Page 96 - MetalForming October 2015

NH Stamper Waves Goodbye to
Chlorinated Paraffins
After a rigorous testing process, New Hampshire Stamping has successfully abandoned the use of chlorinated paraffins in producing precision progressive-die stampings.
Long regarded a savior in boundary lubrication for extreme metalworking applications, the sun is about to set on chlorinated paraffins. Now’s the time to consider alternatives, as has New Hampshire Stamping.
In metal-part manufacturing, chlo- rinated paraffins are used as extreme-pressure (EP) additives to provide boundary lubrication for extreme drawing, stamping and machining operations. Chlorinated paraffins are inexpensive, readily avail- able (for now, anyway) and extremely effective at relatively low treatment rates. However, following decades of scientific study, it now is widely known that chlorinated paraffins are non- biodegradable and bio-accumulative, and highly toxic to aquatic organisms. Due to the potential for long-range environmental impact, they have been classified as persistent organic pollu-
tants, and are subject to phase-out. Most believe that sometime in 2016 the EPA will ban the manufacture and consumption of most chlorinated paraffins (to include the short-, medi-
um- and long-chain varieties).
Big Boost in Usage During, After WWII
A century ago, various industrial and commercial applications first began employing large amounts of liquid chlo- rinated paraffins. The decade leading to World War II saw production of chlori- nated paraffins for use as EP additives in metalworking fluids. During the war, their use as flame retardants in clothing
94 MetalForming/October 2015
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