NASA Identifies Honeywell’s Solstice Performance Fluid As Replacement For High-Environmental-Impact Solvent

Honeywell (HON) announced today that its new low-global-warming solvent, Solstice® Performance Fluid (PF), has been identified as a replacement for a high-environmental-impact solvent currently used in NASA test facilities.

NASA, which uses solvents to clean sensitive equipment, has determined that the new solvent can be substituted for HCFC-225, an ozone-depleting and higher-global-warming solvent the space agency uses today.* HCFC-225 is being phased out for many uses under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Solstice PF is compatible with the sensitive systems used in aerospace applications, such as oxygen systems in rockets and aircraft.

“Solstice PF offers effective cleaning as well as compliance with safety and environmental requirements,” said David Cooper, global business director for Honeywell Fluorine Products. “NASA’s rigorous testing regimen has demonstrated that Solstice PF is an effective choice for cleaning sensitive systems.”

The tests performed by NASA were designed to determine the compatibility of Solstice PF with commonly-used metals and other materials used in its systems. Solstice PF demonstrated good cleaning efficiency (>97 %) and had the most favorable safety, health and environmental profile.*

Solstice PF is used to clean oils, greases and other substances from high-performance metal and plastic parts that require precision cleaning, including those used in electronics as well as medical device and aerospace manufacturing.

Solstice PF has a global warming potential (GWP) of 1, which is significantly lower than the GWPs of the most commonly used solvents today, including HCFC-225 (which has a GWP of 370), HFC-4310mee (which has a GWP of 1,700) and HFE-7100 (which has a GWP of 320).

Solstice PF is non-flammable per ASTM E681 testing. It also has an occupational exposure limit of 800 parts per million, which compares very favorably with 0.1 ppm for n-propyl bromide (nPB).** It is not a volatile organic compound (VOC), as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).

In addition to Solstice PF, Honeywell’s family of Solstice-branded products includes stationary and mobile refrigerants, liquid and gaseous blowing agents, and propellants based on Honeywell’s new hydrofluoro-olefin technology, which helps customers lower their carbon footprint without sacrificing end-product performance. The products have been developed and are being commercialized by Honeywell’s Fluorine Products business, a leader in the manufacture and supply of environmentally preferable industrial solvents.

To learn more about Solstice PF, please visit www.honeywell-solvents.com.

*Report: Replacement of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon-225 Solvent for Cleaning and Verification Sampling of NASA Propulsion Oxygen Systems Hardware, Ground Support Equipment, and Associated Test Systems

**Reflects new nPB value from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) is a global leader in developing advanced materials, process technologies and automation solutions. PMT’s Advanced Materials businesses manufacture a wide variety of high-performance products, including environmentally friendlier refrigerants and materials used to manufacture end products such as bullet-resistant armor, nylon, computer chips and pharmaceutical packaging. Process technologies developed by PMT’s UOP business (www.uop.com) form the foundation for most of the world’s refiners, efficiently producing gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals and renewable fuels. PMT’s Process Solutions business (www.honeywellprocess.com) is a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, industrial power generation, chemicals and petrochemicals, biofuels, life sciences, and metals, minerals and mining industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.