Hazardous oils

Like flammable gas compressors, the external lubrication system for large air compressors can present a fire hazard. Oil flow rates above 25 gpm (95 Ipm) and or oil capacity greater than 100 gal (379 I) may require fire protection. 

Hazardous oils Those considered too dangerous to use at all, or that need to be handled with extreme caution. 

These hazards are reduced drastically by desalting crude oils, a process which consists of coalescing and decanting the fine water droplets in a vessel by using an electric field of 0.7 to 1 kV/cm. 

It must be borne in mind that in spite of the fact that the solvents have normal boiling points below 90-95°, they cannot always be completely removed by heating on a steam or water bath when they form part of mixtures with less-volatile liquids. Simple distillation may lead to mixtures with higher boiling points than the individual solvents, so that separation of the latter may not be quite complete. In such cases the distillation should be completed with the aid of an air bath (Fig. 77,5,3) or an oil bath the Are hazard is considerably reduced since most of the solvent will have been removed. 

The highest G-ratios are obtained when grinding with straight oil coolants. Such oils reduce power, increase maximum depth of cut, and produce smoother finishes. Disadvantages include inabiUty to remove heat from the work, oil mist in the work area, fire hazard, and tendency to hold grinding swarf (fine metal chips and abrasive particles produced in the grinding process) in suspension. Reference 51 is an excellent survey article for grinding fluids. 

The most overlooked hazard and contaminant is water (99). Water reacts with isocyanates at room temperature to yield both ureas and large quantities of carbon dioxide. The presence of water or moisture can produce a sufficient amount of CO2 to overpressurize and mpture containers. As Httle as 30 mL of water can result in 40 L of carbon dioxide which could result in pressures of up to 300 kPa (40 psi). For these reasons, the use of dry nitrogen atmospheres is recommended during handling. If a plant air system must be used, purification equipment, such as oil traps and drying beds, should be installed between the source and the isocyanate vessel. 

Mineral spirits, a type of petroleum distillate popular for use in solvent-based house paints, consist mainly of aUphatic hydrocarbons with a trace of aromatics. This type of solvent finds use in oil- and alkyd-based house paints because of its good solvency with typical house paint binders and its relatively slow evaporation rate which imparts good bmshabiUty, open-time, and leveling. Other properties include lower odor, relatively lower cost, as well as safety and health hazard characteristics comparable to most other organic solvents. 

A knowledge of the molecular composition of a petroleum also allows environmentalists to consider the biological impact of environmental exposure. Increasingly, petroleum is being produced in and transported from remote areas of the world to refineries located closer to markets. Although only a minuscule fraction of that oil is released into the environment, the sheer volume involved has the potential for environmental damage. Molecular composition can not only identify the sources of contamination but also aids in understanding the fate and effects of the potentially hazardous components (7). 

Enzymes for Extreme Conditions. The possibihty of using enzymes from extremophiles, which thrive in oil wells, hot temperatures, freezing conditions, etc, is being explored for the removal of environmental contaminants and survival at extreme temperatures (see Wastes, HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATlffiNT BlORETffiDIATION (SuPPLET NT)). 

Based on the evidence that acceptable recycled petroleum products can be produced, there is a considerable legislative record encouraging the recycling of used oil. Starting with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in 1976 (20), used oil was held apart from the normal hazardous waste system because the oil was viewed as a valuable commodity. This was followed by the Used Oil Recycling Act in 1980 (33), which removed any federal requirement that lubricants containing re-refined base oil carry special labeling. 

The petroleum oils are of three basic types aromatic, naphthemic, and paraffinic. Aromatic oils contain hazardous materials that require special handling precautions. Naphthenic oil does not contain hazardous levels of polynuclear aromatics (PNAs) and is less hysteretic. Because of these considerations the naphthenic oil is gaining in usage at the expense of more utilized aromatics. Paraffinic oil is only used modestly in tire compounds. The... 

Dissolved Air Flotation. Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is used to separate suspended soflds and oil and grease from aqueous streams and to concentrate or thicken sludges. Air bubbles carry or float these materials to the surface where they can be removed. The air bubbles are formed by pressurizing either the influent wastewater or a portion of the effluent in the presence of air. When the pressurized stream enters the flotation tank which is at atmospheric pressure, the dissolved air comes out of solution as tiny, microscopic bubbles. Dissolved air flotation is used in many wastewater treatment systems, but in the United States it is perhaps best known with respect to hazardous waste because it is associated with the Hsted waste, K048, DAF flotation soflds from petroleum refining wastewaters. Of course, the process itself is not what is hazardous, but the materials it helps to remove from refining wastewaters. 

Occasional brief contacts of Hquid carbon tetrachloride with unbroken skin do not produce irritation, though the skin may feel dry because of removal of natural oils. Prolonged and repeated contacts may cause dermatitis, cracking of the skin, and danger of secondary infection. Carbon tetrachloride is apparenfly absorbed through the skin but at such a slow rate that there is no significant hazard of systemic poisoning in normal industrial operations. 

In selec ting the machines of choice, the use of specific speed and diameter best describe the flow. Figure 10-67 shows the characteristics of the three types of compressors. Other considerations in chemical plant service such as problems with gases which may be corrosive or have abrasive solids in suspension must be dealt with. Gases at elevated temperatures may create a potential explosion hazard, while air at the same temperatures may be handled qmte normally minute amounts of lubricating oil or water may contaminate the process gas and so may not be permissible, and for continuous-process use, a high degree of equipment rehability is required, since frequent shutdowns for inspec tion or maintenance cannot be tolerated. 

Pneumatic and hydraulic vibrating conveyors have as their greatest asset ehmination of explosion hazards. If pressurized air, water, or oil is available, they can be extremely practical since their drive design is relatively simple and pressure-control valves can be used to vaiy capacity either manually or automatically. 

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