help need non toxix non flamable cleaner

[spaclqd]

ok, i have spilled pvc cement in my tank, and i cant use a toxic or flamable agent to clean this pvc up, and i have no choice but to use a liquid to clean this pvc cement up,

the spill is in my tank at the bottom of the tank, about 1 foot in diameter, and i can poke at it and it seems really dry, i really need to liquify this spill so it can run thru my filters, this tank cannot be emptied,

what chemical can i use to liquify pvc cement and not be toxic to humans or animals, and not be flammable

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to RDO!

Sorry to hear that. Is the tank full or saltwater already, since you said it can not be emptied.

If it is already harden, can't you leave it there? Is there anything in the tank? When the PVC cement is dried, it is pretty much harmless. There is no point in liquify (redissolve) it. Try to scap it up with hard blade, but as I said, it is pretty harmless when the solvent is dried. If you worry about the water, filter it with carbon, and blow air over the tank to get the volatile organic compound outside the room.

 

[trido]

I am not a PVC specialist in any way but I tend to doubt that there is such a remover that is not either toxic or flammable. If you really need to remove it I'd suggest going straight to the source and find a representative of the company that manufactures the product.

 

[FragMaster]

It's called a scraper. It wont bond to the glass. It will stick to it like hot glue but will not bond to it, and can be scraped up with a putty knife .
Good luck!
I have to ask though. What in Gods name were you doing with pvc cement above your tank while it was operating, and how in the heck did you spill it in there?

 

[Anonymous]

Sh*t happens, FragMaster. Everyone knows that.

 

[FragMaster]

*hands him a chill pill*

Just thought it might be an interesting story.

 

[trido]

I must admit though. The scraper theory makes perfect simple sense. Duh! :lol:

 

[Nautilus1]

Sh*t happens, FragMaster. Everyone knows that.

Gonna have to scrape it out. Yes sh*t happens but how does one get a 1 foot diameter puddle of pvc glue in a tank full of water. I would like to hear the story as well.

 

[spaclqd]

I was really hoping that i would not have to explain this, but i will,

the tank was empty at some point in time, and the company that owns the tank, had plumbing above done, and a little clear cement dropped into the tank, well they never seen this, cause this tank is huge, 8 feet high, and 20 feet by 20 feet, the water that they filled the tank with is some special bio engineered water, very highly classified, they already did the research in seeing if the pvc would effect the water, and came out that the filters will clean up the mek, thf, cyh, and acetone, that disolved into the water, but the pvc will remain at the bottom of the tank, now, its an extreme eye sore, and as for the presentation of the tank, it has failed, and now it seems no one knows of a chemical that will disolve pvc, that is not toxic, or flamable, we cannot use these four chemicals in this tank again, and draining the tank, and re-engineerig water formulations, is extremely expensive, no one can get in the tank to scrape out the pvc, not exactly the safest (in this situation) thing to do,
im working on it, they are working on it, everyones working on it, but no results, or no one is guiding me to something that has already been answered,

so if you can pass this around to people, to help me out in finding a solution that would be great, i know i have nothing to offer any of you, and your time is very much appriciated,

so can you help me,

so you know this tank is yellow taped out, and waiting for an answer
from many gifted minds of the online minds, and offline minds

thanks again

 

[spaclqd]

this was a double post sorry

 

[FragMaster]

Uh hah.............eh.

Try a modified pond scraper with a telescopic handle.
Or just have your fab department rig soomthing up to reach the bottom and still stay rigid enough to scrape it up.

If it is dry though,and the chemical residue disolved into the water can be removed with the current filtration system, why tape it off?
It has long since dried inside out by now and is back to its inert stage.
Other than cosmetics I dont see the problem?

If the filtration system can filter out the nasties left behind by the pvc as it dried whats the problem with slapping on a mask and diving in with a scraper?

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you have a large budget for it, but did not plan well.

This is one way to get rid of the dried cement. Let me know how practical this is.

1, get a ~2 ft diameter cylinder, maybe 9 ft tall. Put gasket on the bottom edge, and lower it into the tank.

2, use a hydraulic press to keep the cylinder down, and pump the water out, exposing the dried cement.

3, use power tool (such as sander/miller/router/etc) to remove as much of the cement as possible, and vaccum the dust out.

4, remove the rest of the cement with appropriate solvent (that is, won't damage the tank or the cylinder, but still can dissolve the cement). If the mechanical procedure is good enough, you may not need to do this. Most solvent that can dissolve PVC cement *is* toxic and/or flammable.

I think after you done with step 3, it should be good enough cosmetically that you don't need to do step 4. Do you think it will work?

 

[FragMaster]

Its a glass tank right?

 

[spaclqd]

that was the best reply i have yet to see, that will work wonders, kinda expensive, but not as expensive as they were thinking, this way none of the pvc will even touch the water as it disolves, but it still would have been ok for the pvc to touch the water as long as it was not clumps of pvc, i just had the confrence of this idea, and they loved the idea, how come they didnt think of this, how come i didnt think of that,

this is the way i see it, basicly, put a large cylinder in the water down to the spill, suck the water out of the tube, clean the spill, remove all possible traces of toxins, fill the tube, and remove tube, and done, nothing but smiles at that meeting, cost was estimated at $2,430.00, compared to draining the tank was $223,020.00, the tank is made of some type of special concrete, not glass


Hey thanks for the wonderfull replies, if you still can find a liquid to disolve something like this let me know, the estimated cost for disolving this spill was $227.00, and they would have dropped their jaws if there was such a liquid

 

[Anonymous]

>...the estimated cost for disolving this spill was $227.00, and they would have dropped their jaws if there was such a liquid

I am confused about the statement above. There are many solvents that cn dissolve the spill, but they just don't meet your requirement of non-flammable or non-toxic. You have to clean the spill mechanically, and since it is just cosmetic, leaving a bit behind after the mechanically cleaning should be fine.

BTW, you can rent a tube and the cost should be considerable less.

 

[FragMaster]

I am confussed as to why some one wouldnt just jump in with scraper if the filtration system is that advanced? It would more than handle a little oil from your skin and detergents from your shorts.
8O
Seems like it would be less hassle and FREE.

I get that your probably worried about scrapings, but just use a seperate pump to suck it up as you scrape it and run the out put back in to the same tank through a filter sock, net the big stuff and your set.
OR take your main filter off line plumb in a section of PVC and insert a filter sock on the return
Net the big stuff and your still set.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know much about the project, but with water at 8 feet deep, my company will need to have Navy-certified diver to do the job, and they are not that cheap either.

 

[FragMaster]

WHah? Slap a mask on and get in there! You can hold your breath for 45 seconds at a time man.
Crap man snag the o2 tank off of an oxygen acetylene tortch. Dial it down to a slow bubble inhale through the hose and exhale in to the water.

I AM ONLY KIDDING DONT DO THAT!!!!

Seriouusly though, 8 feet is nothing dude. no diving gear needed.
Just a snorkle mask. Dive and scrape, dive and scrape.
If the tank is glass it will more than likely come up in solid chunks any how with a flat spade, scraper, or putty knife and little effort.

Is it a glass tank?

 

[Anonymous]

As mentioned, the tank is concrete. With such a deep packet, I would love to do the job for them and claim a worker comp with your method. If I am upset with my boss, I will even leak a little and that will definite get them to dump the entire 25,000 gal of water afterward. A simple, cheap, quick fix may not be the best thing to do, consider the amount of time/money at risk in this case.

 

[FragMaster]

OOPS! Missed the part when he described it as concrete.
(OMG I looked back and it is on the 1st post even! )

BTW all of the above was a joke save for the last 5 lines.

Concrete hmm....... That makes it tough.
It's probably lined with a sealer like a paint of some sort huh?
Seems like it would still come up very easily with a scraper.
But then the sealer would be breached as I am sure some would come off with the pvc cement.
(If it is not lined with a sealer then Iwould definately just scrape it up. All you would need to do is get under it on one side, then litteraly pry it up in one piece. ESPECIALY if it is a smoothed finish.)

Looks like the tube method may just be the best bet after all though if it is sealed with a paint of some sort.