Hmmmm... Phew! This subject rings a bell, of sorts.

I've had my share of mercaptan type problems. For example, once upon a time, at a former employer's plant, we had complaints about odors associated with a new batch of cutting oil on a grinder in the machine shop (several hundred gallons). ... it had a sulfur-based "EP" (extreme pressure) additive (other choices being phosphorous based and chlorine based  -both of which had more and worse problems) The sulfur based cutting oils can stink at first... or sometimes later, when they contact enough hot metal.

I spoke to the supplier, who offered to send a vanilla additive. I promptly got on my high horse about wanting to fix the problem, not try to cover it up. They insisted that it would react with the foul mercaptan odors and not just mask them. I acquiesced. It worked for THAT go round, anyway.

[For similar problem on a larger scale, we resorted to adding a specially coated activated charcoal filter bed after the electrostatic precipitators and bag filters in the exhaust system. The mercaptans broke through variously depending on how much work was being done, how many shifts we were running, and how heavy a "cut" was being made how often, so "planned maintenance" changeouts didn't work..

The change-out system ended up being that,  if I smelled mercaptans as I walked in from the parking lot in the morning, I'd contact the facility manager and shop supervisor and tell them it was time to change the charcoal bed again.NOW! .. Well, it wasn't elegant, but it worked!
Dianne Kidwell

"Ostertag, Tom (MN17)"  wrote:
Greetings:

We had a bottle of butyl mercaptan that we had to dispose of. We packaged it
in vermiculite with three or four layers of plastic bags, thermally sealed
and then put it in a plastic bucket with a crimp seal cover. We sent it to
our dock and the next morning they sent it back because of the smell. I just
happened to have an orange scented air freshener at my desk, opened the
bucket, threw it in, put the cover back on, waited a day and sent it back to
the dock. They put it in with our labpack materials and we never heard about
it after that. I'm sure the waste treatment people thoroughly understood why
the air freshener was in the container.

Tom Ostertag

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of
MaryJo.Press**At_Symbol_Here**PMUSA.COM
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 7:04 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Managing Chemicals with stench characteristics

I have found that by using vanilla flavoring, the stench can be removed from
most clothing, equipment, etc. I used to work around some FOUL smelling
chemicals. I would wet a paper towel with vanilla flavoring and put it in a
bag containing my clothes and shoes overnight. It worked wonders. It also
works for refrigerators and freezers that have meat in them that goes bad,
such as after a hurricane.

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of
Prisby, Mary
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 9:59 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Managing Chemicals with stench characteristics

I have been involved with moving materials from one faciity to another.
During the exercise, I am drafting a more extensive policy for chemical
storage. Since we have a mulititude of materials, I am focusing on items
that I have highlighted from the existing storage. One primarily is
materials that have a stench and/or are odiferous.

I understand that there may be products sold to absorb the stench odors or
reduce it. Double bagging with vermiculite doesn't seem to be as effective
as I would hope.

Any general good practice successes would be greatly appreciated.

Mary
EHS
deCODE Chemsitry

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post