Handbook of Solvents - George Wypych - ChemTech - Ventech!

14.25 Rubber and plastics 1025
Table 14.25.2. Reported solvent transfers from the rubber and plastics industry in
1995 [Data from Ref. 2]
Solvent Amount, kg/year Solvent Amount, kg/year
benzene 15,000 hexane 50,000
n-butyl alcohol 370,000 isopropyl alcohol 14,000
sec-butyl alcohol 1,100 methanol 1,400,000
tert-butyl alcohol 85,000 methyl ethyl ketone 3,500,000
carbon disulfide 150,000 methyl isobutyl ketone 450,000
chloroform 1,200 N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone 120,000
chloromethane 330 tetrachloroethylene 47,000
cresol 3,000 1,1,1-trichloroethane 160,000
cyclohexane 350,000 trichloroethylene 170,000
dichloromethane 900,000 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene 14,000
N,N-dimethylformamide 570,000 toluene 2,200,000
1,4-dioxane 49,000 xylene 940,000
ethylbenzene 350,000 m-xylene 5,700
ethylene glycol 15,300,000
14.25 RUBBER AND PLASTICS
George Wypych
ChemTec Laboratories, Inc., Toronto, Canada
The US rubber and plastics industry employs over 800,000 people and operates over 12,000
plants. Its total production output is estimated at over $90 billion. The industry produces a
wide diversity of products some of which do not contain solvents but many of which require
the use of process solvents. Solvents are contained in adhesives used in finishing operations.
Large quantities of solvents are used for surface cleaning and cleaning of equipment.
Tables 14.25.1 and 14.25.2 provide data on the reported releases and transfers of solvents
by the US rubber and plastics industry. These industries contribute small amounts of
VOC which are in the range of 0.00001-0.00005 kg VOC/kg of processed rubber. It was the
ninth largest contributor to releases and transfers of all US industries. Dichloromethane, toluene,
carbon disulfide, methyl ethyl ketone, methanol, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, hexane,
methyl isobutyl ketone, and xylene are emitted in very large quantities.
REFERENCES
1 EPA Office of Compliance Sector Notebook Project. Profile of the Rubber and Plastics Industry.
US Environmental Protection Agency, 1995.
2 EPA Office of Compliance Sector Notebook Project. Sector Notebook Data Refresh - 1997.
US Environmental Protection Agency, 1998.