Alternative Solvent Degreasers

Reference List, Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, University of Minnesota

A number of degreasing and cleaning solvents are marketed as alternatives to chlorinated solvents. In general, these are medium-to-high flash point solvents formulated to remove oil and grease and, in some cases, soldering flux and wax. All have lower rates of evaporation--decreasing air emissions and worker exposure to chemicals--than the chlorinated solvent they might replace. The lower evaporation rates require longer drying times or a drying operation. Some alternative solvents also require more time or stronger physical action for cleaning surfaces. It may be practical to heat alternative solvents with flash points greater than 160°F to improve drying and cleaning properties, but the temperature should be kept 50°F below the flash point to limit fire hazard (29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.108). The claims on this list are made primarily by the manufacturer. Some claims are supported by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports and third parties.

Other degreasing and cleaning methods include: aqueous cleaning--spray or immersion; semi-aqueous; absorption wiping; water, ice or CO₂ blasting; and vacuum evaporation. Degreasing methods or products should be selected based on individual facility needs.

Safety Information

Information on health and environmental effects of some of the alternative chemicals is not as complete as information on traditional degreasing solvents. But, available information indicates the alternatives are safer, in most respects, than chlorinated solvents. This is due in part to slow evaporation rates. One measure of safety is the exposure limit. Legal and recommended exposure limits, based on eight-hour exposure, are made by the authorities: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the American Congress of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH); or a manufacturer. OSHA establishes the legally enforceable standard. However, the ACGIH standard is generally recognized as the prudent industrial standard in the absence of an OSHA limit, or when new information suggests an established OSHA limit is too lenient, as with methylene chloride.

The vapor hazard ratio¹ is another measure of safety. It is the likelihood that an exposure limit will be exceeded with normal use. It does not apply if the solvent will be sprayed or atomized or if inhalation is not the main means of exposure. The vapor hazard ratio is estimated by dividing the vapor pressure of a product (the tendency of a solvent to get into the air) by the exposure limit (risk). The higher this number, the greater the risk the exposure limit will be exceeded due to solvent evaporation. But, this compares relative risks and there is no level on this scale where a chemical is determined unsafe.

The hazard rating for health, flammability and reactivity is given to pure chemicals by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). A similar rating can be assigned to products by their manufacturer using the National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA) Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS) criteria. Because the HMIS is more subjective, the following table prefers NFPA ratings and gives HMIS ratings in the absence of NFPA ratings.

^{1 William Popendorf, "Vapor
Pressure and Solvent Vapor Hazards," American Industrial Hygiene Association
Journal, Vol. 45, October 1984, p. 719.}

Alternative Solvent Degreasers

MnTAP maintains this list of alternative solvent degreasers solely as a service to Minnesota companies. This is not a complete list of available suppliers and products, and does not represent an endorsement by MnTAP. MnTAP, by providing this list, does not represent that the products do or do not ensure compliance with environmental and safety laws in any specific application.

Supplier	Product/Residues Removed	Flash Point	Exposure Limit	Vapor Pressure (mmHg)^a	Vapor Hazard Ratio^b	Hazard Rating
Ashland Chemicals Columbus, OH 614/790-3333 800/582-0376	Ashland 140 Solvent, aliphatic hydrocarbon. Cleans: grease and oil.	142°F	100 ppm (ACGIH)	0.1	1.3	1:2:0
Brulin Corporation Indianapolis, IN 317/923-3211 800/776-7149	SD 1291, propylene glycol ether and an ester. Cleans: adhesive, grease and ink. 815PCX, surfactants and amines. Cleans: rosin solder flux.	160°F 150°F	85 ppm (Brulin) 3 ppm (OSHA)	0.4 0.2	6.2 88	2:1:0 2:2:0
Chemsearch St Louis, MO 314/997-6311 800/325-8896	Voltz, petroleum, terpene blend. Cleans: grease, ink, oil and tar.	142°F	300 ppm (OSHA)	0.7	3.1	1:2:0
Diversey Corporation/ DuBois Division Cincinnati, OH 800/543-4906	DuSqueeze, terpene solvent and detergents. Cleans: dye, grease, ink, oil and uncured paint.	124°F	not established	17.5	NA	2:2:0
Dow Chemical Midland, MI 800/447-4369	Prima Clean 3600 Cleans: grease (aluminum, calcium, lithium, and moly) and oil (linseed, mineral, naphthenic, paraffinic and quenching).	219°F	not established	<1	NA	1:1:2
Exxon Chemical Houston, TX 800/526-0749	Actrel 1111L Actrel 3338L, hydrocarbon solvents in a family of 8. Clean: carbonized oil, grease (lithium, moly), oil (cutting, EDM, forming, quenching, and silicone); and wax.	104°F 240°F	300 ppm (Exxon) 300 ppm (Exxon)	2.5 0.04	11 0.18	1:2:0 1:1:0
Graymills Corporation Chicago, IL 312/248-6825	Graymills Super Agitene 141, petroleum solvent. Cleans: grease, oil, light varnish and road dirt.	141°F	100 ppm (OSHA)	10	NA	1:2:0
Inland Technology Tacoma, WA 206/383-1177 800/552-3100	Breakthrough Cleans: grease and oil. Citra-Safe Cleans: adhesive, flux, grease and oil. Skysol Cleans: grease and oil. Teksol Cleans: flux, grease and oil.	112°F 150°F 152°F 132°F	not established not established not established not established	<2 <2 <2 <2	NA NA NA NA	1:2:0 1:2:0 1:2:0 1:2:0
International Specialty Products (ISP) Lombard, IL 708/932-4022 800/323-2272	PartsPrep Degreaser, NMP and detergents. Cleans: buffing compound, carbon, grease, oil and smut.	193°F	100 ppm (ISP)	0.3	3.9	2:2:0^c
JNJ Industries Milford, MA 800/554-9994	Rosstech Safety Solvents, 4 ester-based solvents. Clean: grease, oil, rosin flux and tar.	114°F	not provided	2.7	NA	NA
Kleer-Flo Company Eden Prairie, MN 612/934-2555 800/328-7942	Hi-T Degreasol 99R, petroleum solvent and detergents. Cleans: grease and oil.	141°F	100 ppm (OSHA)	0.1	1.3	1:2:0
Koal Industries Elk Grove Village, IL 708/956-7920	Koal SS #471, aliphatic petroleum solvent. Cleans: grease and oil.	123°F	100 ppm	<1	13.2	1:2:0
Kyzen Corporation Nashville, TN 615/831-0888 800/845-5524	Ionox SCR, alcohol. Cleans: carbon, fingerprints and flux. Metalnox PC3, alcohol. Cleans: carbon, flux, grease and oil. SC100, hydrocarbon solvent. Cleans: grease, oil and wax.	>212°F >212°F 130°F	not established not established not established	<0.6 <10 <1.3	NA NA NA	1:2:0 1:0:0 1:2:0
Lubrication Technologies Golden Valley, MN 612/545-0707 800/328-5573	140, petroleum distillates. Cleans: grease and oil.	140°F	100 ppm (ACGIH)	0.1	1.3	1:2:0^c
Orange Sol Chandler, AZ 800/877-7771	De-Solv-It, terpene solvent. Cleans: grease, oil, varnish, tar and wax.	205°F	not established	7.6	NA	NA
Petroferm Fernandina Beach, FL 904/261-8286	Axarel 32 & 38 Clean: rosin flux. Axarel 52 & 56 Clean: buffing and lapping compound, grease, oil and wax. Axarel 6100 & 9100 Clean: grease, oil and wax. Axarels are blends of petroleum solvents and detergent. Bioact EC-7, terpene solvent and surfactants. Cleans: rosin flux. Re-Entry KNI 2000, terpene solvent Cleans: epoxies, grease, mold release, oil, paint, polishing compound, polyamides, polyesters, and rosin flux.	200°F 200°F 140°F 117°F 151°F	not established not established 1.5 not established 100ppm (ACGIH)	<0.1 <0.1 <0.1 1.6 0.28	NA NA 87.7 NA 3.7	2:1:1 2:1:0 2:2:0 1:2:0 1:2:0
R & D Fountain Albert Lea, MN 800/328-3594	Super Kleen R66, petroleum distillates. Cleans: grease, oil and varnish.	146°F	150 ppm	5	43.9	0:2:0^c
Safety-Kleen Elgin, IL 708/697-8460 800/669-5840	Safety-Kleen Premium Solvent, petroleum solvent. Cleans: grease, light varnish and oil.	148°F	100 ppm	2	26.3	1:2:0
Solvent Kleene Peabody, MA 508/531-2279	D-Greeze 500, petroleum solvent. Cleans: adhesive, buffing compound, grease, ink, low-melt wax and oil.	142°F	not established	0.7	NA	0:2:0
Terpene Technologies, Inc. The Tarksol Company Rochester, NY 716/325-6750	HTF-1050, terpene alcohol. Cleans: flux, grease and oil. HTF-60, blend of terpenes and other solvents. Cleans: cosmoline, grease, ink, paint, resin, tar and wax.	>212°F >200°F	not provided not provided	0.6 0.36	NA NA	1:1:0 1:1:0
WR Grace Chicago, IL 708/458-0340	Daraclean 209, aliphatic petroleum solvent. Cleans: grease, oil (cutting, EDM, hydraulic), paraffin wax and rosin flux.	177°F	300 ppm (WR Grace)	0.2	0.88	NA
Zep Manufacturing Company Roseville, MN 651/636-2744	ZEP 140, petroleum distillates. Cleans: grease and oil. ZEP 170, petroleum distillates. Cleans: grease and oil.	143°F 170°F	100 ppm (Zep) 100 ppm (Zep)	<5 0.9	65.8 11.8	2:2:0^c 2:2:0^c

Chlorinated Solvents for Comparison

Supplier	Product	Flash Point	Exposure Limit	Vapor Pressure (mmHg)^a	Vapor Hazard Ratio^b	Hazard Rating
Various	1,1,1-Trichloroethane	none	350 ppm (OSHA)	100	376	1:1:0
Various	Production of this solvent was banned as of 1/1/96 due to its ozone-depleting potential.
Various	Trichloroethylene	90°F^d	50 ppm (OSHA)	60	1580	1:1:0

Table Key

a Vapor pressure measured at around 20°C.

^{b Vapor hazard ratio is calculated by
dividing the vapor pressure by 760 mm Hg, multiplying by one million to estimate the
equilibrium vapor concentration in parts per million, and then dividing by the exposure
limit in parts per million.
^{c Estimated by the manufacturer, based
on HMIS criteria.
^{d Practically non-flammable.}}}
(1/99-27)