Offering an Advanced, VOC-Exempt
Degreasing Solution
Innovative Solvent Eliminates Historical Tradeoff
Between Cleaning Performance and EHS Performance
By Jeffrey Beard (Solvents Account Manager), Ryan Hulse (Global Solvent and Aerosol Application Leader) and
Kane Cook (Senior Research Scientist) – Honeywell
Solstice® Performance Fluid
Historically, the world of solvents has experienced a
tradeoff between cleaning performance and environmental,
health and safety (EHS) performance. Honeywell has
bridged that gap with an innovative degreasing solvent:
Solstice® Performance Fluid (PF).
Solstice PF enables manufacturers to more effectively
and reliably clean precision parts while improving their
EHS profile. It offers:
• A non-VOC* classification by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
• An ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) of 1
(IPCC*, 2014)
• An occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 800 ppm
(WEEL*)
• Non-flammability as established by ASTM E-681 testing
• High stability – no stabilizers or additives are required
Industry Challenges
The degreasing process is used by component manufac-
turers to ensure complete removal of manufacturing soils
from parts. Parts are cleaned and then sent to the next
step in the process, such as physical vapor deposition
(PVD), electroplating, coating, inspection or final assembly.
Part failure is not an option, especially for high-precision,
sensitive applications such as those in aerospace where
parts must stay in service for as long as 30 years, or for
medical components which must operate reliably for patient
safety. Consequently, a dependable, high-performance
cleaning solvent is essential.
*Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC); Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Workplace Environmental Exposure Level (WEEL); American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Such solvents must also be EHS-compliant to ensure
worker safety and minimize environmental impact.
Growing regulatory pressure is requiring manufacturers
to continually reduce VOC emissions, and in some areas
such as California, the solvents must have a VOC
content of 25 g/l or less. Manufacturers are also facing
pressure to reduce flammability, toxicity and GWP.
However, there are very few options that deliver high
performance while meeting VOC and other EHS
requirements. Consider these examples:
• HCFC-225 is a VOC-exempt degreasing solvent
proven to be an effective cleaner with good materials
compatibility. Under the Clean Air Act, most uses of
HCFC-225 will be prohibited in the U.S. beginning
January 1, 2015.
• Perchloroethylene (PERC) is also a VOC-exempt
degreasing solvent that has been used for many years.
However, because it is a hazardous air pollutant
(HAP), manufacturers must obtain a Title V permit
to operate with it and the degreasing process must
comply with National Emission Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) – all of which
increase operating expenses.
• Trichloroethylene (TCE), like PERC, is a HAP requiring
a Title V permit. TCE has the added disadvantage of
being considered a VOC and must therefore be included
in facilities air permits. The American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has set
the time-weighted average (TWA) threshold limit value
for TCE to 10 ppm and has designated it as a suspected
carcinogen.
• n-propyl bromide (nPB) has been used in many bulk
cleaning applications. Recently, the ACGIH changed its
recommended TWA threshold limit value for nPB from
10 ppm to 0.1 ppm. OSHA recommends reducing
worker exposure in several ways, the two most effective
being “eliminating the hazard of concern or substituting
the hazardous substance with a less toxic/hazardous
process.”1 To safely use nPB, additional engineering
controls, containment and monitoring will likely be
required, which increases operating expenses.
• To overcome the shortcomings above, new molecules
have been developed over the past decade:
HFE-7100, HFE-7200 and HFC-4310-mee. While
these solvents are VOC-exempt, component
manufacturers and the precision cleaning industry
have been slow to implement them due to perform-
ance issues. To enhance their cleaning ability, the
manufacturers of these solvents add trans-1,2-
dichloroethylene (TDCE) which is not VOC-exempt –
typically at levels of 50% and greater. This negates the
initial VOC exemption.
Versatile Technology
Solstice PF, which is based on proprietary hydrofluoro-
olefin (HFO) technology from Honeywell, is specifically
designed to solve these industry challenges. Not only
does Solstice PF eliminate VOC issues, but it also
delivers superior cleaning performance without the need
for TDCE – a trait that has eluded solvent manufacturers
until now.
On the performance side, Solstice PF offers:
• Excellent wetting, even in complex geometries
• High solvency — it dissolves a variety of oils and
greases without damaging the substrate
• Compatibility with a variety of polymers, elastomers
and metals
On the EHS and sustainability side, Solstice PF delivers:
• VOC-exempt status by the U.S. EPA and SCAQMD
• An ultra-low GWP of only 1
• Very low toxicity with an OEL of 800 ppm
• A non-flammable profile per ASTM E-681 testing
1
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-150, OSHA HA-3676-2013.
Solstice PF can also reduce the total cost of solvent
ownership due to:
• No need for additives, stabilizers or residue removal
• A lower boiling point, reducing energy needs for drying
• Its non-VOC status, which avoids certain capital and
permit costs
These and other properties make Solstice PF a versatile
choice for the cleaning of precision metal and plastics
parts in aerospace, military and other applications, as
well as for medical device cleaning.
Performance Comparisons
The cleaning tests in Figures 1-3 demonstrate the
outstanding performance of Solstice PF versus traditional
solvents.
In Figure 1, stainless steel coupons were coated with
the five different oils described in Table 1. The coupons
were then immersed in the boil sump for two minutes
followed by a 30-second immersion in the clean refluxed
sump. Pictures were taken before and after to show the
cleaning performance. As shown, Solstice PF clearly
outperforms traditional VOC-exempt solvents, and pro-
vides identical performance to the blends that are not
VOC-exempt.
Figure 2 shows the results of a more demanding test
in which a threaded part was dipped in Mobil 600W oil
and immersed in the boil sump solvent for five minutes,
followed by a one minute immersion in the clean refluxed
solvent. A black light was used to detect residue. As
shown, Solstice PF shows no residue, outperforming
both the VOC-exempt solvents and the blends that are
not VOC-exempt.
Figure 3 is a more stringent capillary cleaning test in
which a glass capillary is sealed at one end. Cutting oil
was packed inside the capillary with a wire, followed by
sonication of the capillary while immersed in solvent, and
a visual evaluation of residual oil after 10 minutes and
70 minutes. Once again, Solstice PF significantly outper-
forms competitive solvents, leaving no residue in just
10 minutes.
Figure 1: Coupon Tests of Five Oils* Figure 2: Parts Test of Mobil 600W Oil with Black
Light Detection*
Solstice® PF HFE-7100 HFC-4310mee
(VOC-Exempt) (VOC-Exempt) (VOC-Exempt) Solstice PF® Novec® 71DE Vertrel® SMT Vertrel® MCA

Before Before

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

After
After
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Novec® 71DE Vertrel® SMT Vertrel® MCA Clean

(Non-VOC-Exempt) (Non-VOC-Exempt) (Non-VOC-Exempt) Part

*Coated parts immersed in solvent in the boil sump for five minutes,
Before followed by the clean refluxed solvent for one minute.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Figure 3: Capillary Cleaning Test with Cutting Oil*

After Cleaning Time Solstice PF Novec 71DE Vertrel SMT
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

*Coated coupons immersed in solvent in the boil sump for two minutes, 10 minutes
followed by the clean reflux sump for 30 seconds.
Novec 71DE is a registered trademark of 3M – 50% HFE-7100, 50%
trans-1,2-dichloroethylene
Vertrel SMT is a registered trademark of DuPont – 49-55% HFC-43-
10mee, 40-46% trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 2-6% methanol, 0.05-0.7%
nitromethane 1 hour and
Vertrel MCA is a registered trademark of DuPont – 61-63% HFC-
4310mee, 37-39% trans-1,2-dichloroethylene 10 minutes

*A glass capillary sealed at one end is packed with cutting oil, then
sonicated while immersed in solvent. The capillary has a radius of
0.16 mm and a length of 15 mm.

Table 1: Test Oils

Performance Summary
Key Common Use

1. Mobil 600W Cylinder lubricant Table 2 summarizes the performance results of Figures 1-3
and also compares key properties. As shown, Solstice PF
2. RockCut 4036 Cutting oil
is an outstanding choice for manufacturers requiring a long
3. Krytox® 143ax Bearing oil term solution to current and future needs – one that offers
4. Nu-Calgon C-3S Compressor oil, mineral oil equivalent or superior cleaning performance, improved
EHS performance and lower operational costs.
5. Dow Corning 360cs Medical silicone oil
Solstice PF is commercially available today, and approved
under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP)
program. Contact your Honeywell representative for details.
EHS and Performance Comparison at a Glance

HFC-43- Vertrel®
Solstice® PF HFE-7100 Novec® 71DE Vertrel® SMT
10mee MCA
TDCE* – 200
OEL (ppm) 800 750 200 200 200
Novec 7100 – 750

GWP 1 320 160 1700 ~850 ~1100

VOC status
Exempt Exempt Non-Exempt Exempt Non-Exempt Non-Exempt
(U.S.)
Cleaning Performance
Coupon Test
Clean Residual Oil Clean Residual Oil Clean Clean
(Figure 1)
Threaded Part Slight
Clean Not Tested Not Tested Residual Oil Residual Oil
(Figure 2) Residual Oil
Capillary
Clean Not Tested Residual Oil Not Tested Residual Oil Not Tested
(Figure 3)

*TDCE = trans-1,2-dichloroethylene

The information provided herein is believed to be accurate and reliable, but is presented without guarantee or warranty of any
kind, express or implied. User assumes all risk and liability for use of the information and results obtained. Statements or sug-
gestions concerning possible use of materials and processes are made without representation or warranty that any such use is
free of patent infringement, and are not recommendations to infringe any patent. The user should not assume that all safety
measures are indicated herein, or that other measures may not be required.

Honeywell Fluorine Products

101 Columbia Road
Morristown, NJ 07962-1053
Phone: 1-800-631-8138 Solstice is a registered trademark of Honeywell International Inc.
August 2014 - PF-FP-173 - version 7
www.honeywell-solvents.com © 2014 Honeywell International Inc.