Lift rails cleaning with vegetable oil esters as an alternative to hydrocarbon solvents

Number

160-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Sector

General manufacturing, e.g. machinery, equipment, vehicles, other transport equipment

Function

Solvent

Process

Manual maintenance(cleaning and repair) of machinery

Product category

washing ad cleaning products

Application

Cleaning of metal parts

Abstract

A leading supplier of elevators and escalators substituted hydrocarbon solvents with esters based on coconut oil. The esters are used for the manual cleaning of steel lift rails for corrosion protection, oil, grease, dust, sand and rust using cotton rags.

Substituted substances

Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy

CAS No. 64742-48-9 EC No. 265-150-3 Index No. 649-327-00-6

Chemical group

Hydrocarbons

Classification: hazard statements

H350 May cause cancer
H340 May cause genetic defects
H304 May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways

Alternative Substances

Esters based on coconut oil

CAS No. EC No. Index No.

Chemical group

Vegetable oil ester

Reliability of information

Evidence of implementation: there is evidence that the solution was implemented and in use at time of publication

Reason substitution

other toxic effects
physical hazards
CMR

Hazard Assessment

Substance to be substituted: Naphtha, hydrotreated heavy may cause cancer cat. 1B, according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation). It fulfils the criteria to be listed in the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC). Alternative substance: The alternative product, containing esters based on coconut oil, is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database and has no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation).

Description of Substitution

For the installation of new lifts the rails for the lift cabin, balances and brakes have to be cleaned before assembling.Previously they were manually cleaned from corrosion protection, oils, grease, dust, sand and rust using hydrocarbon solvents, containing a carcinogenic ingredient - Naphtha, hydrotreated heavy. Now the enterprise uses esters based on coconut oil (Estisol 242) for wiping with cotton rags or brushes as an alternative to hydrocarbon solvents. In first step the parts are incubated with esters for two minutes. The solvent penetrates the dirt and causes it to swell and break the dirt layer. The swelled dirt is then removed manually. The personal protective equipment includes gloves and goggles.

Case/substitution evaluation

The esters based on coconut oil are a safer agent for the described application.

State of implementation

In use

Date and place of implementation

2003 in Germany

Availability ofAlternative

On the market

Producer/Provider

https://additiv-chemie.de/index.php/de/

Type of information supplier

User

Further information

www2.cleantool.org

Date, reviewed

November 26, 2021