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Breathing Easy with TerraSol ULV: Low VOC Degreaser Cleans Heavy Haul Trucks at Major Fort McMurray Oil Sands Operation
At a glance
TerraSol ULV, a low VOC multi-purpose solvent degreaser was introduced to a large Fort McMurray oil sands wash bay. TerraSol ULV effectively cleaned coke and oil sands fouled heavy haul trucks while reducing VOC emissions by 99.9%, eliminating noxious degreaser odours, and protecting worker health.
Key metrics
EFFECTIVE
DEGREASING PERFORMANCE
REDUCED
SOLVENT ODOURS
99.9% DROP
IN VOC LEVELS AND REDUCED ODOUR
Why heavy haul truck cleaning is hard on a wash bay
Heavy haul trucks at an oil sands mine come in coated with oil sands, bitumen, heavy oil and, on some routes, coke. The deposits bake on and do not come off with soap and water. Wash bays rely on solvent degreasers to break them down.
Solvent degreasers bring their own problem. In an enclosed bay, VOCs and strong odours affect the crew doing the work. Canada’s VOC regulations also limit what these products can contain.
This large Fort McMurray oil sands wash bay needed a degreaser that met the updated VOC rules and still cleaned heavy haul trucks in one application.
Challenges
A large Fort McMurray oil sands wash bay facility needed a new multi-purpose solvent degreaser compliant with updated Canadian VOC legislation. The low VOC product had to maintain high performance, effectively removing baked-on oil sands, bitumen, and heavy oil deposits from diverse heavy equipment, including heavy haul mining trucks.
Solutions
Terrasol ULV a low VOC multi-purpose solvent degreaser was introduced to the operation. Side-by-side performance testing was conducted on two heavy haul trucks—one from the oil sands mine site with heavy oil deposits, and a second truck used to haul coke.
Testing showed TerraSol ULV to be slightly more effective at removing the heavy oil, oil sands, and coke deposits. A noticeable decrease in odour with was also observed.
Results
Enhanced Safety and Compliance
- Compliant with Canadian VOC regulations
- Reduced solvent and wash bay odours
- Improved worker safety
- 99.9% drop in VOC levels
Effective Degreasing
With one application of product, TerraSol ULV showed a slight performance improvement and highly effective degreasing performance on heavy oil, bitumen, oil sands, and coke.
Data
TERRASOL ULV is a unique Ultra-Low VOC hybrid degreaser combining the power of both solvent and water-based formulations to tackle the toughest soil and oil deposits to deliver strong cleaning performance. It has a flash point above 95°C (TCC) and ultra-low VOC content for exceptional cleaning and degreasing.
Frequently asked questions
How was TerraSol ULV tested?
Side by side on two heavy haul trucks: one from the mine site with heavy oil deposits, and one used to haul coke.
How did it clean?
One application removed heavy oil, oil sands, bitumen and coke deposits, and it performed slightly better than the previous product.
How much did VOC levels drop?
By 99.9%.
What changed for the wash bay crew?
Solvent odour in the wash bay dropped noticeably, improving working conditions.