Solvent recovery is economics and compliance. A printing operation that consumes 2,000 gallons of blanket-wash solvent per month and pays $3–8 per gallon for fresh solvent, plus disposal fees on spent solvent, plus the environmental reporting burden of VOC emissions, saves 60–85% of that cost by reclaiming solvent on-site. A pharmaceutical plant reclaiming reaction solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone, toluene) avoids drum-disposal costs and maintains supply resilience. A metal-finishing operation reclaiming cleaning solvents meets EPA and state hazardous-waste-reduction targets while banking payback on equipment in 12–30 months.
The equipment choice depends on solvent chemistry, volume, and purity target. Batch reclaim stills — 30 to 1,000 gallons per batch — handle low-to-moderate volume with a single solvent or simple mixtures. Continuous distillation columns scale to higher throughput and handle multi-component streams with tighter fractionation. Short-path evaporators and wiped-film evaporators handle thermally-sensitive solvents and higher-boiling-point materials that would decompose at atmospheric-pressure distillation temperatures. Molecular distillation operates under ultra-high vacuum for ultra-thermally-sensitive product. Fractional distillation columns with packed or trayed sections separate close-boiling components.
Beyond reclaim, vapor recovery is the compliance-driven companion category. Process vents carrying solvent vapor hit condensers, activated-carbon beds, or thermal-oxidation units to remove VOCs before atmospheric release. Condensate recovery captures the solvent for reuse. VRU (vapor-recovery units) at loading racks and storage terminals capture displaced vapor during transfer. Fabricated equipment integrates the solvent-reclaim still, the storage tank, the dosing pump, the vapor-recovery condenser, and the controls into a packaged solvent-management skid.
What We Fabricate
Batch Reclaim Stills
30-gal through 1,000-gal batch solvent-recovery stills with water- or glycol-cooled condenser.
Continuous Distillation Columns
Scale-up from batch to continuous throughput with packed or trayed column internals.
Short-Path Evaporators
Low-residence-time evaporation for thermally-sensitive solvents and high-boiling materials.
Wiped-Film Evaporators
Continuous short-path with wiper blades for viscous or thermally-sensitive product.
Fractional Distillation Columns
Multi-component solvent separation with close-cut fractionation.
Molecular Distillation Systems
Ultra-high-vacuum distillation for extremely thermally-sensitive materials.
Rotary Evaporators (Rotovaps)
Lab through pilot-scale evaporation for R&D and specialty solvent recovery.
Vapor Recovery Condensers
Process-vent condensers for VOC capture and solvent recovery from vapor streams.
Solvent Storage Tanks
Code-compliant fresh-solvent and reclaimed-solvent inventory tanks.
Solvent Polish Skids
Molecular-sieve or activated-carbon polishing for reclaimed solvent meeting virgin-grade spec.
Bottoms & Residue Handling
Sludge-receiver and residue-management vessels from distillation bottoms.
Requirements capture. Volume, materials of construction, service chemistry, operating temperature and pressure, installation footprint, utility connections, code and finish requirements. We work from a specification sheet you provide or we draft one against your process flow.
Engineering and drawings. Our partner engineering team produces a general-arrangement drawing, bill of materials, weld-map, and code calculation package if applicable. You review and sign off before any steel is cut.
Material procurement. Plate, pipe, fittings, and elastomers are ordered against the approved BOM. Material Test Reports (MTRs) are captured for every heat of stainless or carbon steel used on code work.
Fabrication. Shell courses rolled and seam-welded, heads formed and welded, ports installed per drawing. Sanitary work is TIG-welded with argon purge and ground flush to 32 Ra or better on product-contact surfaces.
Inspection and testing. Radiographic or ultrasonic weld inspection where code requires, hydrostatic pressure test at 1.3x design pressure for code vessels, surface-roughness profilometry on sanitary vessels, passivation to ASTM A967.
Documentation and shipment. MTRs, weld maps, NDE reports, hydro certificates, code stamps, and ASME Form U-1 (if applicable) are bound into a documentation package that travels with the vessel. Shipment via flatbed or step-deck with blocking, bracing, and tarp as specified.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the payback on a solvent recovery system?
Typical payback on active-use solvent streams runs 12–30 months. Faster paybacks come from high-value solvents (NMP, DMSO, specialty organics) and facilities with high disposal cost. Low-value solvents (mineral spirits, low-grade thinner) have longer paybacks but still save on disposal compliance.
How pure is reclaimed solvent?
A single batch distillation typically recovers solvent to 95–98% purity against virgin spec. Continuous columns and fractional distillation deliver 99%+. Polishing skids (molecular sieve, activated carbon) bring reclaimed solvent to virgin-equivalent spec for high-purity applications.
What about thermally-sensitive solvents?
Short-path and wiped-film evaporators run at low residence time and low temperature — essential for solvents that decompose at standard boiling point. Molecular distillation extends that envelope to materials sensitive below 100°F boiling temperature.
Is the reclaimed solvent regulated waste?
Under RCRA, reclaimed solvent used in production is not a hazardous waste — it is a material in use. Properly-permitted on-site recovery therefore reduces hazardous-waste generation and simplifies reporting. Work with your environmental counsel on the permit structure (often an exemption filing) before installing.
Give us your process specs — volume, service chemistry, installation footprint, utility connections, finish requirements. We come back with a full engineering package, firm lead time, and fixed price. No obligation, no sales pressure.
