Used Solvent Testing and Reclamation, Volume I1: Vapor Degreasing and Precision Cleaning Solvents

Large amounts of waste solvent are generated each year at many Department of Defense (DOD) installations. Standard practice at these sites has been to discard spent solvents. However, increas-ingly stringent environmental regulations, coupled with the soaring cost of waste disposal and new solvent purchase, have led DOD to seek safe, cost-effective methods of managing waste solvent. Some DOD installations are reclaiming used solvents rather than discarding them. Reclamation is feasible because the solvents usually do not break down chemically during the cleaning opera-tions for which they are used. However, this type of recycling has seen limited success in the past due to the lack of scientific tests and criteria for judging a solvent as spent. This study has evaluated tests for assessing the quality of usedhalogenated solvents used primarily in cleaning. Visible absorp-i..--tion spectrometry and acid acceptance value (AAV) are the most E E CT E reliable methods for testing solvent quality. Further testing isnecessary for chlorinated solvents to determine the inhibitor con- FEB 24 *8