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Substitutes in Metals Cleaning
Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure potential. Lists of acceptable and unacceptable substitutes are updated several times each year. A chronological list of SNAP updates is also available.Note: SNAP Notices and Final Rules published in the Federal Register take precedence over all information on the web site.
| Substitute | ODS Being Replaced | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Aqueous cleaners | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | EPA is planning to issue effluent guidelines for this industry under the Clean Water Act. |
| Semi-aqueous cleaners | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | EPA is planning to issue effluent guidelines for this industry under the Clean Water Act. |
| Straight organic solvent cleaning (with terpenes, C5-C20 petroleum hydrocarbons, oxygenated organic solvents such as ketones, esters, ethers, alcohols, etc.) | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | OSHA standards must be met, if applicable. |
| Trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, methylene chloride | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | OSHA and RCRA standards must be met. EPA issued Maximum Achievable Control Technology requirements under the Clean Air Act for vapor degreasing in November 1994. |
| Supercritical fluids | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | None |
| Volatile methyl siloxanes | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | Approval is granted for the whole class of compounds. |
| Trans-1,2-dichloroethylene | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | The OSHA set exposure limit is 200 ppm. |
| Hydrofluorether (HFE) 7100: C4F9OCH3 (methoxynonafluorobutane, iso and normal) | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform, HCFC-141b | None |
| HFE-7200 (C5F9OCH3) | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | The Agency expects that any exposures will not exceed any acceptable exposure limits set by any voluntary consensus standards organization, including the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH) threshold limit values (TLVs) or the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA) workplace environmental exposure limits (WEELs). |
| Vanishing oils | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | Depending on geographic region, may be subject to VOC controls. |
| Heptafluorocyclopentane | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform, HCFC-141b | EPA expects users to adhere to an exposure limit of 123 ppm over an eight-hour time-weighted average, with a ceiling of 500 ppm. |
| HFC-365mfc | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform, HCFC-141b | None |
| HCFC-225ca and HCFC-225cb | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | EPA recommends observing the
manufacturer’s recommended exposure guidelines
of 50 ppm for the -ca isomer, 400 ppm for the -cb
isomer, and 100 ppm for the commercial mixture of
HCFC-225ca/cb.
EPA encourages users to consider other alternatives that do not have an ozone depletion potential. |
| HFC-4310mee | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform, HCFC-141b | Company-set time-weighted average workplace exposure standard of 200 ppm, and a workplace exposure ceiling of 400 ppm. |
| The Mini-Max Cleaner® | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | None |
| n-propyl bromide | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform |
EPA recommends the use of personal protective equipment, including chemical goggles, flexible laminate protective gloves and chemical-resistant clothing. EPA expects that all users of nPB would comply with any final Permissible Exposure Limit that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issues in the future under 42 U.S.C. 7610(a). nPB, also known as 1-bromopropane, is Number 106-94-5 in the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry. |
| Perfluorobutyl Iodide (PFBI) | CFC-113, methyl chloroform, HCFC-225ca, HCFC-225cb, and blends thereof |
PFBI has an ODP of less than 0.005 and a 100-year GWP of less than
5. Its CAS Reg. No. is 423-39-2. EPA recommends an acceptable exposure limit of 375ppm (8-hour time-weighted average) for PFBI. Observe recommendations in the manufacturer’s MSDS and guidance for using this substitute, particularly with respect to disposal. Prevent the solvent from entering waterways. PFBI is currently defined as a volatile organic compound (VOC) under CAA regulations (see 40 CFR 51.100(s)). |
| Substitute | ODS Being Replaced | Conditions or Restrictions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monochlorotoluenes and benzotrifluorides | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | Subject to a 50 ppm workplace standard for monochlorotoluenes and a 100 ppm standard for benzotrifluoride. | The workplace standard for monochlorotoluenes is based on an OSHA PEL of 50 ppm for orthochlorotoluene. The workplace standard for benzotrifluoride is based on the company-set acceptable exposure limit. |
| Substitute | ODS Being Replaced | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Dibromomethane | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | High ODP; other alternatives exist. |
| HCFC-141b and its blends | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform | High ODP; other alternatives exist. |
| Chlorobromomethane | CFC-113, Methyl Chloroform, HCFC-141b | High ODP; other alternatives exist. |