78    THE ANALYSIS AND TESTING OF NON-OZONE
DEPLETING SUBSTANCES USED IN THE MACHINE
REPAIR INDUSTRY
Carol N. Carey, Manager
Environmental Programs
General Electric Company
Schenectady, New York 12345
Simeon J. Komisar, Professor
Nicholas L. Clesceri, Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, New York 12180-3590
INTRODUCTION
With the passing of the Montreal Protocol and growing concern over the depletion of the
ozone layer, increased attention has been focused on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other
ozone depleting substances (ODSs). Industry has long relied on these substances to manufacture
products and service customers' needs. Research and testing of other chemicals has intensified
since the passing of these regulations in order to find acceptable substitutes that will meet the
specific needs of industry and yet will not be detrimental to the environment.
In the machine repair industry, ODSs are extensively used in switchgear cleaning. The superlative quality of many CFCs is their cleaning ability, their short drying time, high flashpoint, and
low conductivity. NonCFC substitutes often do not perform as well as their CFC counterparts. In
many cases, product specifications require the use of a certain chemical to ensure product performance and product stability. Therefore, to find nonODS replacements is a difficult challenge.
Products must be tested and evaluated, employees must be educated to the fact that nonODS
products are not going to perform in the same way as ODSs, and in some cases totally new application techniques and drying methods must be used.
This study researched nonODS substitutes for switchgear cleaning in the machine repair business. Preliminary information was obtained through a survey of field experts at 67 General Electric service centers, a literature search, and vendor discussions. After initial selection, nonODS
candidates were field tested and evaluated based on specific performance characteristics. These
parameters were: cleaning ability, flashpoint, drying time, residue, dielectric strength, and cost.
Field quality control experts performed the tests.
A ranking system was established for each parameter based on a 1-5 scale, ranging from lowest to highest, respectively. Results from the field tests identified which nonODS products were
selected for continued use in the machine repair business. ODS products were then banned from
use in switchgear cleaning work at the General Electric service center facilities. Study results
were shared with other businesses involved in similar industrial applications that were still using
ODSs.
METHOD OF PROCEDURE
Sixty-seven General Electric machine repair service centers were selected for evaluation in selecting and implementing ODS substitutes. These service centers employed a total of approxi-
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