amount of time from when it starts draining until it starts
forming drops. You use a stopwatch to do this.
Test 2
You use a specially shaped tube and measure the amount of time it takes the liquid to flow
through an area.
Test 3
You get a tube with balls inside it. You measure the amount of time it takes the balls to fall.
You sometimes see this sort of thing sold in automotive stores to measure antifreeze. The
scientific tube is expensive and doesn’t work very well
4. pH
Outside lab - $20
pH is based on complex chemical analysis. It is important because almost anything you do to
a liquid changes its pH in some way. So pH is good because it is easy to measure. It is
important in this industrial process because it is pretty easy to control.
The pH scale. This is the way it works because scientists around the world agree on it. The
reason is really complicated so just remember 7 is neutral.
7 is neutral pH. Below 7 means it is acid. The further below it is the stronger the acid is.
Above 7 means it is basic. The further above 7 it is the stronger the base is.
Acids
Citric acid is Vitamin C and you drink it in orange juice. It is an acid and just a little bit
above 7.You can drink it and it is good for you. It can be concentrated to where it is harmful
but diluted in orange juice it is good. Sulfuric acid is a ways below 7 and it is battery acid. It
will eat holes in your clothes and your skin.
Bases
Dishwasher soap is a basic material as are many soaps. If you wash with them enough you
will get dishpan hands although part of the drying effect is simply from the water removing
oils from the skin. Drano or other toilet bowl cleaners are above 7 and they will eat holes in
your clothes and skin.
The easiest way to measure pH is with eter but many still use dip papers. You dip the papers
into the coolant and they change color. You then compare the color change to the chart and
that tells you what your pH is.
Papers run from $10 to $50 depending on how accurate you want them. They can get pretty
accurate, but probably not accurate enough for these small differences. These can be pretty
accurate especially if you specify a narrow range. There is a paper that has a set of different
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Chapter 18: Managing Coolants, Carbide Processors, Inc. for filter systems, coolant, testing,
strips on it. The range is from 7.2 to 8.8 and has about 10 divisions in it. That should be
pretty good here.
The pH of a metalworking fluid is readily determined using litmus paper (available through
fluid suppliers or laboratory-supply companies) or a handheld pH meter. Litmus paper
provides a quick, low cost means of estimating fluid pH. Its accuracy is limited to plus or
minus one full pH unit and is not particularly effective in predicting biocide failure.
pH meters are more expensive, but provide more accurate readings. Depending on the
degree of accuracy and other desired options, pH meter kits may be purchased at a cost
ranging from as little as fifty dollars to several hundred dollars. Low to medium cost pH
meters are accurate to plus or minus 0.2 pH units, an accuracy sufficient for monitoring
biological degradation. Although high cost meters are accurate to hundredths of a pH unit,
this degree of accuracy is of little benefit with regard to fluid management.
These sell from maybe $60 to $1500.There are a whole bunch under $100.Stay away from
the really cheap ones the way you would from a really cheap anything else. $60 ought to get
you a good, basic meter.
1. pH electrodes must be kept wet and clean. If one dries out, soak it in water or an
appropriate buffer solution for 24 hours.
2. pH meters and testers must be calibrated with buffer solutions. It is best to use two
buffers such as pH 7 and pH 4 to make sure the meter is working properly.
3. Mix the solution and let the meter reading stabilize for 10 to 20 seconds. Take the
measurement by immersing the tip of the electrode only I inch into the solution,
4. Do not be alarmed when white crystals form on the electrode; just soak the electrode in
buffer or water.
5. Conductivity
Outside lab - Conductivity$30
This measure how well an electric current travels through the liquid. It helps tell you how
much of what is suspended in that coolant. Conductivity measures how well an electric
current travels through the fluid. The more metals in the fluid the better the current will
travel sort of. A little meter runs maybe $80.They go up to $1500.
You can buy special dip papers. You need to keep the papers refrigerated to help extend the
life of them. They work on the basis of ion exchange. You need to have the coolant sample
below 7 phylum did not need to know what pH was to measure it. You do need to measure
pH to use the dip papers. To measure Cobalt with the dip papers you have to adjust the pH to
7 or below. Most coolants seem to run on the basic side, which means above 7. This means
that you will have to add some acid to bring the pH to 7 or below.
7. Color
Color is important because if you are using the right coolant you can tell by the color change
to red or purple how much dissolved cobalt you have in it. Color is pretty easy with the right
coolant. As the coolant dissolves more and more cobalt it gets redder and redder or maybe
more and more purple. There is definitely a change towards more redness in some form.
This is actually a pretty good rough test.
All you do is put some coolant in the bottle and let it settle down. As the crud settles to the
bottom you will typically see green on top and a reddish color in the middle with the sludge
on the bottom. The redder the color the more cobalt there is.
8. Amount of sludge
This is a simple test you can do yourself to find out just how much particulate you do have
in your coolant. It is really a no cost test to get about the same results that $90 worth of lab
tests gives you. This gives you an idea how much solid material you are getting in your
lungs.
9.Refractive index
Refractometers are an inexpensive tool ($200 to $250) capable of measuring fluid
concentration. A refractometer is a portable, hand held optical device that reads a fluids'
index of refraction. The term "index of refraction" refers to a measurement of how much
light is bent as it passes through a liquid. A fluid's index of refraction changes with the
density and chemical composition of the fluid. Therefore, refractometer readings obtained
for a metalworking fluid correspond to its concentration (the higher the reading, the greater
the fluid concentration).By measuring a metalworking fluid's index of refraction, the
optimum fluid concentration can be maintained.
Refractometers are typically available though coolant suppliers and provide fast, reliable
results. Tramp oils, cleaners, hydraulic fluids and other contaminants reduce its accuracy.
concentration.
1. Refractometer
2. Sample jar
3. Eye dropper if available
4. A small container of distilled Water
5. Refract Chart (for your particular coolant)
6. Evaluation Sheet (for record keeping)
Steps:
1. Fill sample jar with coolant sample about half way. (Sample jar should be clean.)
2. Take out the refractometer and apply distilled water to the lens to calibrate, (be sure to
cover entire lens with solution) now focus. Calibration should be zero.
3. Clean & dry off solution from refract lens.
4. Using the eyedropper, take some of the sample coolant from sample jar and apply
liberally to refract lens. Hold up to light and adjust focus. Read where the white line is
and record (i.e., 2.1). This is telling you the number of working solids in solution.
5. Refer this number to your refract sheet. The number will correspond to the dilution
ratio (i.e., dilution; 15:1 = 2.1 solids). These numbers are demo only.
6. *Adjust your coolant up or down as necessary
Titration Methods
Refractometer measurements are fast but are less accurate when the fluid is contaminated
with tramp oils. To overcome this problem, vendors of fluids have developed titration kits to
determine fluid concentration. The titration measures a specific chemical or group of
chemicals and is less affected by interferences from tramp oil or water quality. While
titration is more accurate than refractometer readings, the procedure varies by coolant, and
excess contaminants can affect accuracy.
The titration is done by taking a measured volume of fluid, adding an indicator, and then
adding the titrant drop by drop until a color change is noted. The coolant concentration is
determined from the number of drops of titrant added.
Chapter 19
Contaminants:
Metals: Some metals are present, but it does not appear the levels are
high enough to cause problems or require classification.
Oils and greases: Good - There are oils and greases present so this
material cannot usually be disposed of in a sewer or septic tank in any
circumstances. However, the oils and greases are recoverable and
recyclable.
Laboratory Analysis
This is how your waste tests legally. Show this to the recycler and to the
government if they ask. This test should serve as "a standard batch" test.
Unless you change your process no further tests should be necessary.
Disposal
The TCLP is a test of whether it is safe to dispose of metal containing
compounds in a landfill. It is based on how much of each metal is likely
to leach out and contaminate the surrounding area.
It may not make sense, but it is the federal standard arrived at by science
and politics. It does give a standard to measure against.
This coolant exceeds the TCLP limits for disposal in a landfill. However,
there are several methods to legally dispose of this coolant and the sludge
it contains.
Chapter 20
You may see some settling in fifteen minutes. If the coolant is very clean
it may take two hours or more to get anything to settle out. The best
length of time would be to let the bottle sit for twenty-four hours. New
coolant will clean with no sludge layer, no oil layer and no reddish color.
It might be a good idea to label the samples with the date, the machine,
type of coolant, time since last coolant change and anything else
important.
See how long it takes for the particles to settle to the bottom. The finer
the particles are the longer it will take to settle. Dust will float on top of
and in water. Rocks will drop right to the bottom. This will give you
some idea of particle size. If you get a thick layer immediately and
nothing later then it is probably all particles over ten microns. If you do
not get anything on the bottom in the first minute and the sludge layer
grows over a day then you probably have particles that are all under two
or three microns.
Typically you will get a pretty good sludge layer starting in a few
minutes. That layer will continue to grow for up to an hour. After an hour
it should be pretty well all settled out however, the really fine particles
may take up to day to settle out.
Test 4.Check the top for an oily layer. Looking will tell you if you have
tramp oils in your coolant. This is really simple but it is also very
important. Oils and greases really clog filters and grinding wheels. Some
coolants could be disposed of in sewers except for the oils and greases.
In a lot of coolants the dissolved cobalt will cause a color change and a
reddish or purplish tint. The amount of color change is related to the
amount of dissolved cobalt.
Chapter 21
Once the oil has been recovered from the chips or parts, the job is half
finished. The fluid still contains fines and dirt. The recovered fluid
should be filtered.
1. Gravity settling
The recovered liquid sits and solids settle to the bottom. The cleaner
liquid will be decanted. The wet sludge and muddy liquid will be sold to
a recycler.
2. Media filtration
The liquid passes through media, leaving solid particles behind.
3. Magnetic separators
Effective in removing magnetic materials, and leave behind other solids
such as dirt, cutting tool or grinding wheel particles, and any non-
4. Hydro cyclones
Usually effective only on water-based liquids, and can become clogged if
subjected to large particles.
5. Centrifuge
Parts are spun at high speed and the liquid is spun out
Chapter 22
"Furthermore, representatives agreed that the severity of the distress depended not only on the
levels of bacteria and endotoxins in the fluid, but also on the amount of particulate matter in
the fluid and the amount of exposure to and control of mists. The implication of all these
findings is that bacterial populations need to be closely controlled and that filtration is as
important now as it has ever been."
In other words, an OSHA sponsored conference concluded that filtering is as important now
as it ever was and that elimination of abrasive materials and metal fines from grinding coolant
is "important.”"
Skin irritation from metalworking fluids typically comes from the skin drying because of the
detergent action of the coolant. The problem gets worse as concentration levels get higher.
Contaminants in the coolant such as lubricating and hydraulic oils, abrasive particles, metal
fines, dissolved metals (especially nickel, chromium, and cobalt), acids, and salts also
increase the potential for damage.
Epidemiology
One study seemed to indicate that exposure to metalworking fluids results in an increased risk
of esophageal, pancreatic, and rectal cancers, especially among grinder operators. Another
study done at foundries and engine plants showed increases in stomach and lung cancers, but
the cancers did not seem attributable to metalworking fluids exposure. Questions about these
studies were raised because of the many outside variables (e.g., smoking, diet influences,
ethnic origin) that were not considered and the incomplete work histories of the subjects.
Further complicating the epidemiological studies was the fact that coolants used when the
data were gathered had different formulations from those used today.
Toxicology
Alkanolamine manufacturers maintained that their research indicates alkanolamines are safe,
but the UAW expressed strong concerns about them. The results of studies presented were
largely inconclusive. Additional research was requested.
The biocides used in metalworking fluids are the most studied and regulated ingredients in
these fluids. Their toxicological profiles should certainly be considered as primary sources of
information in selecting biocides for these applications. But the end user should select
biocides in conjunction with the fluid supplier to assure compatibility of the biocides and the
fluids.
The Triazine Consortium, composed of the manufacturers and marketers of triazine biocides,
discussed the results of studies it commissioned on the relationship between triazine - biocide
use and formaldehyde exposure in the workplace. The conclusion was that triazine biocides
do not release detectable levels of formaldehyde and are safe metalworking fluids
components.
Ann Ball of Cincinnati Milacron suggested that, based on her studies, a PEL of 2Mg/M3 to
lorng/M3 would not cause pulmonary irritation in workers. While the research was well
documented, there is reason to believe that PELs below which respiratory irritation will not
be experienced will vary significantly according to the composition of the fluid, and it may be
difficult to set one PEL for all types of fluids. Further studies are needed.
Two other presenters, Dr. Don Milton of Harvard University and Dr. Peter Thorne of the
University of Iowa, dealt with the role of bacteria and their growth byproducts (endotoxins)
in causing respiratory distress among workers exposed to metalworking fluids mists. It was
concluded that virgin fluid produced less distress and irritation than did used fluid.
Furthermore, representatives agreed that the severity of the distress depended not only on the
levels of bacteria and endotoxins in the fluid, but also on the amount of particulate matter in
the fluid and the amount of exposure to and control of mists. The implication of all these
findings is that bacterial populations need to be closely controlled and that filtration is as
important now as it ever has been.
As a binder in HSS and carbide tools, nothing beats cobalt. No other material imparts the
toughness of cobalt to the tool while providing a uniform latticework of support for the hard,
wear-resistant cutting grains. The cobalt that escapes the tool is another matter. When
workers repeatedly come in contact with this free-floating cobalt, released into the shop's air
and coolant while the tool is being made or sharpened, they suffer a host of medical
problems.
In researching the problem of cobalt exposure, experts in the fields of chemistry and
metallurgy have tried to discover how the cobalt is freed from the tool matrix. Some is
released as dust during grinding and cutting operations, but researchers also have found that
some is leached by many of the amino alcohols and amine-base additives found in almost all
water-miscible machining fluids. The mechanism by which amines leach cobalt is uncertain.
One possibility is that the amines chelate cobalt, a process by which the amine molecules
chemically link up with the cobalt atoms to form a water-soluble complex. This happens most
frequently as carbide is being ground. It can also happen when carbide tools come in contact
with the machining fluid as they are being used.
When regularly exposed to fluids with amino alcohol, tungsten carbide tooling will lose the
cobalt needed to hold it together. The cobalt leached out by the amines eventually winds up
as a contaminant in the Metalworking fluid itself, causing performance, health and
environmental concerns.
In the case of Hardmetal machining, cobalt leaching can be controlled by adding inhibitors to
the fluid, such as triazoles. While this is effective initially, the inhibitor becomes depleted as
the fluid is used and loses its effectiveness. However, inhibitors do little to control cobalt
leaching during the manufacture of tungsten carbide tools, and during carbide grinding, where
metal fines are a problem.
Cobalt leaching is at the heart of three potentially costly problems. First, it reduces the
performance and life of the tool. Next, cobalt is believed to be responsible for health
problems in some workers, causing dermatitis in handling the fluid and respiratory distress
from contaminated coolant mist. Finally, wastewater disposal may become a serious matter if
cobalt levels in used fluids exceed the regulatory limit for heavy metals.
Since learning how cobalt is leached from cemented carbide, researchers have been searching
for ways to prevent the chemical reaction from taking place. They've enjoyed some success
by adding a chemical barrier to the coolant that keeps the amines from attacking the cobalt.
But the most effective solution appears to be a coolant formulated with amines that don't have
such a strong affinity for cobalt.
machining fluids and fluid-handling systems that permit coolants and lubricants to be
recirculated many times. Extending fluid life significantly lowers costs by reducing the
number of times workers must shut down the line to change fluid and by minimizing the
amount of fluid the workers must throw out and replace. However, the longer the fluid is
used, the more opportunities the amines in the fluid have to grab cobalt out of the carbides
that are being machined. Over time, the cobalt in the fluid reaches hazardous levels.
As the cobalt content in the fluid rises, so do the health risks to the workers. Cobalt dust in a
shop's air is known to cause respiratory and skin problems, and it is reasonable to suspect that
the cobalt dissolved in the machining fluid will have many of the same effects. Cobalt-
contaminated fluid causes dermatitis on skin that comes in contact with it. Workers also may
suffer respiratory problems if they inhale contaminated coolant mist.
Contaminated fluid also poses risks to the environment, and because of these risks, shops may
find it more difficult and expensive to dispose of cobalt-tainted coolant. Although federal
regulations do not single out cobalt, there are regulatory limits on the amount of heavy metals
a company's effluent can contain. Should cobalt levels in a shop's wastewater rise above these
limits, federal regulators may require the shop to treat the water as hazardous waste.
Cobalt leaching is hazardous to carbide tools, as well. When the tool loses its binder, the
surface is weakened and may be subject to accelerated wear. Also, the weakened surface
structure will compromise the bond between the tool and any coating applied to it.
Industry Response
Producers of Metalworking fluids have tried to block the amine/cobalt reaction with
inhibitors such as benzozole and tolyltriazole. The inhibitors are believed to react with the
cobalt on the surface of the tool before the amines have a chance to react with the cobalt and
draw it out of the tool.
Leaching inhibitors do work. However, once an inhibiting molecule reacts with the cobalt, it
is no longer available for further reactions as the machining process exposes more cobalt.
Eventually, the inhibitor is depleted, leaving any cobalt exposed beyond this point vulnerable
to attack from the amines in the fluid.
This explains the typical performance of a metalworking fluid that contains both cobalt-
leaching amines and a leaching inhibitor. At first, the cobalt level in the fluid remains low.
But over time, leaching causes the level to reach that found in an uninhibited fluid. The
inhibitor may extend the life of the fluid, but the cobalt contamination will still force the
operator to replace the fluid before it would have to be replaced if no leaching occurred.
As an alternative, the operator can add fresh inhibitor, but this has its drawbacks as well. It's
difficult to predict when cobalt contamination will reach dangerous levels. As a result, the
operator must regularly monitor the cobalt level to determine when more inhibitor is required.
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Chapter 22: Managing Coolants, Carbide Processors, Inc. for filter systems, coolant, testing,
The extra inhibitor also adds to the shop's coolant costs; in a typical case, the shop will spend
about $5 per 100 gal. of coolant used for one tank side treatment.
The easiest solution would be to eliminate the amines from the metalworking fluid altogether.
Unfortunately, this is not always possible, because the amines perform vital functions better
than any other substance. During fluid formulation, amines are used as corrosion inhibitors
and emulsifiers both in their unreacted state and as key components in fluid additives. All
amines added to the solution during the formulation of a metalworking fluid remain in the
product.
The industry has tried to find substitutes to take the place of amines in metalworking fluid,
but these replacements have their own drawbacks. The only substances that approach the
performance of the original amines are inorganic substances such as potassium hydroxide, but
they are not as effective as amines in controlling fluid pH and ferrous-metal corrosion. These
replacements also are extremely caustic. Prolonged contact can chemically burn a worker's
skin.
One study compared the cobalt-dissolving tendencies of different amines when mixed with
water in a 1% solution. Deionized water containing no amines also was tested and compared
to the results of the amine-containing solutions. At the conclusion of the test, the solution
with the highest-leaching amine had 10 times more cobalt in the fluid than the solution with
the lowest leaching amine. For this study, the researchers used methods designed to replicate
real-world results. The screening test they used to determine the amount of cobalt in the water
and the different solutions is known to correlate with results in carbide tool manufacturing
plants. During this test, water or one of the solutions was placed in a jar with swarf from an
actual carbide grinding operation. The cobalt concentration in all the swarf samples was
adjusted to yield 1500-ppm total cobalt based on the weight of the test solution. The mixture
of swarf and water or solution was then vigorously mixed on a jar roller for 5 days. At the end
of this period, the water or solution was filtered and atomic absorption was used to measure
the amount of dissolved cobalt in the filtrate.
As might be expected, deionized water leached the least cobalt. Straight water usually is not a
suitable machining fluid, however, because it can corrode work pieces and lacks lubricity.
The researchers found that the solution with the amine AMP-95 most closely matched the
performance of deionized water containing no amines. At the conclusion of the test, the
concentration of cobalt in the deionized water was 14 ppm; the concentration in the solution
with AMP-95 was 23 ppm. Dissolved cobalt levels for the other solutions were 116 ppm for
monoethanolamine, 198 ppm for mixed isopropanolamines, and 241 ppm for
triethanolamine.
Safety coolants
There seem to be many sales people in the market selling coolants that will not dissolve
cobalt. Some of them are wrong and their coolants actually dissolve more cobalt. Some of
them are partially right and their coolants dissolve cobalt more slowly than other coolants.
We do not know of any coolant that truly does not dissolve any cobalt, ever.
Most coolant is basic because cobalt dissolves in acids better than bases. However Cobalt
does dissolve in bases (also called caustic solutions). It just dissolves more slowly.
The Materials Handbook says “cobalt...is dissolved by dilute sulfuric, nitric, or hydrochloric
acids and is attacked slowly by alkalis”.
Webster’s Dictionary
“Alkalis”1. Any base or hydroxide 2.any substance than can neutralize acids, with a pH
greater than 7.0.Strong alkalis are caustic.”
7.0 is a neutral pH. It is neither acidic nor basic (caustic). A pH below 7.0 is acid. A pH
above 7.0 is basic. In our analyses of most coolants they show a pH that is slightly basic.
Usually slightly above 8.0.
Dr. Susan Kennedy of the University of British Columbia has tested various coolants. In her
opinion some of the coolants sold as safety coolants are actually worse than non-safety
coolants. In other words some coolants are sold with the claim that they dissolve less coolant
and they dissolve more coolant.
Chemical reaction
There is a chemical process called chelation. Chelation is: 1. A chemical compound in which
the central atom (usually a metal ion) is attached to neighboring atoms by at least two
coordinate bonds in such a way as to form a closed chain. or 2. To cause (a metal ion) to react
with another molecule to form a chelate.
Dissolving would mean that the Cobalt would break up into individual cobalt molecules in
the water. Chelation means that it forms unique chemical compounds. This chelation is where
we get the reddish or purplish coloration.
Bacteria
Bacteria break complex substances such as sugar down into things like alcohol. They also
break the chemicals in grinding coolants down into other things and they will use
The bacteria grow well for several reasons. First, they grow well in the undisturbed sludge
and particles in the bottom of the sump. Second, they are anaerobic (do not need air) and
grow well under water. Third, they feed on the substances in some grinding coolants. Fourth.
They really like the tramp oils. Fifth, the tramp oils seal the top of the water so that no
possible air gets to the bacteria.
Water contains oxygen in two ways. Water has oxygen as part of its chemical make up as
H2O.Water also contains dissolved oxygen. (Boiled water tastes flat because the dissolved
oxygen has been boiled out. The Boy Scout Handbook says to pour the water from one
bucket to another to get oxygen back in which will make it taste better.) Dissolved oxygen
also helps prevent the growth of anaerobic bacteria.
Filtering helps:
1.Removes the particles before they can either dissolve or chelate or react other wise in the
coolant.
2.Removes the sludge and particulate that provide a nesting bed for bacteria in the bottom of
the sump.
3.Removes the bacteria.
4.Removes the oils that the bacteria eat.
5.Aerates the mixture to help keep the oxygen content high so that the bacteria cannot grow.
Breathing grinding coolant with chunks of wheel and carbide in it causes problems at least
five ways.
1.The coolant alone causes problems. It can cause a rash like dishpan hands. If you breathe in
the mists then you can get these rashes in your throat and lungs.
2.Size
The human breathing system starts at the nose, which has nostrils about a quarter inch across.
The respiratory system branches and splits and rebranches until you get down into the
smallest part of part of the lungs, which handles air molecules that are about one ten billionth
of an inch across. If you have grinding particles that are about one ten millionth of an inch
across they are going to be able to get pretty far into the lungs. These big particles block the
lungs like a basketball dropped into fish net.
4.Allergic reactions
Coolants dissolve metals. The dissolved metals can cause allergic reactions and scarring in
your lungs, which gradually causes of loss of lung function. It appears that there is an allergic
reaction to cobalt that differs from person to person. As with all allergic reactions the effect is
much greater with some people than others. Some people die from bee stings but most people
do not. However a bee sting hurts almost everyone. It seems to be a similar thing with cobalt.
Cobalt affects some people much more than others but it is not a good thing for anyone.
5.Bacteria grow in coolant. They make it smell bad and they are a health hazard. Filtering
removes the sludge that bacteria use to breed as well as removing tramp oils that bacteria eat
and filtering keeps oxygen in the water. These are anaerobic bacteria, which means “non-
oxygen” or non- air. They do not like air so keeping the coolant aerated helps prevent their
growth.
Basic housekeeping
If you run coolant through a clean filter you can remove up to 90% of all cobalt.
Do not splash grinding coolant any harder or farther than you have to. What happens is that
grinding coolant gets sprayed onto the work as a liquid then the splashing breaks the liquid up
into really small drops (aerosols) and this is what you breathe.
Keep the coolant away from the operator. Screens, shields, air intakes and cabinets can all be
used to collect mist and prevent it from getting to an operator.
There is lots of other material in grinding coolant. There are bits of diamond or CBN from the
wheel, there is resin from the wheel and chunks of broken carbide as well as just general grit
and dirt. We found that there could be up to 75,000,000 or 80,000,000 pieces of crud in a
cubic centimeter. This would be 150,000,000,000 (150 billion) particles in a two-liter soda
pop bottle. Filtering can get out over 99% of these particles.
Grinding fumes and dust can be dangerous. Inhaling grinding coolant, whether it is clean or
dirty, can be dangerous. How dangerous it is depends on how much is inhaled, how long it is
inhaled and who inhales it.
Lungs
Your lungs look like two sacks. The left side has two lobes and the right side has three lobes.
Each lobe gets divided into thousands of little passageways. Each passageway has thousands
and thousands of little rooms going off of it. The air gets into these little rooms and gets
trapped there when you exhale. The blood is rushing past these little rooms on the outside and
the air is on the inside. The rushing blood sucks the air through the walls when you inhale and
pushes the carbon dioxide out into the room when you exhale.
You damage your lungs several ways. One way it to fill these rooms with crud so the air
cannot get in or out. Small particles get carried down into these rooms and fill them up. So
does the tar in cigarettes. The oxygen gets from your lungs to your blood only through these
little rooms. The more of them that are blocked up the less oxygen you can get into your
blood. If it gets bad enough you can start plugging up passageways and shutting down
corridors and whole sections of lung.
Another way to damage your lungs is to cut them up and then let scars form where the cuts
were. The scars in your lungs are like the scars on your hands. It is different than ordinary
skin. It does not breathe. Every time you scar lung tissue you lose some lung capacity. If you
scar enough tissue then you die from slow strangulation.
Here are WISHA (Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act) and OSHA (Federal
occupational Safety and Health Act) permissible exposure limits in mg/cu.m (milligrams per
cubic meter)
mg/cu.m Fume Dust Metal Salts Cr2 Cr3 Metal Dust Fume Insoluble Soluble
WISHA .005 .0025 0.5 0.5 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 1 0.1
The real answer is to do as many are doing and set a limit of 100 ppm (parts per million) or
100 mg/L, or whatever else your expert recommends, for cobalt in coolant and then safely
dispose of it at that level. That is really low by legal limits but it is safe and that should be
important to you and I because it is our lungs we are talking about.
3. Industrial Exposure and Control Technologies for OSHA Regulated Hazardous Substances
US Dept of Labor
March 1989
Volume 1 of 2 Substances A-1 Cobalt (CAS Number 7440-48-4)
8. Exposure to Airborne Metals in the Manufacture and Maintenance of Hard Metal and
Stellite Blades
Markku Linnainmaa, et. Al.
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal (57) February 1996
Chapter 23
Caution:
1. Plexiglas windows or shield have become “crazed and cracked” from
contact with this coolant. Other window or shield materials such as those
made from K-Resin are not affected.
2. Some paints or coatings on machine surfaces are dissolved or pool
after prolonged contact with this coolant. Recommended paints: Epoxy.
Properties
Appearance, Concentrate (neat) Clear, Blue
Dilution (55 in Clear, blue
deionized water) (see #2)
Specific
1.07
gravity
Pounds per
8.9
gallon
Viscosity, cSt at 40° C 3.7
SUS at 100° F 17
pH
9.5
concentrate
Falex Load, 55 in tap water, ASTM
4500
D 3233
Rust test, 3% in tap water, ASTM
Pass
D 4627
Solution stability (5%), 24 hrs. At
No separation
30° F
Copper corrosion (5%), 3 hrs at
1B
122° F, ASTM D 130
Foam Test, ASTM Seq. I 90-0
D 892, Seq. II 10-0
Seq. III 20-0
Notes:
1. Values are typical unless ranges or limits are shown
2. Dilute color - With fluorescent green tint
3. Dilute solutions can be hazy if tap water is used depending on
hardness
4. Foam test - ASTM D 3801, Break in 30 sec.
turning, boring,
milling, forming, 20:1 10:1 10:1 10:1
drilling, sawing
Tapping, thread
rolling,
reaming, screw 20:1 20:1 10:1 10:1
cutting,
broaching
Gear /shaping,
form and thread
20:1 20:1 10:1 10:1
milling, shaving
and hobbing,
Internal and
external grinding,
form and thread 20:1 20:1 20:1 20:1
grinding
trepanning
Notes:
1. Dilution ratios are approximate and may require higher or lower water
concentrations depending on a number of factors including the e type of
metal cut, machine speed, the severity of the operation, metal hardness,
etc.
2. Not recommended for MACHINING aluminum alloys or magnesium
due to possible staining
No
No Combustible No
Flammable
No Compressed Pyrophoric
No Organic
Gas No Reactivity
peroxide
No Explosive No Stable
No Oxidizer
NO Carcinogen
NO Animal carcinogen
NO suspect carcinogen
NO Mutagen
NO Highly Toxic
NO Toxic
NO Corrosive
NO Irritant
NO Sensitizer
NO Teratogen
NO Target Organ
10.0 Labeling
Caution:
HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. PREVENT INHALATION OF
AEROSOLS, FUMES, OR MISTS. MAY CAUSE EYE AND SKIN
IRRITATION.
HANDLING:
FIRST AID:
Inhalation: Remove victim from exposure; if respiratory irritation
develops, call physician
Prolonged Dermal Contact: Wash with soap and water, flush for several
minutes, Remove contaminated clothing.
Seek medical aid if irritation develops.
Eye Contact: Immediately flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes.
Call physician if irritation develops
Ingestion: Administer large quantities of water and milk.
Seek medical aid.
Chapter 24
The companies listed on the other side of this insert sell everything from
huge systems for major factories to very small portable systems. They
sell downdraft tables for brazing and overhead systems with collecting
arms that can be placed wherever you wish.
Another good article was in the December 1996 issue of the same
magazine. It was written by Joe Topmiller who is Director of Technical
support for United Air Specialists at (800) 551-5401 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The article is Addressing Air Quality Issues in the Workplace.
Equipment Suppliers:
4. Dust Vent, Inc. (630) 543-9007 Fax: (630) 543-1407 100 W. Fay St.,
Addison, IL 60101, Wide range of equipment and good literature.
Recommended for literature. http://www.dustvent.com
11. Plymovent (732) 417-0808 New Jersey - good equipment - great free
booklet "My Pocketguide to Clean Fresh Air". Recommended for
literature. http://www.plymovent.com
12. Sly, Inc. (216) 891-3200 Cleveland, OH - Shop size central collection
systems to huge industrial systems. Recommended for literature.
http://www.slyinc.com
Chapter 25
Hazardous waste
Congress defined "hazardous waste" in the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) as a solid waste, or combination of solid wastes
which, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or
infectious characteristics may:
Characteristic Wastes
Characteristic hazardous wastes exhibit one or more of the following four
characteristics:
1. Ignitability
A solid waste exhibits the characteristic of ignitability if a representative
sample of the waste has any of the following properties:
a. Liquid with a flash point less than 140' F (60' C
b. Non liquid and is capable, under normal conditions, of spontaneous
and sustained combustion;
c. Ignitable compressed gas per Department of Transportation (DOT)
regulations; or
d. Oxidizer Per DOT regulations.
2. Corrosivity
A solid waste exhibits the characteristic of corrosivity if a representative
sample of the waste has any of the following properties:
a. Liquid with a pH less than or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to
12.5; or
b. Liquid and corrodes steel at a rate greater than 1/4 inch per year at a
test temperature of 130' F
3. Reactivity
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4. Toxicity
A solid waste exhibits the characteristic of toxicity if, by using designated
test methods, the liquid waste or extract from a representative sample
contains any of the following contaminants at concentrations equal to or
greater than the corresponding regulatory limit. A specific laboratory
analytical procedure, identified as the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching
Procedure (TCLP), is used to determine the toxicity of a waste. A waste
that exhibits the characteristic of toxicity has an EPA hazardous waste
number that corresponds to the toxic contaminant(s), which cause it to be
hazardous.
TCLP Regulated
Concentration
Contaminant
(mg/1)
Arsenic 5.0
Barium 100.0
Benzene 0.5
Cadmium 1.0
Chlordane 0.03
Chlorobenzene 100.0
Chloroform 6.0
Chromium 5.0
o-Cresol 200.0
m-Cresol 200.0
p-Cresol 200.0
1,4-Dichlorobenzene 7.5
1,2-Dichloroethane 0.5
1,1-Dichloroethylene 0.7
'2,4-Dinitrotoluene 0.13
Endrin 0.02
Heptachlor 0.008
Hexachlorobenzene 0.13
Hexachloro-1,3-
0.5
butadiene
Hexachloroethane 3.0
Lead 5.0
Lindane 0.4
Mercury 0.2
Methoxychlor 10.0
Nitrobenzene 2.0
Pentachlorophenol 100.0
Pyridine 5.0
Selenium 1.0
Silver 5.0
Tetrachloroethylene 0.7
Toxaphene 0.5
Trichlorethylene 0.5
2,4-D 10.0
2,4,5-TP 1.0
2,4,5-Trichlorophenol 400.0
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol 2.0
Many small businesses such as machine shops generate fluids that may
contain heavy metals. Heavy metals refers to metals such as arsenic,
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Chapter 25: Managing Coolants, Carbide Processors, Inc. for filter systems, coolant, testing,
The EPA has specifically listed over 400 wastes, which are considered
hazardous because they exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic or
contain toxic constituents that are harmful to human health and the
environment. These include wastes generated from manufacturing
processes and discarded commercial chemical products. Examples of
some common listed hazardous wastes include toluene, methyl ethyl
ketone, methylene chloride and xylene.
4. [1,1'-Biphenyl]-4,4'-diamine, 3,3'-dimethoxy-
5. [1,1'-Biphenyl]-4,4'-diamine, 3,3'-dimethyl-
6. [1S-[1alpha(Z),7(2S*,3R*),7aalpha]]-
7. 1-(o-Chlorophenyl)thiourea
8. 1,1,1- trichloroethane
9. 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane
10. 1,1,1-trichloroethane
11. 1,1,2- trichloroethane
12. 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
13. 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2- trichfluoroethane
14. 1,1,2-trichloroethane
15. 1,1-dichloroethane
16. 1,1-Dichloroethylene
17. 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine
18. 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH).
19. 1,2,3-Propanetriol, trinitrate (R)
20. 1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene
21. 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
22. 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene
23. 1,2:3,4-Diepoxybutane (I,T)
24. 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester
25. 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester
26. 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dimethyl ester
27. 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dioctyl ester
28. 1,2-Benzenediol, 4-[1-hydroxy-2-(methylamino)ethyl]-, (R)-
29. 1,2-Benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, 1,1-dioxide, & salts
30. 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
31. 1,2-dichloroethane
32. 1,2-Dichloroethane
33. 1,2-Dichloroethylene
34. 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine
35. 1,2-Ethanediamine, N,N-dimethyl-N'-2-pyridinyl-N'-(2-
thienylmethyl)-
36. 1,2-Oxathiolane, 2,2-dioxide
37. 1,2-Propylenimine
38. 1,3,4-Metheno-2H-cyclobuta[cd]pentalen-2-one,
1,1a,3,3a,4,5,5,5a,5b,6-
39. 1,3,5-Trinitrobenzene (R,T)
40. 1,3,5-Trioxane, 2,4,6-trimethyl-
41. 1,3-Benzenediol
42. 1,3-Benzodioxol-4-ol, 2,2-dimethyl-,
43. 1,3-Benzodioxol-4-ol, 2,2-dimethyl-, methyl carbamate
44. 1,3-Benzodioxole, 5-(1-propenyl)-
45. 1,3-Benzodioxole, 5-(2-propenyl)-
46. 1,3-Benzodioxole, 5-propyl-
47. 1,3-Butadiene, 1,1,2,3,4,4-hexachloro-
48. 1,3-Cyclopentadiene, 1,2,3,4,5,5-hexachloro-
49. 1,3-Dichloropropene
50. 1,3-Dithiolane-2-carboxaldehyde, 2,4-dimethyl-, O- [(methylamino)-
51. 1,3-Isobenzofurandione
52. 1,3-Pentadiene (I)
53. 1,3-Propane sultone
54. 1,4,5,8-Dimethanonaphthalene, 1,2,3,4,10,10-hexa- chloro-
1,4,4a,5,8,8a-
55. 1,4-Dichloro-2-butene (I,T)
56. 1,4-dichlorobenzene
57. 1,4-Dichlorobenzene
58. 1,4-Diethyleneoxide
59. 1,4-Dioxane
60. 1,4-Naphthalenedione
61. 1,4-naphthoquinone
62. 1,4-Naphthoquinone
63. 1-Acetyl-2-thiourea
64. 1-Butanamine, N-butyl-N-nitroso-
65. 1-Butanol (I)
66. 1H-,1,2,4-Triazol-3-amine
67. 1-Methylbutadiene (I)
68. 1-Naphthalenamine
103. 2,6-Dichlorophenol
104. 2,6-Dinitrotoluene
105. 2,7:3,6-Dimethanonaphth[2,3-b]oxirene, 3,4,5,6,9,9-
hexachloro1a,2,2a,3,6,
106. 2,7-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid, 3,3'-[(3,3'-dimethyl[1,1'-biphenyl]-
4,4'-diyl)bis
107. 2-Acetylaminofluorene
108. 2-Butanone (I,T)
109. 2-Butanone, 3,3-dimethyl-1-(methylthio)-, O-
[(methylamino)carbonyl] oxime
110. 2-Butanone, peroxide (R,T)
111. 2-Butenal
112. 2-Butene, 1,4-dichloro- (I,T)
113. 2-Butenoic acid, 2-methyl-, 7-[[2,3-dihydroxy-2-(1-methoxyethyl)-3-
methyl-
114. 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene
115. 2-Chloro-1,3-butadiene
116. 2-Chloroethyl vinyl ether
117. 2-chlorophenol
118. 2-Cyclohexyl-4,6-dinitrophenol
119. 2-Furancarboxaldehyde (I)
120. 2H-1,3,2-Oxazaphosphorin-2-amine, N,N- bis(2-
chloroethyl)tetrahydro-, 2-oxide
121. 2H-1,3,5-Thiadiazine- 2-thione, tetrahydro-3,5-dimethyl-
122. 2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one, 4-hydroxy-3-(3-oxo-1-phenylbutyl)-, &
salts, when
123. 2-Imidazolidinethione
124. 2-Methyllactonitrile
125. 2-Naphthalenamine
126. 2-nitropropane
127. 2-Nitropropane (I,T)
128. 2-oxo-, methyl ester.
129. 2-picoline
130. 2-Picoline
164. 5-(Aminomethyl)-3-isoxazolol
165. 5,12-Naphthacenedione, 8-acetyl-10-[(3-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy)-alpha-
L-lyxo-
166. 5-Nitro-o-toluidine
167. 6,9-Methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepin, 6,7,8,9,10,10-
168. 6a,7,7a-octahydro(1aalpha,2beta,2aalpha,3beta,6beta,6aalpha,7beta,
7aalpha)-
169. 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene
170. 7aalpha)-, & metabolites
171. 7-Benzofuranol, 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-
172. 7-Benzofuranol, 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-, methylcarbamate.
173. 7-Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid
174. 8beta,8aalpha,8balpha)]-
175. A2213
176. acenaphthalene
177. Acetaldehyde (I)
178. Acetaldehyde, chloro-
179. Acetaldehyde, trichloro-
180. Acetamide, 2-fluoro-
181. Acetamide, N-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-
182. Acetamide, N-(aminothioxomethyl)-
183. Acetamide, N-9H-fluoren-2-yl-
184. Acetic acid ethyl ester (I)
185. Acetic acid, (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)-
186. Acetic acid, (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-, salts & esters
187. Acetic acid, fluoro-, sodium salt
188. Acetic acid, lead(2+) salt
189. Acetic acid, thallium(1+) salt
190. Acetone (I)
191. acetonitrile
192. Acetonitrile
193. Acetonitrile (I,T)
194. Acetophenone
195. Acetyl chloride (C,R,T)
196. Acrolein
197. acrylamide
198. Acrylamide
199. Acrylic acid (I)
200. Acrylonitrile
201. acrylonitrile
202. Aldicarb
203. Aldicarb sulfone
204. Aldrin
205. Allyl alcohol
206. Allyl chloride (3-Chloropropene)
207. allyl chloride (3-chloropropene)
208. alpha,alpha-Dimethylbenzylhydroperoxide (R)
209. alpha,alpha-Dimethylphenethylamine
210. alpha-Naphthylamine
211. alpha-Naphthylthiourea
212. Aluminum phosphide (R,T)
213. Amitrole
214. Ammonium picrate (R)
215. Ammonium vanadate
216. Aniline
217. aniline
218. Aniline (I,T)
219. Antimony
220. Argentate(1-), bis(cyano-C)-, potassium
221. arsenic
222. Arsenic
223. Arsenic acid H3AsO4
224. Arsenic oxide As2O3
225. Arsenic oxide As2O5
226. Arsenic pentoxide
227. Arsenic trioxide
228. Arsine, diethyl-
229. Arsinic acid, dimethyl-
296. benzo(a)pyrene
297. benzo(b)fluoranthene
298. benzo(k)fluoranthene
299. Benzo[a]pyrene
300. Benzo[rst]pentaphene
301. benzofuranyl ester
302. Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, compd. with (3aS-cis)-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexa
303. benzotrichloride
304. Benzotrichloride
305. Benzotrichloride (C,R,T)
306. Benzyl chloride
307. benzyl chloride
308. Beryllium powder
309. beta-Chloronaphthalene
310. beta-Naphthylamine
311. bis (2-chloroethyl) ethers
312. bis(chloromethyl) ether
313. Bis(dimethylthiocarbamoyl) sulfide
314. Bis(pentamethylene)thiuram tetrasulfide
315. Bromoacetone
316. Bromoform
317. Brucine
318. butylate
319. Butylate.
320. Cacodylic acid
321. Cadmium
322. cadmium
323. Calcium chromate
324. Calcium cyanide
325. Calcium cyanide Ca(CN)2
326. Carbamic acid, (3-chlorophenyl)-, 4-chloro-2-butynyl ester
327. Carbamic acid, [(dibutylamino)-thio]methyl-, 2,3-dihydro-2,2-
dimethyl- 7-
328. Carbamic acid, [1,2-phenylenebis (iminocarbonothioyl)]bis-,
dimethyl ester
329. Carbamic acid, [1-[(butylamino)carbonyl]-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-,
methyl ester
330. Carbamic acid, 1H-benzimidazol-2-yl, methyl ester
331. Carbamic acid, butyl-, 3-iodo-2-propynyl ester
332. Carbamic acid, dimethyl-, 1- [(dimethyl-amino)carbonyl]- 5-methyl-
1H-
333. Carbamic acid, dimethyl-, 3-methyl-1- (1-methylethyl)-1H- pyrazol-
5-yl ester.
334. Carbamic acid, ethyl ester
335. Carbamic acid, methyl-, 3-methylphenyl ester
336. Carbamic acid, methylnitroso-, ethyl ester
337. Carbamic acid, phenyl-, 1-methylethyl ester
338. Carbamic chloride, dimethyl-
339. Carbamodithioic acid, (hydroxymethyl)methyl-, monopotassium salt
340. Carbamodithioic acid, 1,2-ethanediylbis-,
341. Carbamodithioic acid, diethyl-, 2-chloro-2-propenyl ester
342. Carbamodithioic acid, diethyl-, sodium salt
343. Carbamodithioic acid, dimethyl-, sodium salt
344. Carbamodithioic acid, dimethyl-, tetraanhydrosulfide with
orthothioselenious acid
345. Carbamodithioic acid, methyl,- monopotassium salt.
346. Carbamodithioic acid, methyl-, monosodium salt.
347. Carbamodithiotic acid, dibutyl, sodium salt
348. Carbamodithiotic acid, dimethyl, potassium salt
349. Carbamothioic acid, bis(1-methylethyl)-, S-(2,3,3-trichloro-2-
propenyl) ester.
350. Carbamothioic acid, bis(1-methylethyl)-, S-(2,3-dichloro-2-
propenyl) ester
351. Carbamothioic acid, butylethyl-, S-propyl ester
352. Carbamothioic acid, cyclohexylethyl-, S-ethyl ester
353. Carbamothioic acid, dipropyl-, S-(phenylmethyl) ester
354. Carbamothioic acid, dipropyl-, S-ethyl ester
355. Carbamothioic acid, dipropyl-, S-propyl ester
390. chloroethylene
391. Chloroethylene
392. Chloroform
393. chloroform
394. Chloromethane
395. chloromethane
396. Chloromethyl methyl ether
397. Chromic acid H2CrO4, calcium salt
398. chromium
399. Chromium
400. chrysene
401. Chrysene
402. Copper cyanide
403. Copper cyanide Cu(CN)
404. Copper dimethyldithiocarbamate
405. Copper, bis(dimethylcarbamodithioato-S,S’)-,
406. Creosote
407. Cresol
408. Cresol (Cresylic acid)
409. Cresols
410. cresosote
411. cresylic acid
412. Crotonaldehyde
413. Cumene (I)
414. Cyanide
415. cyanide (complexed)
416. Cyanide (complexed)
417. Cyanide (complexes)
418. Cyanide (salts)
419. Cyanides (soluble cyanide salts), not otherwise specified
420. Cyanogen
421. Cyanogen bromide (CN)Br
422. Cyanogen chloride
423. Cyanogen chloride (CN)Cl
424. Cycloate
425. Cyclohexane (I)
426. Cyclohexane, 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachloro-,
427. Cyclohexanone (I)
428. Cyclophosphamide
429. Daunomycin
430. Dazomet
431. DDD
432. DDT
433. decachlorooctahydro-
434. D-Glucose, 2-deoxy-2-[[(methylnitrosoamino)-carbonyl]amino]-
435. Diallate
436. dibenz(a)anthracene
437. dibenz(a,h)-anthracene
438. Dibenz[a,h]anthracene
439. dibenzo(a)anthracene
440. Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene
441. Dibutyl phthalate
442. Dichlorobenzene
443. dichlorobenzenes
444. dichlorobenzenes, 1,2,4-
445. Dichlorodifluoromethane
446. Dichloroethyl ether
447. dichloroethylene
448. Dichloroisopropyl ether
449. dichloromethane
450. Dichloromethane
451. Dichloromethoxy ethane
452. Dichloromethyl ether
453. Dichlorophenylarsine
454. dichloropropane
455. Dichloropropane
456. dichloropropanols
457. dichloropropene
458. Dichloropropene
459. Dieldrin
460. Diethyl phthalate
461. Diethylarsine
462. Diethylene glycol, dicarbamate
463. Diethylhexyl phthalate
464. Diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate
465. Diethylstilbesterol
466. Dihydrosafrole
467. Diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP)
468. Dimethoate
469. Dimethyl phthalate
470. Dimethyl sulfate
471. Dimethylamine (I)
472. Dimethylcarbamoyl chloride
473. Dimetilan
474. Di-n-octyl phthalate
475. Dinoseb
476. Di-n-propylnitrosamine
477. diphenylamine
478. Diphosphoramide, octamethyl-
479. Diphosphoric acid, tetraethyl ester
480. Dipropylamine (I)
481. Disulfiram.
482. Disulfoton
483. Dithiobiuret
484. Endosulfan
485. Endothall
486. Endrin
487. Endrin, & metabolites
488. Epichlorohydrin
489. Epinephrine
490. eptc
491. EPTC
755. paraldehyde
756. paraldehyde
757. Paraldehyde
758. Parathion
759. p-Benzoquinone
760. p-Chloroaniline
761. p-chloro-m-cresol
762. p-Chloro-m-cresol
763. p-Cresol
764. p-Dichlorobenzene
765. p-Dimethylaminoazobenzene
766. pebulate
767. Pebulate.
768. pentachlorobenzene
769. Pentachlorobenzene
770. pentachlorodibenzo- p-dioxins
771. Pentachlorodibenzo- p-dioxins
772. pentachlorodibenzofurans
773. pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins
774. pentachloroethane
775. Pentachloroethane
776. Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB)
777. pentachlorophenol
778. Pentachlorophenol
779. pentachlorophenol and its derivatives.
780. pentachlorophenols
781. Pentanol, 4-methyl-
782. Pentrachlorophenol
783. perchloroethylene
784. Phenacetin
785. phenol
786. Phenol
787. Phenol, (3,5-dimethyl-4-(methylthio)-, methylcarbamate
788. Phenol, 2-(1-methylethoxy)-, methylcarbamate
855. Propanenitrile
856. Propanenitrile, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-
857. Propanenitrile, 3-chloro-
858. Propanoic acid, 2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)-
859. Propargyl alcohol
860. Propham
861. Propoxur
862. Propylene dichloride
863. Prosulfocarb
864. p-toluidine
865. p-Toluidine
866. pyrazol-3-yl ester
867. pyridine
868. Pyridine
869. Pyridine, 2-methyl-
870. Pyridine, 3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)-, (S)-, & salts
871. pyridines
872. Pyrrolidine, 1-nitroso-
873. Pyrrolo[2,3-b]indol-5-ol, 1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydro-1,3a,8-trimethyl-,
874. Reserpine
875. Resorcinol
876. S-[(ethylthio)methyl] ester
877. S-[2 -(ethylthio)ethyl] ester
878. Saccharin, & salts
879. Safrole
880. salts & esters
881. Selenious acid
882. Selenious acid, dithallium(1+) salt
883. Selenium
884. Selenium dioxide
885. Selenium sulfide
886. Selenium sulfide SeS2 (R,T)
887. Selenium, tetrakis(dimethyldithiocarbamate)
888. Selenourea
889. Silver
890. Silver cyanide
891. Silver cyanide Ag(CN)
892. Silvex (2,4,5-TP)
893. Sodium azide
894. Sodium cyanide
895. Sodium cyanide Na(CN)
896. Sodium dibutyldithiocarbamate
897. Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate
898. Sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate
899. Streptozotocin
900. Strychnidin-10-one, & salts
901. Strychnidin-10-one, 2,3-dimethoxy-
902. Strychnine, & salts
903. Sulfallate
904. Sulfur phosphide (R)
905. Sulfuric acid, dimethyl ester
906. Sulfuric acid, dithallium(1+) salt
907. tars
908. Tetrabutylthiuram disulfide
909. tetrachlorobenzene
910. Tetrachlorobenzene
911. tetrachlorobenzenes
912. Tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxins
913. tetrachlorodibenzofurans
914. tetrachlorodi-benzofurans
915. tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins
916. tetrachloroethanes
917. tetrachloroethanes
918. Tetrachloroethylene
919. tetrachloroethylene
920. tetrachlorophenols
921. Tetraethyl lead
922. Tetraethyl pyrophosphate
923. Tetraethyldithiopyrophosphate
924. Tetrahydrofuran (I)
925. Tetramethylthiuram monosulfide
926. Tetranitromethane (R)
927. Tetraphosphoric acid, hexaethyl ester
928. Thallic oxide
929. Thallium chloride Tlcl
930. Thallium oxide Tl2O3
931. Thallium(I) acetate
932. Thallium(I) carbonate
933. Thallium(I) chloride
934. Thallium(I) nitrate
935. Thallium(I) selenite
936. Thallium(I) sulfate
937. Thioacetamide
938. Thiodicarb
939. Thiodiphosphoric acid, tetraethyl ester
940. Thiofanox
941. Thioimidodicarbonic diamide [(H2N)C(S)]2NH
942. Thiomethanol (I,T)
943. Thioperoxydicarbonic diamide [(H2N)C(S)]2S2, tetramethyl-
944. Thioperoxydicarbonic diamide, tetrabutyl
945. Thioperoxydicarbonic diamide, tetraethyl
946. Thiophanate-methyl
947. Thiophenol
948. Thiosemicarbazide
949. Thiourea
950. Thiourea, (2-chlorophenyl)-
951. Thiourea, 1-naphthalenyl-
952. Thiourea, phenyl-
953. Thiram
954. Tirpate
955. Toluene
956. toluene
Chapter 26
Check with your local sewer utility before you discharge metalworking
liquids to the sewer.
Many large machine shops opt for in-plant waste treatment, since
contract hauling and disposal services become cost prohibitive with
larger quantities of waste fluid.
Chemical treatment
Chemical treatment is the addition of chemicals, which change the nature
of the liquid waste. Simple chemical-treatment methods work well on
some wastewater. Metalworking wastes are too complex for most
treatment processes. Chemical treatment beyond pH control is generally
not an option for small facilities.
Evaporators
As water miscible fluids are normally 90 to 95% water, evaporators can
be used to remove the water from waste fluid, reducing the volume of
waste requiring disposal. The advantages of evaporators include:
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1. Simple to operate.
2. Use very little space.
3. Type of fluid used (synthetic, semi synthetic, or soluble oil) is not
critical.
Evaporators are generally suitable for low volumes of waste due to the
enormous amount of energy required to evaporate even a small volume
of material. Evaporators are also labor intensive when it comes to
cleaning the units. Evaporators may be a consideration when other
treatment systems do not meet a shop's needs.
Centrifuges
Centrifuges can be used to remove particulates and tramp oil from waste
fluid prior to disposal. However, centrifuges are expensive and other
contaminant removal methods such as oil skimmers are more economical
for small volumes of fluids.
Disposal as wastewater
Following approval by local wastewater treatment authorities, it may be
possible to dispose of small amounts of non-hazardous, spent cutting
fluid to the municipal sanitary sewer system.
Program Components
1. Gather MSDS sheets from everything that went into the coolant.
2. Call waste disposal companies and tell them that you are taking
bids to haul away ordinary grinding coolant wastes.
3. If they ask questions, just tell them that it is ordinary tool and saw
grinding and that you have MSDS sheets for everything.
Finding a hauler.
haulers.
Paperwork
This is very important because there is paperwork involved. If the hauler
does not do things properly you could be getting into even more trouble.
If the hauler takes your waste, dumps it in the woods illegally and then
gets caught you can be held responsible for cleaning up the woods even if
the hauler lied to you.
There is generally a requirement you have to sign saying that you have
taken measures to reduce waste. It may be phrased as “waste reduction”
or “minimize your waste stream” or something similar.
There are several things you can do to easily and simply comply.
In this case implement the steps you think are appropriate and then add
additional steps as you determine they are beneficial and / or cost
effective.
the employees are hired to do what the law says they are supposed to do.
The best way to keep their jobs is to do what the law says and to avoid
making any decision of their own.
If you tell them you have hazardous waste then they will agree because
that is the easiest and safest thing for them to do. If you tell them that
you have used grinding coolant and it is not hazardous waste then they
will ask to see proof. They are generally very willing to accept your
decision if you can support your decision.
If you tell them that you don’t know what is in it they will be required to
treat it in the most thorough and therefore most expensive manner
possible.
When you are asked what is in the used coolant answer by providing the
MSDS sheets from what went into the coolant.
If you add a little bit of the wrong chemical to a sump you can turn thirty
gallons of ordinary waste (disposal cost $49 to $90 per barrel) into thirty
The trick is to get into the cheapest category where you can prove that
you legally belong.
Used coolant is typically sludge or particles, used coolant and tramp oils.
Filtering will remove most of the sludge. The oil can be skimmed off the
top and separated that way. The remaining liquid is probably 90 – 98%
water. This water can be evaporated off.
You can pay to have the mixture hauled away. You can separate it
yourself and maybe sell the sludge. You can possible save some money
by separating the oil.
The Laws
The environmental laws would fill several semi-trailers if you took them
all together. Environmental laws are the same as the tax laws or the
driving laws in that it is clearly and completely your obligation to know
and comply with the law.
1. Used grinding coolant is regulated under federal law. It is your obligation to identify the
used grinding coolant and to dispose of it properly.
2. Under 40 CFR and it is the obligation of the producer of the coolant to be in compliance
with any and all federal, state and local regulations. The following is a direct quote from
federal law. The law is:
40 CFR Ch. 1 (7-1-96) Edition Subpart A – General 262.10 Purpose, scope, and application
(h)
Note: 2 A generator who treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste on-site must comply
with the applicable standards and permit requirements set forth in 40CFR parts 264, 265,
266, 268, and 270.
3. According to 40 CFR Ch. 1 (7-1-96 edition) Section 261.1 (b) (2) (i)
A material which is not identified as a solid waste in this part, or is not a hazardous waste
identified or listed in this part, is still a solid waste and a hazardous waste for purposes of
these sections if:
5. 40 CFR Ch. 1 (7-1-96 edition) Section 261.1 (b) (2) (ii) (c)
For the purposes of sections 261.2 and 261.6:
(1) A "spent material" is any material that has been used and as a result of contamination
can no longer (2) serve the purpose for which it was produced without processing;
There can also be things show up that were in the chemicals you added
but whose concentrations were too low to be put on an MSDS sheet.
Typical Batch
40 CFR Ch. 1 Section 261.3 p. 36
There is a reference to “An analysis of a typical batch” in this section.
This section does not apply to grinding or machining wastes, but the
concept can apply to other systems.
In effect the principle here is that a process that is done the same way
each time and uses the same chemicals each time will produce the same
waste each time. Therefore it should be necessary to do a full set of tests
only once to establish the process. It shouldn’t be necessary to do a full
retesting unless the process changes. This seems to be a generally
accepted practice among waste management companies. They will
typically require a one-time testing fee when signing on a new customer.
There is definite requirement to do retesting when the process changes.
Chrome Classification
A determination of the classification of the chrome component of your
waste as required by law.
There are several kinds of chrome or chromium. Some are considerably
more reactive than others and thus they are a much bigger problem
environmentally. Chrome from tool and machining operations is almost
certainly trivalent or the safer chrome. Chrome from electro-plating
operations is more likely to be hexavalent chrome.
This test was run to establish that you have the safer chrome as per
federal law.
Option 4: Recycler
Amount of material generated is not a factor
Do not need an EPA ID #
Properly identify, package and label waste
Properly manifest, transport and dispose of waste
May store waste up to one calendar year
Cannot accumulate more than 1 calendar year’s worth of waste.
Advantages of Recycling
1.You do not have the cost of compliance with the hazardous waste
licensing and inspections if you do not generate hazardous waste.
2.Your disposal costs are considerably lower with recyclable material
than they are with hazardous waste. Proper classification of your waste
can be critical. We had a client who was having his used grinding coolant
hauled away as a hazardous waste at about $275 to $300 a barrel. When
he legally relabeled it as “grinding coolant for recycling” his costs
dropped to $90 a barrel.
Establishing a market
Sludge and swarf
If you have sludge from grinding tungsten carbide then it is worth
reclamation for the cobalt or nickel. If you are grinding knives or some of
the high chrome saw tips then the sludge has reclamation value for the
steel and the chrome.
Coolant
Safety-Kleen has a used coolant and industrial oil reclamation program.
You can contact Safety-Kleen at 800 323-5040They have 175 collection
facilities and 18 processing facilities nationwide.
Once again you do not have to use Safety-Kleen. The fact that they are
in the reclamation business proves the economic part of the reclamation
requirement.
Note: You are responsible for your wastes. If the waste hauler or waste
treater you select does something illegal it can, and almost certainly will,
come back on you.
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Essentially you have to have at least 75% of the waste hauled away each
year.
Separation
Used grinding coolant is generally composed of three things.
1.Sludge
Sludge is expensive to haul away but you can sell it. Safety Kleen quoted
$900 a drum to haul it away. This is because Safety Kleen recycles the
coolant as a liquid and does not have the facilities for recycling sludges.
If you collect it and dry it then it can be worth ten cents to fifteen cents a
pound because of the metals such as cobalt, chrome and tungsten. It
generally has to be pretty dry.
If you filter out the solids then you can generally dispose of them in the
trash. We have an opinion from the State of Washington Department of
Ecology that filters from coolant filtering operations fit under the
classification of “oil filters”. They need to be gravity drained; crushed
and then they can go into the trash.
2.Water
Used coolant is generally 90% to 95% water. The recycler will haul this
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