NSF/EPA Technology for a Sustainable Environment: Superheated Water and Steam Degreasing of Working Stocks, Parts, and Equipment in Machining, Manufacturing and Production

这个NSF/EPA可持续环境技术项目将确定和开发一种环境友好、创新、高效、低成本的技术，用于使用过热水和蒸汽对工作原料、部件和其他金属表面进行脱脂。通过利用纯过热水的独特性质，预计目前使用的传统危险有机和碱性溶剂将显著减少。研究将证明，过热水和/或蒸汽(SHWS)将提供与传统溶剂相同的脱脂水平。有效脱脂的最佳过热水温度将与润滑脂成分的可量化参数相关，如滴点、稠化类型和润滑脂条件。交替的过热水和蒸汽处理程序将根据特定类型的油脂量身定做，以提供最佳的脱脂效果。交替的顺序方案将与反应器配置和混合方案相结合，以加强SHWS脱脂过程。由于处理和处置费用低于传统有机和碱性溶剂系统的处理和处置费用，预计供暖水和蒸汽的能源费用将超过平衡。对于需要表面活性剂和螯合剂等溶剂改进剂的困难脱脂情况，过热的水将允许将这些添加剂降至最低，从而减少直接成本和废水问题。这项由美国国家科学基金会赞助的项目，加上美国环保局对这项研究的类似支持，预计将显著减少工业部件清洗作业中的溶剂使用量。

This NSF/EPA Technologies for a Sustainable Environment project will identify and develop an environmentally benign, innovative, efficient, low-cost technique for degreasing working stocks, parts and other metal surfaces using superheated water and steam. By utilizing the unique properties of pure superheated water for this purpose it is anticipated that the current use of conventional hazardous organic and alkaline solvents will be markedly reduced.The research will demonstrate that superheated water and/or steam (SHWS) will provide the same level of degreasing as conventional solvents. Optimum superheated water temperatures for effective degreasing will be correlated to quantifiable parameters of grease components, such as dropping point, thickener type and grease condition. Alternating sequences of superheated water and steam treatments will be tailored to specific types of grease to provide optimal degreasing effectiveness. The alternating sequence schemes will be coupled with reactor configurations and mixing scenarios that will enhance the SHWS degreasing process. It is expected that the energy costs for heating water and steam will be more than balanced by the reduction of treatment and disposal costs below those associated with traditional organic and alkaline solvent systems. For difficult degreasing situations that require solvent modifiers such as surfactants and chelating agents, superheating the water will allow minimization of these additives, reducing direct costs and wastewater problems.This NSF sponsored project, complemented by similar support from EPA for this research, is expected to result in significant reduction of solvent use in industrial parts cleaning operations.