Reducing nitrosamine contamination in cutting fluids.

In simulated metalworking coolants that contained both nitrite and di- or triethanolamine at pH 9, N-nitrosodiethanolamine formed at an initial rate of 11 or 6 ppm/wk, respectively. This rate was increased on heating the fluids, on acidification or by the addition of paraformaldehyde, 1,3,5-trimethylhexahydro-s-triazine, ferricyanide or ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetate. N-Nitrosodiethanolamine also formed when nitrite-free coolants containing either of the two amines above were exposed to nitric oxide in air. No nitrosamines were detected in fluids containing primary amines in place of the secondary and tertiary amines, except that N-nitrosooxazolidine was formed in the fluid containing monoethanolamine after addition of formaldehyde-releasing agents, and N-nitrosodiethanolamine and N-nitrosomorpholine were found in fluid containing diglycolamine (HOCH2CH2OCH2CH2NH2) after the fluid was heated at 100 degrees C for 48 hr. These data suggest several steps by which nitrosamine formation in commercial cutting fluids might be substantially reduced: avoiding acid-splitting as a disposal procedure; removing nitrite from the fluid and/or scavenging adventitious nitrosating agents; avoiding unnecessary heating; adding preservatives to the diluted fluid rather than to the commercial concentrate; replacing inherently nitrosatable amine additives by substitutes which are resistant to nitrosamine formation; minimizing concentrations of catalytically active metal complexes.