Modern manufacturing processes often use chemicals to treat materials or solutions in order to get them ready for further applications in manufacturing processes or for finished goods. Solvents are some of the most common types of chemicals used in manufacturing as these chemicals help to dissolve other chemical agents. Each agent is referred to as a solute, but multiple chemicals can be considered a solution. In some cases, only a solute needs to be dissolved while in others, different chemicals in a solution need to be dissolved.
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Recycling Solvents
Solvent use is widespread in manufacturing, and this makes solvents a valuable commodity. In order to save money and utilize fewer resources, many manufacturers will look into buying a solution like a solvent distillation system. Modern industrial solvent recycling systems can remove contaminants from spent solvent, resulting in a solvent that is of virgin or near-virgin quality.
Solvent recycling systems can be used for all types of industries, but they are often found in chemical processing facilities, manufacturing facilities and medical chemical processing facilities. Attempting to recycle solvents on your own is ill-advised, and you’re highly encouraged to use dedicated solvent distillation systems if you plan to clean and reuse solvents.
Solvents As Cleaning Agents
Many manufacturers use solvents to clean components, equipment and machinery, but solvents can also be used to clean finished goods. Solvents excel at removing things like grease and can also be used to remove or thin adhesive products.
Solvents may be added to a cleaning mixture to remove certain oil products, but they can also get rid of solder flux in a manufacturing environment. Another reason why industrial manufacturing facilities utilize solvents as cleaning agents is that solvents have the potential to remove baked-on chemicals.
When certain chemicals have been exposed to high temperatures, they have a tendency to form an adhesive bond with solids that they are in contact with. Solvents can break down these bonds and make it easier to remove baked-on oils and other materials in manufacturing.
Solvents As Dilution Agents
Manufacturers also use solvents to dilute certain chemicals and mixtures. Many cosmetic products are manufactured using solvents as a way to reduce concentrations of certain chemicals. Face creams, body lotions and other types of topical products use solvents, and it’s important to note that a solvent doesn’t have to be a hazardous chemical. Solvents can be anything that dissolves or reduces the concentration of something else. In this way, even water can be considered a solvent depending on how it is applied to a product during the manufacturing process.
Solvent Use In Extraction Processes
Processes involving extraction can also benefit from solvents. Typically, the extraction of chemicals involves separating the various elements in a solution. Because a solution may contain many different chemicals, this process requires the use of solvents that can dissolve different chemicals and elements or at least thin them out. Once exposed to solvents, the different chemicals in a solution may form layers, allowing a manufacturer to extract specific chemicals while leaving behind those that are not necessary.
In the cannabis industry, solvents are used to extract tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and essential oils. These products can be used to create concentrates and other forms of THC that can make consuming cannabis easier for people who don’t wish to smoke cannabis.
Solvent extraction also helps to purify products that may contain contaminants in their native form. Once again, solvents can thin out and dissolve chemicals to separate them into layers. When using solvents for extraction in manufacturing, debris and sludge often float to the bottom of an extraction container, allowing the manufacturer to remove the purified product layers while discarding the waste.
