Is Bromothane™ A Global Warmer?

Bromothane™ is not a major contributor to the problem of global warming.

First, a word of explanation. Global Warming Potential (G.W.P.) is an attempt to predict the effect a stable, long-lived molecule might have in warming the atmosphere of the planet. It is thought that the gradual warming of the atmosphere could have catastrophic environmental effects, increasing the deserts of the world, devastating crop lands, and causing wide-spread extinctions of many species.

Another environmental concern is low-altitude smog. Smog is generally caused by Volatile Organic Compounds which react with sunlight.

Many, many common chemicals have GWP ratings. In general, chemicals that have high GWP ratings have low VOC ratings. High VOC ratings generally mean a chemical has a low GWP. It's like a child's teeter-totter: one when side goes up, the other side must go down. It is almost impossible for a chemical to be both a low VOC and a low GWP, and the few cleaners that do accomplish this magic trick are usually flammable.

• Bromothane and Global Warming • 

So where does that leave Bromothane™?

Bromothane™ solvents get very good scores on the global warming scale. NPB usually is rated with GWP scores of zero, due to the very short atmospheric lifetime of the material. Tests show the product, once exposed to air and sunlight, persists in the atmosphere for only about 16 days. This means the Bromothane™ solvent family is a good, balanced, safe, nonflammable, middle-of-the-road choice when compared to the major global warming chemicals (such as fully-fluorinated solvents like PFCs). It also means that the Bromothane™ products are good replacements for the flammable high VOC products, such as alcohols. Especially when used with low-emission vacuum systems, nothing beats the cleaning efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness of Bromothane™.

In short, Bromothane™ is a great and planet-friendly replacement for ozone-depleting 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: Jan 5, 2004
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