A Cooperative Project
between the
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
and the
Printing Trade
Associations
Nationwide
October 1996
EPA744-F-96-014
LITHOGRAPHY PROJECT BULLETIN 3
U.S.EPA*
BULLETIN
HIGHLIGHTS)
1 How well do they perform?
1 How much do they cost?
1 What are the reduced health,
fire, and environmental risks?
ALSO IN T
us BULLETIN
' Tips to get started in finding
the best substitute blanket
wash for you
' Questions to ask your blanket
wash supplier
1 How to recognize vegetable
ester washes by their common
names on MSDS forms
B
Vegetable Ester
'anket Washes
Through a series of product trials, EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE)
Lithography Project evaluated 22 different commercially available blanket
washes. All of the washes were scrutinized for their performance, cost, and
environmental and health characteristics. Then each wash was categorized
based on its chemical make-up. This bulletin highlights one category of these
blanket washes: vegetable esters. Vegetable esters are fatty acid derivatives pro-
duced from agricultural sources, mainly soybean oil.
Use this bulletin to compare the performance, cost, and health and environmental
benefits of vegetable ester blanket washes with your current wash. This informa-
tion can help you get started in finding the best substitute blanket wash for you.
Lower VOCs: An Important Benefit
One of the biggest advantages of vegetable ester blanket washes is that they are
lower in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than many standard blanket washes.
VOCs are chemicals that evaporate very quickly. The faster a chemical evaporates,
the faster it will get into the air during use. While standard, solvent-based washes
can contain up to 100% VOCs, the VOC content of the vegetable ester washes
typically ranges from 12 to 30%. This range drops to 2% or less for vegetable
ester and water mixtures.
Worker health concerns
The higher the VOC content of a product, the greater the chances that your
workers are inhaling harmful chemicals. Vegetable ester washes, with their low
VOC content, evaporate more slowly. Worker exposure is less, so potential health
risks are decreased.
Design for the Environment
-------
What are my options for a
substitute blanket wash?
A substitute blanket wash can
be classified by its primary
chemical component. The
Design for the Environment
Lithography Project product
trials evaluated 22 substitute
blanket washes that were
classified into four different
categories of chemicals.
These washes were tested
and compared to a baseline
wash by printers in their
print shops. Some of the
characteristics of the four
categories and the baseline
are listed below:
THE BASELINE
VM&P Naphtha:
+ quick-drying
- 100% volatile organic compounds
(VOCs)
health and environmental concerns
THE SUBSTITUTES
Petroleum-based:
+ quick-drying
- greater than 60% VOCs
- health and environmental concerns
Vegetable ester:
+ VOC content as low as 5%
+ unprocessed towels may be treated
as non-hazardous waste
+ lack of odor
Petroleum/vegetable
ester mixtures:
+/- VOC content less than most
petroleum-based washes, but not
all are less than 30% VOC
+/- Depending on proportion of
petroleum, may have health
and environmental concerns
Terpene:
+ low VOC, derived from wood
and citrus products
+ does not deplete ozone
odor can be irritating to press
operators
Environmental Benefits
The quick evaporation of VOCs can also harm the environment. VOCs are
a major contributor to smog, and are among the most persistent emissions
problems in the printing industry. High-VOC washes will increase your shop's
contribution to environmental problems.
Just as they can improve worker safety, low-VOC vegetable esters can reduce the
environmental impact of your shop on your community.
A Less Flammable Substitute
Compared to most of the other blanket washes, vegetable esters are much less
flammable. This is because they have a much higher flash point (the temperature
at which the wash can be ignited). A less flammable blanket wash means a safer
work environment.
Performance
During the product trials, overall press operator opinion of the performance
of vegetable ester washes varied but was generally favorable. The printers found
that the vegetable ester blanket washes handled quite differently from their
traditional wash. Press operators discovered that a little extra effort was required,
but with changes in the way the wash was used, the substitute performed as well
as the standard wash. Some problems associated with using vegetable ester wash-
es, and their solutions, include:
There is an oily film
left on the blanket
It takes longer to dry
The wash is thicker
Use a wipe firmly wrung in water
instead of a dry wipe to remove the
oily film from the blanket surface
Dry the blanket with a clean
dry wipe
Give the wash enough time to soak
into the wipe by keeping a supply
of wipes and wash together in a
covered container. When ready to
use the wash-soaked wipe, squeeze
or wring the excess wash back into
the container.
Design for the Environment
-------
Cost
In general, vegetable ester washes cost more per gallon than many of the other blanket wash-
es tested. However, it is important to remember that purchase price alone may not be the
best indicator of the true overall cost of using a blanket wash. Take into account the follow-
ing factors which may affect the actual cost of a blanket wash:
How to Identify
A Vegetable Ester
These are some names for
vegetable esters that you
might find on an MSDS or
product label:
Fatty acid methyl esters
Diethanolamine tallate
Sorbitan compounds
Soybean oils
Tall oils
O Methyl stearates
O Methyl oleate
Crillet 4
Ask your supplier if you
have questions.
COMPLIANCE COSTS. Washes high in VOC content may yield waste—excess wash
or used wipes—that has to be handled as regulated hazardous waste.
Low-VOC washes such as vegetable esters may eliminate this potentially costly handling
procedure. Also, with lower VOCs, a facility's air emissions may drop to levels below
the threshold amounts that require costly permitting and reporting.
QUANTITY OF BLANKET WASH NEEDED. Some printers found that once experi-
enced in using a vegetable ester wash, they often needed much less wash for a given
job. This can mean cost savings.
INSURANCE COSTS. Switching to a low-flammability vegetable ester wash
may reduce your insurance costs. Check with your underwriter to see if such
benefits apply to your facility.
Design for the Environment
-------
Questions You Can Ask
Your Chemical Supplier
Ask these questions to learn more about
the blanket wash you are currently using
or a substitute blanket wash you may
consider testing:
U What chemicals or generic chemical
families are in the blanket wash?
Q What percent of the blanket wash is
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?
Q Will the daily use and disposal
of the blanket wash trigger federal
air regulations?
Q What short-term and long-term
health risks are associated with
the chemicals in the blanket wash?
Q Are workers exposed to the
chemicals through the skin and/or
through inhaling the chemicals?
Q What gloves or protective
equipment should be used
with the wash?
Q How can blanket washes be applied
so that I can minimize both the
health risk and waste generated?
Q How do I properly dispose of the
used blanket wash and towels?
U What state, municipal, or local
regulations may apply to the use
and disposal of this blanket wash?
Partners in the Design for
the Environment Lithography
Project: Printing Industries of
America, Graphic Arts Technical
Foundation, the Environmental
Conservation Board of the
Graphic Communications Industry.
The University of Tennessee, and
individual printers and suppliers.
Design for the Environment
Where Do I Go From Here?
Q Get to know yoir current wash. Look at product labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS) and ask
your supplier the questions listed to the left, so that you can leam:
» The chemicals or chemical families
The VOC content
The health and environmental impacts
The regulatory issues
E] Work with your supplier to evaluate substitute washes
» Question your supplier about substitute washes (see left)
Work with your supplier to optimize the wash performance
Use the summary booklet, Evaluating Blanket Washes: A Guide For Printers, for
additional information (see below for ordering information)
S Try out substitute blanket washes
Follow supplier suggestions on how to use substitutes properly
» Try the substitute blanket wash with different ink types, ink coverages, conditions
of the blanket, and lengths of runs prior to blanket cleaning
Expect cost and performance to improve as you optimize the washing technique
» Use the "Substitute Blanket Washes: Making Them Work" bulletin for information
on different washing techniques (see below for ordering information)
C3 Compare your traditional wash with your favorite substitute wash
Compare cost, performance, and health and environmental impacts of your
traditional wash with the substitute wash
Use the "A Worksheet To Help You Choose A Better Wash" bulletin for additional
information (see below for ordering information)
About the Design for the Environment Lithography Project
The goal of the Design for the Environment (DfE) Lithography Project is to provide lithographers
with information that can help them design an operation which is more environmentally sound,
safer for workers, and more cost effective.
Concentrating on the process of blanket washes, the partners of the DfE Lithography Project,
in a voluntary cooperative effort, evaluated 37 different blanket wash products. Information
was gathered on the performance, cost, and health and environmental risk trade-offs of the
different types of substitute blanket wash. For more details on the
evaluations, please refer to the booklet, Evaluating Blanket Washes:
A Guide For Printers.
In addition to the Lithography Project, similar DfE projects are currently
underway with both the screen printing and flexography industries.
To obtain additional copies of this or other bulletins and case studies, or for more information about
EPA's Design for the Environment Program, contact:
EPA's Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC)
U.S. EPA
401 M Street, SW (7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (202) 260-1023 E-mail: ppic@epamail.epa.gov
Fax: (202) 260-4656 DfE Web page: http://www.epa.gov/dfe
------- |