Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, we serve the specialty chemicals industry with locations in the heart of manufacturing hubs in the U.S. and Europe. We produce a variety of solvents, intermediates, specialty fuels, and other specialty products, as well as offer industry-leading Custom Manufacturing services.
Spotlight on… Solvent Purification using the Hazardous Secondary Materials (HSM) Exclusion
February 25th, 2025
Driving Sustainability through Circularity
At Monument Chemical, we’re committed to helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals by maximizing resource efficiency, reducing waste, and embracing circularity. Through our advanced solvent purification processes and the use of the Hazardous Secondary Materials (HSM) exclusion, we turn what was once considered waste into valuable resources – delivering both environmental and economic benefits.
Background
In 2018, the EPA amended the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW), clarifying the legitimate recycling of hazardous secondary materials (HSM). This provided a clear and practical framework to promote responsible recycling and keep valuable materials in circulation rather than sending them to disposal. The HSM exclusion enables the recovery and reuse of materials that would otherwise be classified as hazardous waste – an essential step in reducing environmental impact.
Circularity isn’t just a regulatory requirement – it’s a smarter way to do business. At Monument, we offer innovative solvent purification solutions that align with both regulatory standards and sustainability best practices.
Benefits of Solvent Purification
Closed Loop – Reduces risk of operations disruptions from quality and supply chain risks- Cost Savings – Significantly reduce costs of purchasing new solvents and disposing of hazardous waste
- ESG Goals – Solvent recycling typically requires much less energy than production of new solvents
Monument’s Capabilities/Experience
Proven track record of strong EHS compliance, established relationships with environmental agencies, and expertise in utilizing the HSM exclusion- Largest distillation / fractionation capacity in North America with multiple manufacturing sites
- Capable of purifying solvents to meet virgin specs at a minimum and typically produce to a higher purity than the virgin material
- Full Service
- Logistics/Supply Chain Management
- Re-plenish with fresh solvents as needed to maintain customer inventory
- Full R&D to develop customized solutions
- ISO 9001 Manufacturing sites
- Screening Criteria
- One or two primary components
- Quantities: > 500k pounds up to 100 MM pounds
- High value molecules and high purity requirements
- Market Focus
- Pharmaceutical Production
- Electronics (e.g. Semiconductor Solvents)
- Personal and Health Care
- Paint and Coatings
- Industrial
- And more!
Key Win
A customer came to us and requested re-purification options for spent Tetrahydrofuran (THF) generated in the production of pharmaceuticals. The request came directly from the production site to help meet cost and waste reduction goals.
The Monument team worked together with the customer to notify the proper agencies that the HSM exclusion would be used to manage this material. In addition, we created a logistics plan to ensure the supply was uninterrupted to the end user.
Additional Information
Posted in the category Our Products.
