Is Bromothane™ Ozone-Safe?

Well, this is an interesting question and the answer is not yet resolved. But in short, the Bromothane™ solvents are slight -- VERY slight -- ozone-depleting solvents.

• Bromothane Is Not Listed in the Montreal Protocol • 

You see, in the 1980's a group of experts were tabulating all of the world's ozone-depleting solvents and classified them into two groups: the "Class I" ozone-depleters were the really bad actors, and the "Class II" materials had an impact but to a much, much lesser degree. These lists became the heart of the Montreal Protocol, the first international treaty to protect the ozone layer.

But the Bromothane™ solvents and other nPB-based cleaners never made it on to the list. This is because nobody was using nPB as a solvent. It sort of just fell through the cracks.

So while it may sound like some people are splitting hairs, it is technically correct to say that nPB is not listed as an ozone-depleting solvent ("O.D.S.") and it is not a "Class II" ozone-depleting material.

But the more precise truth is to report that while nPB is not a Class II O.D.S., it does have a slight ozone-depletion potential. The exact ozone impact is still under assessment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but many companies including Great Lakes Chemical feel that 0.0006 is a reasonable estimate. This compares to 0.13 for HCFC-141b and 1.13 for CFC solvents. It's a big step in the right direction.

So here's the punchline today: the Bromothane™ solvents are the ideal replacements for the listed ozone-depleting solvents in precision cleaning applications. They are "drop-in" replacements for old-style solvents such as CFC-113, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, HCFC-141b and HCFC-225, as well as high-global-warming solvents such as perfluorocarbons (PFCs).

Updated: Feb. 22,  2004
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