United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-95/011
June 1996
EPA Project Summary
Solvent-Based to Waterbased
Adhesive-Coated Substrate
Retrofit
Beth W. McMinn, W. Scott Snow, and Dan T. Bowman
The coated and laminated substrate
manufacturing industry was selected
as part of the National Risk Manage-
ment Research Laboratory's (NRMRL's)
support of the U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency's (EPA's) 33/50 Program
because of its significant air emissions
of toluene and methyl ethyl ketone.
NRMRL reviewed the potential equip-
ment cleaning benefits of retrofitting
equipment for the use of waterbased
adhesives. During the investigation, it
became apparent that retrofitting sol-
vent-based equipment to accept
waterbased adhesives can be very com-
plicated. This report gives results of a
review of the issues and obstacles as-
sociated with retrofitting.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's National Risk Management
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Background
As a result of the Pollution Prevention
Act of 1990, the U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency (EPA) established the 337
50 Program, which calls for voluntary in-
dustry reductions in releases of 17 high-
priority toxic chemicals, listed by mass of
emissions:
Toluene
Xylenes
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Dichloromethane
Chromium and Compounds
Lead and Compounds
Trichloroethylene
Methyl Isobutyl Ketone
Tetrachloroethylene
Benzene
Chloroform
Nickel and Compounds
Cyanide and Compounds
Carbon Tetrachloride
Cadmium and Compounds
Mercury and Compounds
The goal of the 33/50 Program is to re-
duce the total amount of these chemicals
released into the environment and trans-
ferred off-site by 33% by the end of 1992
and by 50% by the end of 1995. These
reductions will be based on the Toxic
Chemicals Release Inventory (TRI), with
1988 as the base year.
In support of the 33/50 Program and
EPA's pollution prevention goals, EPA's
National Risk Management Research
Laboratory (NRMRL) is investigating ways
to reduce air emissions of these 17 chemi-
cals through pollution prevention. The Pol-
lution Prevention Act of 1990 defines pol-
lution prevention as source reduction, or
"any practice which reduces the amount
of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant entering the waste stream or
otherwise released to the environment (in-
cluding fugitive emissions) prior to recy-
cling, treatment, or disposal; and reduces
the hazards to public health and the envi-
ronment associated with the release of
such substances, pollutants, or contami-
nants." Pollution prevention offers eco-
nomic and reduced health and ecological
risk benefits to many sectors of society
that may not be available through tradi-
tional pollution control methods.
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In 1991, NRMRL representatives met
with industry, academia, and state envi-
ronmental agency representatives to iden-
tify several source categories deserving
of pollution prevention research. Two cri-
teria were used to select the industrial
categories for study: annual toxics emis-
sions and the potential for pollution pre-
vention opportunities. First, the TRI was
reviewed to identify categories with the
greatest mass emissions of the 33/50
chemicals. Categories with the greatest
emissions were then ranked according to
the potential for successful pollution pre-
vention projects resulting in significant re-
ductions of 33/50 chemical releases. One
of the industries identified during the 1991
meeting was the adhesives-coated and
laminated paper manufacturing industry
[Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
2672]. This industry was chosen because
of significant air emissions of 33/50 Pro-
gram chemicals methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
and toluene as reported through the TRI.
In October 1991, a focus group meeting
was held during which NRMRL, pollution
prevention experts, and representatives of
the adhesives-coated and laminated pa-
per manufacturing industry discussed pol-
lution prevention projects that would sup-
port the 33/50 Program. Meeting partici-
pants indicated that the coatings and coat-
ing application steps are the largest source
of toluene and MEK emissions; therefore,
retrofitting equipment for the use of
waterbased adhesives would present a
good opportunity to implement pollution
prevention techniques. As a result of this
meeting and preliminary industry inquir-
ies, the scope of the industry investigation
was later expanded to include other coat-
ing and substrate varieties (such as those
included in SIC 2671-Coated and Lami-
nated Packaging Paper and Plastics Film)
whose manufacturing methods are simi-
lar, thus expanding technology transfer
over a wider range of industries. The ret-
rofit research project fulfills part of EPA's
goal to stimulate the development and
use of products and processes that result
in reduced pollution.
Objectives
As part of the original scope of work for
Improved Equipment Cleaning in the
Coated and Laminated Substrate Manu-
facturing Facilities (Phase I), the potential
equipment cleaning benefits of retrofitting
equipment for the use of waterbased ad-
hesives were reviewed. During the review,
it became apparent that the conversion of
solvent-based adhesive-coated products
to waterbased adhesives can be very com-
plicated. Therefore, EPA invested re-
sources in documenting this conversion.
The results of this study are presented in
four volumes entitled Solvent-Based to
Waterbased Adhesive-Coated Substrate
Retrofit—
Volume I: Comparative Analysis
Volume II: Process Overview
Volume III: Label Manufacturing
Case Study: Nashua
Corporation
Volume IV: Film and Label Manu-
facturing Case Study:
FLEXcon Corporation
Volume I details results of a compre-
hensive study to identify the issues and
barriers associated with retrofitting exist-
ing solvent-based equipment to accept
waterbased adhesives, and compares the
compatibility of waterbased adhesive per-
formance levels with current solvent-based
adhesive applications. Using Volume I,
NRMRL is examining the technology trans-
fer potential of documenting requirements
for several coated and laminated substrate
manufacturers who have converted some
or all of their coating capacity from sol-
vent-based to waterbased adhesives so
that other manufacturers can consider the
benefits of retrofitting.
Volume II gives results of an initial study
to identify the issues and barriers associ-
ated with retrofitting existing solvent-based
equipment to accept waterbased adhe-
sives. This report is intended only as an
introduction to the technical, economic,
and environmental issues associated with
converting from solvent-based to
waterbased adhesive coating processes.
Its purpose is to define the terms com-
monly used within the industry, introduce
retrofit concepts, and identify issues re-
quiring further investigation.
Volume III is a case study of the waterbased
retrofit of Nashua Corporation's Omaha, Ne-
braska, facility (Nashua). Nashua is a label
and label stock manufacturing facility
that completed a total conversion from
solvent-based to waterbased adhesives
in late 1993. This conversion formally
started in 1987. Nashua's products are
generally aimed at high-volume commod-
ity uses, such as food and consumer prod-
uct packaging labels. Nashua converted
to waterbased adhesives primarily to avoid
escalating regulatory costs associated with
solvent-based adhesives. Equipment, cost,
performance, environmental, and market-
ing issues pertaining to Nashua's conver-
sion are explained in Volume III.
Volume IV describes the implications of
and barriers associated with waterbased
adhesive use at FLEXcon Company's Spen-
cer, Massachusetts, facility (FLEXcon).
FLEXcon produces a variety of films and
labels for use in a multitude of applica-
tions that fall into six main categories:
graphic films, packaging labels, electronic
printing labels, microembossed films, medi-
cal films and labels, and custom-perfor-
mance products. FLEXcon currently pro-
cesses approximately 30% of their prod-
ucts with waterbased adhesives and the
remainder with solvent-based adhesives.
FLEXcon's usage level of solvent-based
adhesives has remained static for a num-
ber of years, and they currently have no
plans to change it. However, FLEXcon's
use of waterbased adhesives has steadily
increased since their introduction to the
facility in the early 1970s. FLEXcon antici-
pates that future growth in their adhesive
manufacturing will be in waterbased and
other non-solvent adhesive technologies.
FLEXcon officials also believe that im-
provements in waterbased and other non-
solvent adhesive technologies may allow
them to convert solvent-based products in
the future.
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B. McMinn, S. Snow, and D. Bowman are with TRC Environmental Corp., Chapel
Hill, NC 27514.
Chester A. Vogel (Volumes I, III, and IV) and Michael Kosusko (Volume II) are
the EPA Project Officers (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Solvent-Based to Waterbased Adhesive-Coated
Substrate Retrofit," consists of four volumes:
"Volume I, Comparative Analysis" (Order No. PB96-180435; Cost: $31.00,
subject to change)
"Volume II, Process Overview" (Order No. PB96-180443; Cost: $21.50, subject
to change)
"Volume III, Label Manufacturing Case Study: Nashua Corporation" (Order No.
PB96-180450; Cost: $21.50, subject to change)
"Volume IV, Film and Label Manufacturing Case Study: FLEXcon Corporation"
(Order No. PB96-180468; Cost: $19.50, subject to change)
The complete set of fourvolumes (Order No. PB96-180427; Cost: $49.00, subject
to change).
The above reports will be available only from
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
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EPA/600/SR-95/011
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