Low Emissions

This low-emissions solvent cleaning system supplanted an open-top vapor degreaser, which discharged approximately 375,000 pounds of perchloroethylene (PCE) annually. The Vacuum-to-Vacuum system operates with a consumption of less than 500 pounds of PCE per year.

• This equipment is designed for the cleaning of aircraft honeycomb structures. Due to aluminum’s lightweight properties, it employs superheated vapor and a vacuum system to facilitate drying.
• Airless Vacuum Degreasers are designated as BACT (Best Available Control Technology) compliant, indicating that this equipment represents the highest standard of control solvent technology currently available on the market.
• This equipment is situated in Southern California and employs perchloroethylene (PCE) as the cleaning solvent, given that the honeycomb’s wax content necessitates elevated temperatures for melting and effective cleaning of the component.
• The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) permits the use of chlorinated solvents within Southern California under conditions where emissions are effectively minimized to near-zero levels, as exemplified by applications such as vacuum vapor degreasing.
• The link below shows a list of companies approved as solvent degreasing equipment manufacturers. Of the companies on the list, only two are vapor degreasing companies, both started by us. After our startup, the other company was sold.

South Coast Air Quality Management District List of
Low-VOC Cleaning Materials & Equipment