Finishing - July-August 2023
In this issue... ‘It’s a question that seems to be being asked more and more at the moment; Do we really care about the environment? The Government has been accused by a departing minister that we are abandoning our environmental pledges and it seems that we are turning our back on green energy and returning to fossil fuels. Is the right way to go and does industry need to do this to remain competitive? Even the most blinkered individual can see that the UK’s climate is changing, but have we got the tools to change, either legislatively or technologically? It will be interesting to see if this becomes more of a political issue in the coming months as a general election becomes ever closer.
In this issue...
‘It’s a question that seems to be being asked more and more at the moment; Do we really care about the environment? The Government has been accused by a departing minister that we are abandoning our environmental pledges and it seems that we are turning our back on green energy and returning to fossil fuels. Is the right way to go and does industry need to do this to remain competitive?
Even the most blinkered individual can see that the UK’s climate is changing, but have we got the tools to change, either legislatively or technologically? It will be interesting to see if this becomes more of a political issue in the coming months as a general election becomes ever closer.
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42 CLEANING<br />
Solvent alternative?<br />
With the increasing regulatory pressure<br />
on PFAS which might impact the<br />
future use of fluorinated solvents in<br />
industrial parts cleaning, many companies are<br />
racing to find direct drop-in replacements.<br />
SAFECHEM offers a long-term perspective –<br />
the use of modified alcohols in airtight<br />
degreaser as a future-proof cleaning solution<br />
– and explains its merit.<br />
Increasing regulatory pressure<br />
on PFAS could impact use of<br />
fluorinated solvents<br />
Due to acceleratory global regulatory<br />
pressure on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl<br />
substances), many hydrofluoroethers (HFEs)<br />
and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) which fall<br />
under the definition of PFAS are now facing<br />
an uncertain future. Their use as fluorinated<br />
solvents in industrial parts cleaning could be<br />
restricted or prohibited.<br />
Many manufacturing companies are<br />
currently seeking variations of HFEs and<br />
HFOs which are PFAS-free to use as drop-in<br />
replacements in open degreaser. It is<br />
understandable because direct drop-in<br />
replacements can keep the operations running<br />
with minimal disruptions. But there is a much<br />
more important and far-reaching question for<br />
companies to consider: will drop-in<br />
replacements used in open and semi-open<br />
(normal atmospheric) equipment also make<br />
for a future-proofing cleaning approach –<br />
especially when viewed within the context of<br />
increasing regulatory requirements on health,<br />
safety and environmental protection?<br />
Not to forget that many fluorinated solvents<br />
are often blended with Trans-1,2<br />
dichloroethylene (t-DCE) – and t-DCE is under<br />
legislative pressure itself.<br />
Modified alcohols as a viable<br />
future-proof cleaning solution<br />
A viable cleaning solution should not only<br />
deliver quality cleaning results, but also enable<br />
cost efficiency, safety and sustainability. One<br />
<strong>Finishing</strong> - <strong>July</strong>/<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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