Absorbents (Binders) In The Waste Management Arena

I've been investigating several different kinds of absorbents. While our policy of neutrality prevents me from endorsing any particular product, I'm seeing good things stem from the use of such a product. I've spoken with several different manufacturers as well as our team chemist to determine the benefit of using a binder in solvent recovery systems. Each manufacturer has specified on the product spec sheet that this product has passed TCLP testing, which I am able to confirm with our own testing experience here with customer samples containing such a binder.

Does it change the characteristic of the waste? No, it does exactly what the name implies: it binds the solvent/paint properties to the absorbent in the interest of prevention a leaching action in the landfill.

Do the landfills like this product? Landfills love this stuff as it eliminates a product leaching into their landfill and creating headaches for them. It has been brought to my attention that one particular brand has been used in site remediation and that the federal government has been very pleased with the test results.

How would I use this product? When you are ready to start the cooking cycle on your still, add the appropriate amount of binder to the paint waste. For example: a 3 gallon system would take approximately 2 cups of binder product.

What is the final product: When used in a still, the result is a grayish-black still bottom that is chalky in appearance and hard as rock - making it ideal for TCLP testing. Disposal of rock-hard still bottoms that have been cooked out with a binder make it far easier to negotiate disposal issues with landfill authorities.

NOTE: Certain binders can produce up to 9,000 BTU's, which make it feasible for acceptance by incinerator facilities as the still bottoms can hold a BTU value that makes them suitable to be burned as fuel.

Shop owners that are still hauling away their paint waste should consider acquisition of a distillation unit (aka a solvent recovery system) and augment their waste management process with an absorbent/binder of this nature. Shops that have a distillation unit and who are not using an absorbent/binder of this nature are encouraged to consider it.

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