By Geoff Wylie
For many years, formulators have relied on conventional solvents to remove challenging soils such as paint, graffiti, nail polish, and heavy industrial greases and oils from both hard and soft surfaces, including in applications like dry cleaning.
Most of these common solvents are organic compounds derived from fossil fuels. While effective, they are volatile and can negatively impact indoor air quality. Many are also toxic, bioaccumulative, non-biodegradable, and flammable, raising concerns about worker safety and environmental persistence.
Regulatory changes—particularly restrictions on volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—now limit the use of traditional solvents in cleaning products. These regulations are designed to improve air quality in enclosed environments and reduce negative impacts to the ozone. As a result, manufacturers have been driven to evaluate alternative, lower-impact solvent systems, including bio-based and VOC-exempt options.
Bio-Based Solvents: Promise and Practical Limitations
Bio-based solvents, derived from renewable feedstocks such as plant oils, sugars, and agricultural by-products, offer reduced toxicity and improved biodegradability compared to petroleum-derived solvents. Aside from terpene chemistry, the chemistry of these solvents are typically esters in nature. However, their adoption is currently limited by several factors:
- Limited production capacity, which constrains supply.
- High demand and elevated costs, as industries compete for sustainable raw materials.
- Hydrolytic instability in microemulsions, especially in alkaline systems
- Poor evaporation (although the industry is adjusting to this because of regulations)
Despite these challenges, ongoing investment in biochemical manufacturing is gradually improving both supply and economics.
Synthetic Hydrocarbons: A Functional Bridge
Certain specialized synthetic hydrocarbons—such as CVS™ and DLR™—have been developed to meet the criteria for “green” solvents. These materials are readily biodegradable, VOC-exempt, exhibit very low environmental impact, and maintain good performance in targeted cleaning applications. While their range of use is somewhat limited, they provide a valuable bridge between performance and environmental responsibility.
Water: The Ultimate Green Solvent
Ultimately, the greenest solvent available is water but we have avoided using water in many formulations because it was slow to evaporate compared to traditional solvents. However, with the new regulations forcing formulators to consider solvents that are slow to evaporate, water-based cleaners have become a better alternative. Water-based systems can effectively remove soils traditionally handled by organic solvents due to advances in microemulsion and surfactant technology that have significantly enhanced water’s cleaning capability, allowing for efficient removal of hydrophobic contaminants while minimizing environmental impact. Chemistries such as QHD™ have demonstrated the ability to do the work of many solvents at a lower cost and VOC content.
By leveraging these new technologies, formulators can design high-performance, low-impact cleaning systems that meet both regulatory and sustainability objectives—without compromising cleaning efficacy.
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