Number

254-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Abstract

Stripping rotary screens with hazardous chemicals like dichloromethane and phenol or hydrofluoric acid, can be replaced by a safer alternative using water. Textile companies in Asia that introduced a cleaning machine using high pressure water are satisfied with the results and with the safety and environmental performance.

Substituted substances

Alternative Substances

Reliability of information

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

Reason substitution

CMR
skin/respiratory sensitizing

Other type of alternative

Pressurised water cleaning machine.

Hazard Assessment

Substances to be substituted: Dichloromethane is a Substance of very high concern and is included on the REACH restriction list, according to Article 73 of Regulation (EG) No. 1907/2006. (REACH Regulation). Formic acid is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database. Alternative substances: Water 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

Stripping of nickel rotary screens used in textile sector can be made without the use of hazardous chemicals like dichloromethane or strong acids like the hydrofluoric or formic one. Rotary screens used for printing in the textile industry have to be cleaned before being reused. When done with chemicals stripping is generally a demanding process, affecting the quality of screens and shortening their service life. Unclean or damaged screens result in bad printing and rejected products. The article that is the source of this case story presents the experience of Asian companies that used hazardous chemicals to strip photo emulsions off the printing screens. The situation has improved since 2000 when an international business cooperation opened a factory in Thailand that produces water striping machines designed in Germany. The machines use water at 300 bar and special nozzles to strip clean screens. The process takes place in closed system and water is filtered and re-circulated. A representative of one of the factories states that results are better than for stripping with chemicals. The water cleaning eliminates the corrosive effect of acid stripping, very damaging for the nickel surface of the screen. It allows rotary screens to be recycled for an increased number of times, without affecting the quality of printing. These, along with cutting costs for purchasing chemicals and managing hazardous wastes and contaminated water, leads to a short pay-back time for the investment.

Case/substitution evaluation

The substitution needs investment fund and technical readjustments but is chemical free, which balances the costs and improves workers safety and environmental performance as far as chemical risk is concerned.

State of implementation

Full capacity

Date and place of implementation

2000

Availability ofAlternative

Alternative available on the market.

Producer/Provider

http://www.novaintertech.com/

Type of information supplier

Producer / distributor

Contact

NovaJet 3000 - Environment friendly and chemical free Rotary Screen recycling system, published by the Pakistan Textile Journal, in July 2011

Type of publication and availability

Article published in journal (online)

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

The description is based on the document 'NovaJet 3000 - Environment friendly and chemical free Rotary Screen recycling system', published by the Pakistan Textile Journal, in July 2011

Date, reviewed

November 26, 2021