Tag Archives: safe chemical disposal

How to Safely Handle and Dispose of Chemicals Using Chemical Carts

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How to Safely Handle and Dispose of Chemicals Using Chemical CartsWhen an industrial process such as semiconductor manufacturing requires the use of hazardous chemicals, safe disposal of chemical waste becomes essential. Chemicals such as sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and hydrogen peroxide play a crucial role in silicon wafer cleaning and stripping, but they must be handled carefully. Spills represent a danger to employees and the environment. Improper disposal can endanger the public and damage surrounding ecosystems.

Chemical carts make the handling and disposal of chemical waste easier and safer. Once collected from the process, the chemicals can be treated according to environmental regulations. By using chemical carts for waste chemical handling and disposal, businesses can reduce the risks inherent in using these chemicals and provide a safer working environment for employees.

Safe Chemical Handling of Aggressive Chemicals Protects Everyone

While some large operations that use chemicals can have permanently installed collection and disposal systems, smaller industrial plants, labs, and university research facilities often have to dispose of individual tanks of waste chemicals. This is especially true if the chemical process runs in batches or the facility produces prototypes. Once the processing of the batch is complete, a tank with acid or solvent waste must be properly handled and stored if it is not neutralized. The challenge is safely handling the tank contents.

Safe handling and disposal of hazardous chemicals involve several significant components. These include the following:

  • Employee Safety. The facility must provide the equipment and procedures to ensure employees can safely dispose of the chemical waste. Safety protocols have to be applied and enforced.
  • Chemical Containment. The equipment has to be designed to minimize spills. Systems for collecting, transferring, storing, and neutralizing the chemicals must have design features to contain possible spills.
  • Chemical Neutralization. Before disposal, chemical waste must be neutralized so it’s no longer dangerous to people that handle it. Once chemicals are neutralized, further treatment may be required to remove substances that are not dangerous but can harm the environment.
  • Waste Disposal. Chemical waste can be neutralized and disposed of on-site or in an off-site facility. In each case, environmental regulations and municipal guidelines must be followed to avoid harming the surrounding ecosystems. Neutralization and disposal must be documented.

Safe handling of hazardous chemical waste is essential for protecting employees and the general public. Following national and local regulations ensures the facility can operate without harming its surroundings.

Chemical Carts Can Help with the Safe Disposal of Dangerous Chemical Waste

Modutek’s chemical carts are designed to handle and dispose of dangerous chemical waste safely and responsibly. The carts are easily moved next to tanks containing chemicals and pump the waste into containers inside the carts. An onboard suction wand makes it easy for operators to transfer the chemicals to the cart. The carts are constructed of white polypropylene and powered pneumatically, so no electric connection is needed.

The containers on the carts are Department of Transport (DOT) approved with double containment. Chemical waste can be shipped off-site for treatment and disposal by companies specializing in neutralizing and safely disposing of toxic chemicals. Alternatively, the chemical waste can be transferred to larger tanks with an onboard separate discharge tube. Treatment and disposal can then take place on-site if a chemical neutralization system is available.

Modutek’s chemical carts help ensure employees are safe and waste can be disposed of effectively. The method of transfer of chemicals from the process tanks to the carts is safe and reduces spills. The carts themselves are designed for the safe containment of the chemicals. The DOT-approved chemical containers can be picked up and transported by specialized companies as needed to ensure safety and environmental regulations are followed.

Modutek Provides Equipment Solutions for Safely Handling Chemicals

As employee safety and safe handling and disposal of chemical waste become more of a regulatory priority in many jurisdictions, chemical carts can play an essential role in satisfying these requirements. In addition to chemical carts, Modutek designs and builds a complete line of chemical handling equipment to meet customer needs. Contact Modutek for a free consultation to discuss the specific chemical handling needs at your facility.

Why Chemical Delivery Systems Need Customizing for Your Facility

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Why Chemical Delivery Systems Need Customizing for Your FacilityIn any industrial process involving chemicals, careful storage, delivery, and disposal of potentially hazardous substances is essential for both safety and efficiency. The chemicals need to be readily available in the correct amounts wherever required in the process. However, the storage of chemicals in the middle of a production line is unlikely to be practical or safe. This requires chemical delivery systems that can seamlessly fit into a facility without increasing risks or reducing productivity.

There is no single solution for chemical storage and delivery systems for industrial facility designers, and the design and placement of the chemical handling equipment will vary from facility to facility. The way chemicals are used directly impacts the system’s design, and the specific kinds of chemicals involved mean that safety aspects need to be considered case by case.

For example, if solvents are used specific materials with fire suppression features must be incorporated to meet safety requirements.  What’s more, all of this usually will need to fit within the restrictions of the existing building unless a new facility is built from scratch.

Bearing all this in mind, custom chemical delivery systems are the most effective way of solving these common problems, and three key points should be addressed right from the start of the design.

  1. Chemical Storage

Whether your process involves high volumes of a single chemical or mixtures of several different ones, they need to be stored in a way that combines complete safety with easy access. The storage units need to be accessible to receive deliveries from suppliers and be kept in an area where any potential leaks or spills can be contained.  They also need full accessibility for efficient delivery to the production line. Modutek can design chemical delivery systems that access chemical storage units up to 100 yards from their point of use. This keeps dangerous substances in controlled conditions far from their point of use to minimize risks without compromising productivity.

  1. Safe and Efficient Chemical Delivery

In most facilities, there’s much more to chemical delivery than simply pumping fluids from storage to the processing location. The chemicals need to be delivered in the exact quantities the process requires, in the correct sequence, and at the right time intervals.

There will also need to be a mechanism for handling delivery failure without risking damage to the facility or wasting the other materials involved in the process. In addition, the system should keep track of the quantities of each chemical used, streamlining stock management and replenishment. Each of these factors will be different depending on the details of the application, so a chemical delivery system designed by experienced experts is vital.

  1. Safe Chemical Disposal in Line with Regulations

Most chemical processes create waste that is still chemically active and often toxic, corrosive, or dangerous in other ways. Safe collection and disposal procedures are essential to protect the facility’s employees and meet all relevant environmental regulations and legal responsibilities. In most cases, residual chemicals must be neutralized on-site before disposal or collected and securely stored before transportation to a dedicated disposal facility. Depending on the specific chemicals involved, the collection and neutralization process can be hazardous, involving toxic vapors, corrosive liquids, and countless other potential dangers. Again, the choice of chemical-handling equipment used during disposal depends entirely on the range of chemicals involved and the risks they create.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the ideal solution for your facility, Modutek has the in-house expertise, experience, and engineering capability to produce customized chemical delivery systems to meet your specific requirements. Modutek also provides a full range of chemical neutralization, collection, and disposal equipment, to ensure your on-site systems meet regulatory requirements and operate reliably with maximum efficiency and safety. Contact Modutek for a free consultation to discuss your facility’s specific chemical delivery and handling requirements.

 

How to Select an Acid Neutralization System to Reduce Chemical Disposal

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When industrial processes such as semiconductor manufacturing use chemicals, the chemical waste needs to be treated before disposal. Chemical waste treatment can be handled on-site with an acid neutralization system or companies can use outside service providers to pick up the waste and properly dispose of it.

Modutek’s acid neutralization systems are designed for easy and flexible installation along with reliable operation and low chemical consumption. The systems make it easy for customers to avoid the costs of hiring disposal companies by treating chemical waste in-house. For many industrial processes, the chemical waste treated with an acid neutralization system is safe enough to drain into the local sewer system.

Continuous Flow Versus Batch Neutralization Systems

For most large industrial operations, a continuous flow acid neutralization system is the best solution. The waste chemicals from a process are produced continuously and they are automatically treated. A continuous flow of 5 to 100 gallons per minute (GPM) can be neutralized. Smaller industrial facilities often operate in batch mode where small quantities of used chemicals need to be disposed of. Modutek’s acid neutralization systems treat and neutralize chemicals using the continuous flow method.

Flexible Installation Means Modutek Systems Are Suited for Many Different Applications

To reduce chemical disposal via an outside service provider, an in-house neutralization system has to be flexible and easy to install. Cost-effective systems have to feature low chemical consumption for complete neutralization allowing disposal into a local sewer. Modutek’s acid neutralization systems satisfy these requirements and can save customers money by reducing chemical disposal costs.

Additional installation features for various service applications include the following:

  • Indoor or outdoor installation
  • Working volume up 4000 gallons
  • 110% Secondary containment tank for extra safety
  • Final discharge sample tank with pH probe and chart recorder for compliance purposes
  • Acidic or alkaline chemical waste treatment in two or three stages
  • Fully automatic operation with a touch screen monitor
  • Unitized construction with larger systems skid-mounted
  • Microprocessor-based pH controls with a comprehensive alarm system

Modutek’s acid neutralization systems are designed to fit into existing process lines with just a plumbing connection and electrical hookup. Once installed, the systems offer problem-free chemical waste neutralization and disposal.

Sensors, Meters, and Automation Help with Ease of Operation

Modutek acid neutralization systems are designed to work reliably in fully automated mode while sensing chemical waste composition and triggering alarms when key variables show abnormal values. Electronic chemical metering pumps supply the correct amounts of neutralizing chemicals while Signet pH probes and transmitters monitor the composition of the chemical waste. Signet paddle wheel flow sensors and signet 9900 flow meters/totalizers send their signals back to a PLC that controls alarms. The systems are designed to work independently while providing readouts for operators tracking the process. Chemical use, discharge pH, overall flow, and triggered alarms are recorded. Operators can make sure that discharged waste stays within the environmental regulatory framework and can use the recorded data to demonstrate compliance with proscribed values.

Modutek’s Expertise in Chemical Processing and Neutralization

By working closely with customers and industry partners, Modutek provides continuous innovative products to meet customer needs. Modutek has its own in-house expertise to evaluate specific applications and make recommendations. After identifying process requirements, Modutek can make suggestions and offer systems from its complete line of chemical handling equipment. For a free quote or consultation to discuss your chemical processing and neutralization requirements contact Modutek at 866-803-1533 or email modutek@modutek.com.