Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

Paint sludge recycle, re-use or disposal

Q. Hello

From my spray booth results paint sludge that have problem on disposal cost. I look for treatment to recycle that sludge. And I think this is a good topic for discussion!

Can anyone give me information about paint sludge recycling?

Thank you for your information.

When I go to library and search on internet, I get some information about paint sludge recycle alternative, that is:

- carbon active
- Expansive admixture in compensating concrete

My one question, is that possible?

Q. For your information, at my country (Indonesia), paint sludge included in hazardous waste. But no mistake if we want recycle that one and convert it to be new product that have value added (economical and environmental).

Furthermore, I think paint sludge from paint booth not contain contaminant because the process very simple, spray paint that not put to the painting body will be caught by circulated water.

thanks

Q. I just built a prototype pyrolysis furnace to transform paint sludge into carbon black. I'll begin to operate next month .

If anyone have some experience in this kind of application I'd like to talk with them.

A. Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois has developed a unique way of recycling their paint sludge. Their process allows them to reuse the recovered and dried sludge as pigment in their first quality paint and in other coatings that are used around the plant.

They have made a deal with their paint manufacturer to buy back the sludge as a raw material for making their own coatings. In this way they have offset some of their coatings' costs.

The contact at Caterpillar is John Spangler; he is in their materials engineering group. [Ed. note: this is an old entry from 1998]

  
Craig Burkart
- Naperville, Illinois

A. IN MY ORGANIZATION WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND WE FIRST OF ALL DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE ON SPRAY BOOTH.HOW?INTRODUCING ELECTROSTATIC MANUAL GUNS AND MAKING A STUDY USING TAGUCHI METHODS AND STATISTICAL METHODS IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE THICKNESS OF PAINT. WE DECREASE 60% THE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE AND WE ARE STUDYING THE POSSIBILITY TO RECOVER THE REMAIN SLUDGE IN PAINT WITH A OUTSIDE COMPANY.

PAULO SIMIO
- Pakistan

Q. I am interested to know if anybody has got an idea of converting the paint sludge from the car industry into landscape blocks? I heard that TOYOTA at Kentucky is doing the same.

I will appreciate if you can provide me the E-mail or web site of TOYOTA factory at Kentucky. I read this news item as "TOYOTA RECYCLES SLUDGES INTO LOW-DENSITY ASPHALT". Mr. BEN KUO, an Environmental Specialist at the TOYOTA Plant at Kentucky gave this news [Ed. note: this is an old posting from 1999]

Thanks

RFQ: We generate around 30000 Kg of paint sludge monthly, I like to know about any company in and around Delhi or in North India who process paint sludge.

Regards,

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)

Q. In our paint shop 3-4 tones of paint sludge is formed in a month and disposal of that is major problem. Presently we are using it in incineration.

So I am looking for any other alternative for using that sludge in another form.

Maybe as raw material for another paint.

Is it possible ?

Q. Respected Sir,
I am doing a project on paint sludge reduction in our company. We are finding out various root causes for sludge production & trying to control them. But still a minimum amount of sludge production is unavoidable. So I want to know whether there is any economical paint sludge reuse technology available. If so I want the technical details of it.
thanking you,

Q. Dear Sir,
I wonder how you succeeded in minimizing the sludge?
please let me know? It will help me also. I own E D line & having same trouble

Q. AS THE COST OF DISPOSAL OF PAINT SLUDGE IS A MATTER OF CONCERN IN TODAY'S OEM INDUSTRY.
WE HAVE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THIS SLUDGE ,
1) CAN WE REDUCE THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THIS SLUDGE BEFORE WE DISPOSE OF IT?
2) MEANS OF SLUDGE CONVERSION INTO USABLE PAINT.

Q. I am a student at the Politecnico di Torino (Italy).
I am actually working on a research paper on recycling paintings residuals coming out from vehicles painting.
Could someone help me? I am looking forward to hearing back from you.
Thanks

Q. I am searching for recycling solutions for an automotive paint sludge waste stream. We are not considering WTE facilities, landfill or other non recycling options.

Can anyone provide some insight or assistance for recycling / reuse options. Your help is appreciated.

RFQ: Dear all,

We are generating around 2000 KG of good quality less hazardous paint sludge. Anybody in Tamil Nadu is taking this sludge at free of cost?

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)

Q. Dear all,

Your information really useful to me. I need more input related with this paint sludge because we are also having this problem in past three years. We're searching the new method for paint sludge disposal within the factory. If you have any information related with this issue, kindly share with me.

Q. Our company is giving the sludge to a third party which has the responsibility to dispose of the paint sludge.
I want to ask does anybody have a better idea of treatment of sludge or recycling it within the plant?

Q. WE ARE GETTING TONS OF PAINT SLUDGE AND PHOSPHATE SLUDGE FROM OUR FACTORY. CURRENTLY WE ARE DOING DISPOSAL THROUGH SOME PROCESS TO CEMENT INDUSTRIES. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ANY OTHER ALTERNATE WAY TO REUSE THESE HAZARDOUS WASTES.

---

Times Beach, Mo

A. Hi Ramakrishnan. Count yourself lucky that you have a way to dispose of hazardous waste. In the USA it's very difficult after such incidences as the Times Beach disaster. Here, the generator of the waste is responsible for it forever, regardless of how much he pays for disposal. Putting it into cement could be a terrible mistake in the USA.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey