How Does Bromothane™ Compare
to the HFE Solvents?

Well, now this is a most interesting comparison. The Bromothane™ solvents and the HFE solvents are very different; so this is sort of an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Marketed by 3M Corp. under the Novec^® brand name, the HFEs are widely accepted by many customers. Both types of cleaners are nonflammable, but HFE solvents boil at lower temperatures and are relatively mild unless extra ingredients are added. The HFE solvents have a very low aroma, are widely accepted in Europe because of a low global warming factor, and can be used safely and effectively in vapor degreasers. So far, so good.

There are a few areas in which the HFE cleaners perform better than the Bromothane™ products. The most significant one is in terms of toxicity. While the HFE solvents have a threshold limit values in the 500-800 ppm range, Great Lakes Chemical and MicroCare specify Bromothane™ solvents at 10 ppm. This means in certain applications -- ones in which high worker exposures are likely, such as cold cleaning or hand-wiping applications -- HFE solvents would be a good choice.

[Photo, left] HFE solvents from 3M Corp. are a popular solvent choice in Europe and less popular in the U.S. The products are available from 3M directly, but also from numerous repackagers such as this product from MicroCare. The Bromothane™ products can replace the HFE products in circumstances where an engineered system is being used and materials compatibility issues are not vital. In those applications, the Bromothane™ products may lower per-part cleaning costs by 50% or more.

However, the HFE solvents also are much, much more expensive than the Bromothane™ products, so it may make sense to change the cleaning process rather than buy such an expensive solvent.

HFE cleaners also have broader materials compatibility and would be a good choice if soft plastics were found on the parts.

On the other hand, the Bromothane™ cleaners are much more aggressive than HFE solvents, offering exceptional capabilities as degreasers. Bromothane™ solvents are less than half the price of the HFE solvents. This are two very important benefits.

So while the HFEs are good, the Bromothane™ cleaners are a better choice in many applications. Stick with the winner -- stick with Bromothane™. And if you need a milder, more plastic-safe cleaner, or are looking for a cold-cleaning solvent for a hand-wipe application, take a look at the Vertrel^® solvents from MicroCare and DuPont. You'll get great results and DuPont reliability.

Updated: Jan 5, 2004
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The term "Bromothane", "BromoBooster", "BromoTest" and the Bromothane logo are trademarks of MicroCare Corp.