SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS. AQUASOL’S STRATEGY TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Aquasol Corporation, a leading manufacturer of water-soluble and other cutting-edge purging technologies for the welding industry, is a privately held entity located in North Tonawanda, NY, a northern suburb of Buffalo. The business was formed in 2003 with a mission to develop the most advanced and innovative products, several of which are patented, for this specialized category.

Aquasol’s distribution of its USA-made products has expanded to over 90 countries. With several patents issued and pending in the USA and internationally, Aquasol is committed to advancing purging technology.

Easy Engineering: How do you see sustainability and what are your efforts in this direction?

AQUASOL: We at Aquasol Corporation are pleased to provide products that are approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  In order to gain this approval, Aquasol has been reviewed by the EPA in a series of testing situations. The EPA concluded that Aquasol® paper is approved for inclusion as an inert ingredient in both nonfood and food use products as well as to have a neutral impact on the environment when dissolved in solutions.

The applications for water-soluble products are vast. From the packaging and entertainment industries to the financial and welding industries, water-soluble products provide numerous solutions.

We are fortunate our base material is 100% biodegradable and decomposes naturally without harm to the earth.  Aquasol Water Soluble Paper is derived from trees, a renewable source, that dissolves in cold water, hot water, steam and most aqueous solutions.

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E.E: Tell us about the sustainable solutions that you offer (if any). 

AQUASOL: Aquasol Water Soluble Paper is made of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose and wooden pulp. Our biodegradable Water Soluble Paper dissolves almost instantaneously in water. When combined with other water soluble composites and laminates, Aquasol Water Soluble Paper can be fabricated into a variety of formats for many industrial and commercial applications. 

Aquasol has created its own water soluble patented products for the welding industry such as EZ Purge; a pre-formed self-adhesive purge dam; SoluGap, socket weld spacer rings and SoluShim, alignment sticks.  All products dissolve in water and are 100% biodegradale. 

Aquasol has assisted many companies with its eco-friendly materials and innovative approach to create unique packaging solutions. Products that can be made out of Aquasol® paper include confetti, spy paper, water soluble pouches and water soluble labels.  

Water Soluble Paper: https://vimeo.com/327027079

Solushim: https://vimeo.com/327039088

Solugap: https://vimeo.com/327038489

E.E: Do you offer solutions for reinvigorating old equipment with new solutions?

AQUASOL: Recently, Aquasol launched the first APP enabled programmable oxygen monitor, POM®-100B and POM®-5B. Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows; the patent-pending POM®-100B and POM®-5B joins other well-known innovative brands in bringing the latest technology to welders’ fingertips. The Pro-Ox 100B Oxygen monitor has been replaced with the POM®-100B and POM®-5B with the technology that not only allow our customers achieve the perfect weld, but allows them to also connect with their smart devices. The new design offers a long lasting battering which eliminates the need dispose of the 9 volt battery every 6 months which was required by the Pro-Ox 100B monitors.

The Aquasol POM®-100B or POM®-5B are a battery-powered, Bluetooth transmitting, rechargeable, handheld digital oxygen monitor with an internal pump that accurately measures oxygen concentration with 0.01% (100 PPM) or 0.005% (5PPM) resolution. Oxygen is displaced by the purge gas to a pre-determined level set by the operator. Evacuation of oxygen is paramount in high purity welding to prevent oxidation, discoloration, and coking. 

When surfaces are welded in the presence of oxygen, corrosion and other weld defects will result in causing leakage of hazardous materials escaping into the environment.  

E.E: Tell us about sustainability in production & distribution.

AQUASOL: Companies are increasingly challenged to create sustainable solutions throughout the production process. Stakeholders and government agencies are demanding in-process procedures and final packaging to reduce the organization’s carbon footprint.

Aquasol can assist sustainability efforts for your company by designing unique water-soluble solutions. 

Aquasol Water Soluble Labels help control inventory at various stages of the production process. If the sub-assembly labels need to be removed prior to sale, simply integrate a wash stage in the production process to remove the label. 

The food & beverage industry has many applications for EPA Approved Aquasol® Water Soluble Labels. Chefs can apply labels to food containers in commercial kitchens to show the day the food was prepared. When the container is empty or expired, it will be placed in a commercial dishwasher. The water soluble label will dissolve, without damage to the dishwasher parts or drain. Reusable containers such as beer kegs require critical information. However, after the containers are emptied and returned to the manufacturer, the information must be completely removed before re-use in production. Water soluble labels are easily removed, leaving no residue. 

Experiments require beakers, test tubes and other laboratory glassware to be temporarily labeled. After the testing is complete, the laboratory glassware is washed and re-used for other experiments. Aquasol Water Soluble Pressure Sensitive Labels are perfectly suitable for any laboratory application.

E.E: Tell us about R&D and innovation.

AQUASOL: Knowing that technology is always evolving and our client base is becoming more technology driven, our R&D staff of chemical, mechanical and electrical engineers are constantly looking at ways to improve our current offering in addition to looking at new ways of doing things.

Because our packaging division reaches a vast array of clients, they often bring their own innovations for us to execute with our 100% biodegradable base Aquasol Water Soluble Paper. We engage in NDA’s and exchange our mutual know how to provide them with a water soluble solution.

E.E: What is the company strategy to reduce environmental impact?

AQUASOL: Aquasol is committed to operating in accordance with company environmental policies and all applicable legal requirements. We are committed to the continuous improvement of our environmental programs, including the wise stewardship of natural resources and the documentation, implementation and maintenance of a formal environmental management system.  

“The basis of our company was founded on ‘Invention, Innovation and Technology,” says Mike Hacikyan, President of Aquasol. “ Since our inception, we have always been marrying biosustainabilty with invention ″greenvention″. There is no reason the two cannot exist simultaneously to create an eco-friendlier manner of doing business.”

E.E: How do you drive focus on sustainability of operations?

AQUASOL: Sustainability behaviors involve avoiding polluting the environment. We recycle our cardboard.   Our mechanical devices/products are built well to last many years, reducing waste in landfills.  In our restrooms we have hand dryers and have cut garbage waste.  Rather than disposing remaining trim from paper rolls, we use it as packing material or protection for shipping packages.  Additionally, our trim waste can also be used as bedding for animals.  We now offer shredded paper to many primates’ center, vets, animal shelters, and zoos. Giving their animals a warm, clean, and safe environment.    

E.E: Tell us about sustainable energy solutions used.

AQUASOL: We have installed the most efficient E-9 lights in the plant.  They provide tremendous light and save on energy.  We use pneumatic for our plant equipment instead of electricity.  Our production rooms have skylights which provide more friendly natural light.

E.E: How do you see sustainability in the future?

AQUASOL: Aquasol realizing that designing sustainable products, processes and value chains makes business sense.  Meaningful action toward sustainability and efforts such as the zero-waste movement and the drive toward circular economies have the power to save the planet.