Trichloroethylene (TCE) is widely used in hardware industries on account of the degreasing ability. Using TCE, it is gradually discharged into environment. As TCE proved to be carcinogenic substance, exhaused gas from hardware factories in which TCE is contained ought to be regurated, even though it would be decomposed in air in a few weeks.
In this paper, in order to estimate the effects of TCE withdrawal device installed in hardware factories, aspects of TCE discharge through various ways and TCE mass balance were researched in A factory as a case study.
TCE in exhaust gas which was collected from over the metalcleaning instrument contained 120-490ppm of TCE. However, after withdrawing TCE concentrations were below 2ppm. Consequently, the withdrawal device proved to be effective, which had more than 99% of collection efficiencies.
The results of TCE mass balance in A factory were as follows. 30% of TCE comsumed in the factory discharged with exhaust gas. And it was withdrawed with the device. The discharge rate of TCE with artificial ventilation, with waste oil and with waste water were 11%, 7%, below 1%, respectively.
Undefined ca. 50% of TCE consumed was estimated to be lost by natural ventilation or by vaporization while storage. Therefore, provided surroundings of the metalcleaning instrument is kept under more airtight conditions and/or TCE storage is maintained more attentively not to be vaporized, the ratio of TCE withdrawn may increase.
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