Protect Your Employees with Safe Solvent Recycling
Maintaining a safe facility is one of your top priorities.
Which is why safety is the core component of our solvent recycling units. Our team of engineers have incorporated multiple redundancies, 40+ sensors, and a VMX Vapor management system that eliminates VOCs into every one of our machines.
We also provide 24/7 remote monitoring which allows us to see the smallest issue and address it before it becomes a bigger problem. Discover just what makes CleanPlanet solvent recycling units some of the safest in the industry.
Recycling Solvent Done Safely
The first step in ensuring safe solvent recycling is to audit your solvent waste. Our team will ensure our machines can handle the chemicals you use and recycle it effectively. Once we’ve determined that’s the case, we’ll visit your facility.
One of our Technicians or Account Managers will walk your facility with you to examine your processes and identify the safest equipment location. We conduct an Installation Preparation Meeting to discuss safely connecting the utilities for the unit and the safe management of the feed and clean material.
Once the unit is in place we have a strict, “don’t move” policy without first consulting us about it to ensure we maintain safe practices.
Once your unit is installed, we perform staff training to ensure your team members know exactly how to use the equipment. We observe them operating the equipment to ensure they have a complete understanding of how to safely operate the system.
We won’t leave until they feel confident using the equipment. And when you have personnel changes, we’ll take care of training them too.
Inspected and Certified
You don’t have to take our word for it. You can trust your recovery unit will perform safely, because every one of our models is inspected and certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory to operate in all Class I Div I hazardous locations.
24/7 Monitoring & Maintenance: Keys to Safer Solvent Recycling
Take one more thing off your plate as our team monitors your equipment remotely 24/7 via notifications and alerts.
With over 40 sensors in our solvent recovery units, we’re able to monitor the recycling process in a way no one else can. This allows us to take action immediately, before anything becomes a problem.
A well maintained unit is a safer unit, which is why our technicians take care of all routine and preventative maintenance.
Solvent Recycling Safety Features You Can Depend On
We stand firmly by our commitment to keeping your employees and your facility safe when using our solvent recycling system. From the design of our machines to the way we do our employee training, safety is a core component.
Discover some of the key safety features of our equipment and service below:
Emissions Containment
Vacuum operation, integrated, secondary containment, and our VMX Vapor Management technologies mean no VOC losses, no hot, dirty chemicals or pungent vapors come in contact with employees or permeate the work area.
Redundancy
All sensors and safety components have built in redundancy. If a primary component fails, the backup system will continue to function and a notification is automatically sent to our Technical Team.
One of our technicians will then come out to replace the primary component.
Nitrocellulose
All nitrocellulose units are vacuum enabled (lower operating temp), monitor for temperature in multiple locations to ensure the unit stays below the critical temperature for nitrocellulose, safe pressure release, audible alarm, and an autoquench system.
These systems provide an extra layer of safety for those processing waste with nitrocellulose.
Error Monitoring
Liquid levels, temperature, and pressure are constantly monitored for abnormal conditions.
If an error occurs, the operating system will place the recycler in a safe, cool-down mode and alert your team and our technicians.
Routine Maintenance
If your equipment isn’t performing perfectly then it isn’t performing safely.
We manage all maintenance (preventative and otherwise) to keep your equipment in perfect shape.
Training
We train and certify your staff on-site, ensuring they are experts in using the equipment safely and efficiently.
Explore the Technical Safety Details of our Solvent Recycling Units
If you want to get into the technical details on how we build a safer solvent recycling unit this is for you. Our team of engineers is constantly working to build safer machines that deliver higher quality recovered solvent.
These added safety features will protect your team and give you the quality solvent you need.
The units are designed with a system to detect leaks. If the unit leaks, a float in the secondary containment trays triggers the unit to stop operating and send a notification to the CleanPlanet Technical Team. The built in secondary containment tray(s) are designed to handle 150% of the unit’s volume.
Built in secondary containment and leak detection ensures the distillation unit will not create a spill.
All of our high voltage electrical components are rated for Class 1, Div 1; this includes armored Teck cable, sealed Teck connector fittings, explosion proof enclosures, and all of the heaters and motors on the unit.
All valves, pressure transducers, and continuous floats are rated for Class 1, Div 1.
Our system monitors liquid levels to prevent an overfill condition using floats in three locations; the distillation chamber (DC), the accumulators (internal collection of clean distillate), and the fill-chamber (internal pre-injection chamber).
All floats in our units operate with a redundant bulb, oriented higher than the primary and normally out of the liquid. So if the primary is fouled (it won’t float), the signal from a backup float shuts-down the unit in an error-mode.
The temperature is measured in five locations within our solvent recycling units. We measure the temperature of the liquid solvent in the distillation chamber, in the distillation chamber head-space, in the condenser inlet, in the condenser outlet, sludge at bottom of distillation chamber and in four locations in the oil-bath.
The temperature in the oil bath is limited to 218C/424F by default. There’s also a backup watchdog that shuts off the heaters if the temperature reaches 225C/437F.
UL2208 states that the temperature must be 10C/18F below the stated value for the autoignition temperature. We’ll review the SDS to ensure the max temperature settings are correct for your solvent.
We also have built in redundancy in our temperature system with two independent thermocouples to measure the oil temperature. If there is a difference between the two beyond tolerances, the unit will shut down and texts and emails a notification to our technical team.
We measure pressure in four locations, the top accumulator, the bottom accumulator, fill chamber and the distillation chamber. We limit the pressure in the distillation chamber and in the accumulation chamber when draining to a maximum of 10 psi. For safety, the unit has 10 psi check values in the distillation chamber and in the accumulation chamber.
In addition, we also have two independent pressure transducers which are checked against each other every cycle for further redundancy.
Both the feed and clean vessels and still bottom drums have a primary and back-up float to monitor the level to make sure they don’t overfill.
The still bottom discharge is designed to limit the discharge to 50 gallons maximum to ensure the 55 gallon drum does not overfill. The still bottom drums have floats on the ¾” bung hole providing a safety back up.
In order to prevent pressure from building, the feed vessel and the clean vessel are vented through pressure/vacuum relief using check values. The still bottom drums are vented through the ¾” bung through our VMS Vapor Management System, resulting in no fugitive emissions.
In systems that process material containing nitro-cellulose we include additional safety features on the unit. Besides the temperature monitoring systems, the units have the following other nitrocellulose specific safety features:
Internal Temperature Control:
If the internal temperature rises above a preset threshold, the unit shuts down and sounds an alarm. If the unit does not cool down or the internal temperature continues to rise, a water quench system is activated to quickly reduce the internal temperature.
Pressure:
Lastly, if the internal pressure rises above 15PSI in the distillation chamber a pressure release value will quickly and safely vent the pressure inside the cabinet.
On each unit the oil temperature is limited to 120C/248F and the solvent temperature is limited to 95C/203F.
Backup Systems:
Nitro equipped units have a backup water delivery system (20g tank).
Electronics have a UPS (uninterrupted power supply).
Unit has a backup air tank to control system values.
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