Solvent usage and recycling potential in a research and development setting

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:274135

Vivio, F; Thuot, J R; Peters, R W

Argonne National Laboratory utilizes thousands of gallons of chemicals each year. Laboratory wastes can be broadly characterized as coming from three focus areas: (1) restoration and decommissioning associated wastes generate larger quantities of waste on a one-time basis. The wastes may be non-hazardous to highly toxic and the quantities are variable. (2) Laboratory operations generate approximately 50% of all waste disposed. Operational waste can be characterized as less hazardous, reasonably consistent in nature, generally in larger quantities. (3) the final waste stream is small quantities of many different materials coming from many different waste streams. This waste stream is at the center of ANL`s pollution prevention program. The research areas have implemented many pollution prevention techniques. Solvent substitution has been effective in reducing hazardous cleaning wastes, scintillation cocktail wastes, and other chlorinated wastes. Micro chemistry is effective at minimizing certain chemical process wastes, developing new analytical chemistry procedures has reduced and eliminated other waste forms. New instrumentation has provided first level reductions in many waste streams. Despite these new techniques solvent usage remains the largest research related waste stream. The present solvents are generated from instruments such as electrophoresis and high pressure liquid chromatographs (HPLC), solvent extractions, biological staining and cleaning practices. ANL recognizes the significant role recycling this waste stream is in Pollution Prevention Program implementation. ANL initiated a study to quantify solvent usage, characterization of the waste solvent, and match the purity requirements exploring all opportunities to substitute and recycle.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 274135
• Report Number(s): ANL/EMO/CP--90484; CONF-960741--12; ON: DE96012758
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACETONE
ACETONITRILE
ANL
BENZENE
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHLOROFORM
DIOXANE
HEXANE
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
LABORATORIES
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METHANOL
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
NITRIC ACID
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
PROPANOLS
RECYCLING
SOLVENTS
SULFURIC ACID
TETRAHYDROFURAN
TOLUENE
XYLENES