Registered in England No. 1725990 Q & A / Advice - Pressroom Solvents: Solvents, blanket washes and press cleaning solutions used by the printing industry have traditionally been based on organic aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbons. There is now an increasing body of evidence that clearly shows a direct link between these petrochemical solvents and a wide range of workplace health and environmental problems. The risks cannot be ignored: Aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons, used in the vast majority of traditional pressroom solvents, cause the following problems: o Eye irritation. o Dermatitis. o Headaches. o Fatigue. Continued exposure dramatically increases the risk of these solvents passing into the respiratory system and blood stream, eventually resulting in damage to blood, brain and nerve cells and to the liver and kidneys. In addition, they give off fumes, swell rubber blankets and roller covers and have a low flashpoint. This makes them difficult to transport, storage and dispose of and also means that high volume users, generally newspaper printers and the larger sheetfed operations, have to adhere rigidly to health and safety legislation covering hazardous materials, if they are to avoid prosecution. A further and increasingly significant effect of traditional solvents is that they release exceptionally high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the pressroom. These react with the nitrogen oxide present in the air to form highly aggressive, low level ozone, which is both corrosive - attacking machinery, builings and plant life - and harmful to the health of pressroom staff. In recent years, a number of products have been introduced to combat these problems. The best known of these are based on vegetable oils combined with citrus by-products, terpenes or limonenes. The vegetable based solvents, however, also have their drawbacks. In general terms, they are often difficult to use, leaving a greasy residue on plates and blankets, and will also cause rubber to swell. In addition, citrus by-products are highly acidic and can cause the same skin problems as organic solvents, while certain products mixed with terpenes or limonenes release high levels of VOCs. The situation is complicated still further by increasingly stringent national and international health and safety and environmental legislation, either already in existence or due to be introduced in the near future. These include the Health and Safety At Work Act, the Environmental Protection Act and the EC VOC Directive. Although existing legislation has generally been applied most rigorously to the larger printing organisations, it is safe to assume that smaller companies - forming the bulk of the industry - will soon find themselves under increasing pressure to comply with the various regulations. The choice facing printers at the moment is to continue using traditional organic solvents, with the associated health and environmental risks and the danger of prosecution or closure for failing to comply with the legislation, or to find a viable alternative, which offers similar levels of performance without the inherent problems. The citrus by-products, used in many vegetable based cleaning solutions, are not necessarily safer than tradition organic solvents. What makes a good press cleaner? The difficulty for printers in changing from traditional to less harmful solvents has always been to maintain the same level of cleaning power at a realistic cost. The ideal press cleaning solvent should therefore combine a number of benefits: o Rapidly penetrate and dissolve inks and coatings. o Dry quickly. o Have no effect on the surface of plates and blankets. o Be free from odour and fumes. o Be safe on skin. o Be easy to store and dispose. o Contain only low levels of VOCs (under 10%). o Be readily available at a realistic price. Vegra have developed pressroom cleaning solutions that meet all of the above criteria. Called Rapid Wash, these allow printers to enjoy the same levels of performance as traditional solvents, but without the associated problems. The Vegra Rapid Wash range are free of aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons. In addition, they do not use citrus by-products or components such as terpenes or limonenes. As a result, they are water miscible and readily biodegradable, so there is no problem with storage or disposal. Perhaps more importantly, they are kind both to skin and rubber blanket and roller surfaces, have no unpleasant odour and a high flashpoint of over 100°C. Vegra Rapid Washes are corrosion inhibited, to give maximum press protection, and have been widely tested in the printing industry. Rapid Wash is particularly suitable for high volume applications, running conventional inks, especially where automatic cleaning systems are used. Pomeroy is the exclusive UK partner of Vegra GmbH. Together, we offer our customers a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of the printing process. At our manufacturing plant in Gloucestershire, we produce a wide range of pressroom consumables, including washes, fountain solutions and coatings. We are also one of the few blanket converters in the UK and Germany for analysis and development of a wide range of products. © Pomeroy Pressroom Products Ltd 2010 Website design by: AH Designs Vegra Rapid Washes Cleaning Solutions