| Markee International Corporation 21st Century GREEN Chemistry 614-771-8989 |
Markee Testimonials |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Markee invests heavily in research to bring out new products and improve existing products. Here are some items we can reveal at this time: 1. A dramatic new sizing and forming lubricant that outperforms any aqueous product, including MK-GoldMagnum®. It even outperforms straight oils, and the highly expensive fluorocarbon products that are so bad for the environment. We hereby introduce the MK-Platinum line. This product makes the highest possible sizing densification a breeze. It is do powerful that we are providing it in three concentrations, giving you some options. a. MK-Platinum has the full strength of lubrication, rust inhibitors, copper protection, and biocides. b. MK-P75 has 75% of the lubricant strength, but the full charge of rust inhibitors, copper protection, and biocides. c. MK-P40 has 40% of the lubricant strength, but has the full charge of rust inhibitors, copper protection, and biocides. Here are two actual examples of selecting the right product. A customer was using a solvent -based lubricant that worked just fine. The motivation was to get rid of the solvent for better steam treat results, and to reduce VOC usage in the plant. The MK-P40 is diluted to 50% concentration in tap water and it works great. Another customer likes MK-Platinum diluted to 75% concentration. To eliminate the chance of mixing errors, they use straight MK-P75. So far, no one has needed the full strength of MK-Platinum for any sizing or forming operation-but we've got it, and no one has anything even closer! 2. Foam issues always plague aqueous compounds. We recently developed a combination of anti-foam agents that will reduce foam by 50% across our product line. Early customer feedback, "It is awesome." Meanwhile, the reports of increased tool life in all cutting applications, and phenomenally increased wheel life in grinding applications continue to roll in. We just visited a shop that cuts large CRS forms, and they report excellent blade life and nearly cold parts while cutting with MK-Goldturn. The operator enthusiasm for no-odor and no skin irritation was really gratifying. Here is an idea from an MK-144 customer: Use it in your floor washing machines. There is no damage or corrosion on the parts or machines that get splashed, and the floors are cleaner than ever. |
|
New Information & Things Going On at Markee |
| Toxicity of Fragrances THE BOTTOM LINE Is toxicity due to fragrances a practical concern? When the LD50 is above 2000 a product is considered essentially non-toxic. To calculate the LD50 of a product made with 0.25% essential lemon oil you divide 2480 by 0.0025 and get an LD50 of 992,000. If made with a typical synthetic fragrance it would be 1,560,000. These numbers are far beyond the 2000 threshold of toxicity. In the case of the lemon fragrance, this means that 2.18 lbs of the substance must be consumed for each kilo of body weight. That is about one pound for each pound of body weight. A 100 lb person would have to drink about 100 lbs, or 12 gallons in a single dose, to have a 50/50 chance of survival. These numbers are just based on the fragrance, and in a complete product there would be other ingredients to consider, but clearly even the most toxic fragrances create no realistic concern. DISCUSSION Of all the hazards of various constituents in household products, toxicity seems to constitute the greatest concern in the minds of the public. Contrary to popular belief, the fact that a substance is toxic does not mean it will always kill people or animals exposed to it. Almost all substances, including water, are lethal if taken in sufficient quantities. As noted by the Swiss Physician Paracelsus, “All substances are poisons. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy” For example, 1.5 grams of arsenic trioxide will kill a 180 pound man; but in very small doses it may be used medicinally. Small amounts of vitamin D (ca. 10 micrograms per day) are necessary for good health, but in larger amounts it is more toxic than arsenic compounds. Most of the poisons with which we are familiar are acute toxins. They cause immediate death in sufficient dosages. The common measure of toxicity is the LD50. That is the dosage, if given to a population of animals, will kill half of the population. (Considerable research has been done to eliminate animal testing and still to evaluate toxicity, but this measurement is widely used even though the values may not have been obtained by animal testing.) The results vary with animals and humans, but the most common reference is to rats. The dosage varies based on animal weight; a dose of one gram for a 200 lb animal is the same as one-half gram for a 100 lb animal. The lower the LD50, the more toxic the substance. Some examples of LD50's for common substances, including several essential oils, are given in Table 1. Some highly toxic materials are listed in Table 2. LD50's vary markedly with the animal species used, and the way in which the test substance is administered. Most of the compounds in Tables 1 & 2 were administered orally using rats and mice. Many people are surprised to learn that the toxicity of a given substance has no relationship to whether it is synthetic (manufactured) or natural. Nearly two thirds of the extremely toxic substances in Table 2 are of natural origin. Table 1 LD50's of Some Common Substances (alphabetical)(using mice or rats) Substance Animal LD50 (mg/kg) Acetaminophen(analgesic in Tylenol) Mice 340 Acetic Acid(component of vinegar) Rats 3,350 Arsenic Trioxide Rats 15 Aspirin Mice & Rats 1,500 BHA(antioxidant food additive) Mice 2,000 Caffeine Mice 130 Clove Oil Rats 3720 Cholecalciferol Vitamin D-3 Rats 42 Ethyl Alcohol Rats 10,300 Eucalyptus Oil Rats 2,480 Garlic Oil Rats 1,360 Ibuprofin(analgesic in Advil) Rats 1,000 Lavender Oil Rats 4250 Lemon Oil Rats 2,480 Myrrh Oil Rats 1,650 Nicotine Mice 230 Orange Oil Rats 5000 Peppermint Oil Rats 2,426 Sodium Benzoate(food preservative) Rats 4,100 Sodium Chloride Rats 3,730 Sodium Fluoride -used in tooth paste Rats 52 Stannous Fluoride Rats 377 Synthetic Fragrance Rats 3,900 Tea Tree Oil Rats 1,900 Vitamin B1(thiamine hydrochloride) Mice 8,200 Vitamin A Mice 2,500 Table 2 LD50's of Some Toxic Substances (most to least toxic)(using mice or rats) Substance LD50 (mg/kg) Botulinum Toxin A 0.00000003 Ricin(castor bean toxin) 0.000003 Tetanus Toxin A 0.000003 Diphtheria Toxin 0.0003 TCDD (dioxin 0.03 Muscarine(a mushroom toxin) 0.2 Sarin(a nerve gas) 0.4 Strychnine 0.5 Soman & Tabun(nerve gases) 0.6 Curare(tubocurare) 0.7 Rotenone(a natural insecticide) 3.0 Parathione(a synthetic insecticide) 4.0 Sodium Cyanide 15.0 N.B. The lower the LD50 the higher the toxicity. Many natural fragrances, essential oils, are more toxic than synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances have various LD50 values; typically they have LD50’s of 3,900 mg/kg. Common substances that are more toxic than most synthetic fragrances are: Advil Arsenic Aspirin BHA – antioxidant food additive Caffeine Clove Oil Eucalyptus Oil Fluorides – Stannous and Sodium used in toothpaste Garlic Oil Lemon Oil Myrrh Oil Nicotine Peppermint Oil Table salt Tea Tree Oil Tylenol Vinegar Vitamin A Vitamin D-3 Toxicity is also related to the dilution ratio; if you cut a substance by 50%, you can expect the toxicity to be cut in half, as well. Consumer products such as dishwash detergents, shampoos, and laundry detergents use very little fragrance. Just how much is used will depend on the desired result, cost considerations, marketing strategy, and a few other factors. The range is probably from 0.01% to 0.5% of the total product, so the fragrance is generally diluted anywhere from 200 to 10,000 times in the product, and then further diluted up to hundreds more times in actual use. Many highly toxic substances are, or have been, used as medicines. Well known ones include mercury, strychnine, and arsenic. Some interesting history about arsenic, a favorite poison for murder and suicide, is that it has been used to treat: Anemia, rheumatism, psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, herpes, asthma, cholera, syphilis, leukemia, and yeast infections. A convenient web site for getting LD50 information is www.sciencelab.com. Look up the MSDS for the substance and then refer to Section 2. The LD50 is frequently shown in that section. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Obviously, washing compounds, laundry compounds, hand cleaners, shampoos, and related items are not intended for human consumption. LD50’s are based on oral intake, and that is the standard for quantifying toxicity. Another, and more lengthy discussion about fragrances can include their volatility. That is how quickly they evaporate into the air around them. In general, essential oil fragrances have high vapor pressures, and they contaminate the surrounding air very quickly. The toxicity as measured by LD50’s is an indication of the toxicity of their vapors. Essential oils are widely used in aromatherapy, massage oils, candles and other products because they are very volatile. Anyone concerned with fragrances in soaps, cleaners, and related products may want to avoid massages, aromatherapy, incense, and fragrant candles. Another factor is the tendency of essential oils to promote growth of bacteria, fungi, and mold. Natural oils make good food for microorganisms. When essential oils are used in preference to synthetic fragrances, more care must be taken to inhibit growth of bacteria in the product. This requires the use of wide- range biocides that, themselves, come with cautions regarding their use. (If you have ever seen thick, white, semi-elastic precipitate at the bottom of a detergent or soap container, that is bacteria.) |
ULTRA KLEEN®
