Ping
I could be in trouble, considering the quantities we used in the 70’s, while in the Air Force....
During the space program, they used TCE like it was water. Anything that came in contact, or could possibly come in contact, with liquid oxygen had to be washed in it so there wasn’t the tinyist trace of grease or oil on it. The United States Government demanded it.
Educated guess: it was used anywhere in the military that LOX could be found.
When I worked at [a well known electrical manufacturer] back in the 1970s, TCE was approximately as easy to get your hands on as distilled water was. It was officially considered “non toxic,” although it wasn’t good to get on your skin. Sucked the fat out of it, or so I was told.
After toxicity and groundwater pollution concerns began to emerge, the big manufacturers started using liquid Freon for a degreaser. That, of course, came to a screeching halt over concerns it was damaging the ozone layer.
Is this the same stuff that was leaked into groundwater and eventually caused birth defects?
Tri-Chlor used to be used in vapor degreasing tanks in the electronics industry. It disappeared in the late ‘80s, I think.
Was used extensively in the 50s by the USAF to clean communication equipment by repeatedly dunking equipment in a TCE bath. I remember the skin on my arms turning white.
That was also the time that I smoked two packs of Pall Mall per day and bummed the rest from friends.
I wonder if this is what they used at the printing company my husband worked at in the 90’s? He used to come home reeking, head to toe, of solvents.
I used all kinds of chemicals for years in screen printing, mostly in the cleanup of specialty inks etc. Various thinners and retarders, xylene, acetone, and whatever the frack they put in screen opener (that was the only stuff I found nasty).