What Is Solvent Recycling?

Industrial facilities use solvents to clean equipment, mix paint, fuel equipment, create adhesives and perform a number of other actions. Instead of buying more solvents after every use, many companies recycle their solvents with industrial solvent recovery systems. If they’re handled improperly, solvents can be dangerous–and a distillation system gives companies the chance to recycle their solvents without exposing themselves to harsh chemicals.

If you haven’t already started recycling your solvents, a solvent distillation system helps you stay under budget and work more efficiently. Here’s everything you need to know about solvents and implementing a solvent recovery unit into your business.

What Are Solvents?

Solvents are chemicals that manufacturers use to dissolve or dilute substances known as “solutes.” Common solvents include xylene, acetone, methanol, white spirit and petroleum spirits. You find solvents in a number of industrial products as well as consumer products like paint, adhesives, pesticides and paint remover.

If you’ve ever used pesticides or painted your house, you know that the fumes can be dangerous. The same is true of industrial solvents. Exposure to the fumes, from the skin, eyes or internal system could cause serious injuries and even death if they’re not treated right away.

What Are The Most Common Forms Of Solvent Exposure?

Many people expose themselves to solvents simply by breathing in the fumes. If someone inhales the vapors, they might experience nausea, dizziness and lightheadedness. To make matters worse, the disorientation makes people more prone to workplace accidents. This could result in death or serious injuries.

Skin contact could result in burns, blisters, inflammation, redness and allergic reactions. In less serious cases, exposure to solvents results in dry skin–this might not be fatal, but it causes irritation and discomfort. If a worker makes skin contact with a solvent, they’ll need to wash it off immediately.

Eye contact with solvents causes irritation, burning and potentially permanent damage. This could occur through direct liquid contact as well as exposure to the fumes. When a worker gets solvent in their eyes, they need to wash out the liquid as soon as possible. Long-term exposure could even cause blindness in some cases.

It might seem unlikely, but some people have even ingested solvents. This could cause death, organ damage or brain damage. Long-term exposure could also cause illnesses and injuries even if it’s not direct. Over time, workers breathe in the fumes and expose themselves to solvents, which could cause health effects in later years.

Why Do You Need Solvent Recovery Systems In Your Plant?

Solvents can be expensive, and the price adds up over time. You might spend a large portion of your budget that you could’ve spent on buying materials or upgrading your equipment. Industrial solvent recycling systems solve this problem by separating the solute and solvent, making the solvent usable again. You can use the same solvent multiple times instead of buying more solvent every time.

Solvent distillation systems also provide a safe place to recycle your solvents. They minimize your employees’ exposure to the solvents, enabling them to handle the chemicals in a safe manner. Distillation systems work efficiently and recycle several gallons of solvent at a time–in fact, some systems hold up to 125 gallons. Once the machine has processed the solvent, you can get back to work immediately.

Where Can You Buy Solvent Distillation Systems?

NexGenEnviro Systems sells heavy-duty distillation systems that streamline the recycling process, enabling you to work without interruption. To order a system online, choose one or more systems from the list and hit the “Request a Quote” button. After you fill out your personal information, we’ll get back to you with a price quote for your industrial solvent recycling systems.