Solstice® Performance Fluid

Ryan Hulse
Solstice® PF – The Next Generation Solvent

Performance

 Excellent Solvency for a Wide Variety of Solutes (Oils and Greases, Solder Fluxes, etc.)

 Low Surface Tension for Precision Cleaning: Improved wetting characteristics

Environmental

 Meets or Exceeds Regulatory and Safety Requirements

GWP = 1 

Very Short Atmospheric Life Time: 26 days

Doesn’t Contribute to SMOG due to Very Low MIR (POCP)

Safe

 Non-Flammable, as established by ASTM E-681

 Good OEL – 800 ppm (OARS WEEL)

Cost Effective

 Reduced Energy Requirements for Processing and Drying

 Can be recovered by Activated Carbon Recovery or Distillation Processes

 No Post Process NVR (non-volatile residue) Removal

Equipment Compatibility – Can be used in most Vapor Degreaser Configurations

 Enclosed

 Open Top

Suitable Replacement

 TCE

 n-bromopropane (nPB) – toxicity issues, NIOSH/OSHA, Hazard Alerts 8/16/2013

 AK 225 – mandate phase-out by 1/1/2015

 Stoddard Solvents – flammability issues

 Vertrel (DuPont) and Novec (3M) – high GWP
Solstice PF – Environmental and Safety Properties

Environment Solstice PF TCE 225 ca/cb n-PB PERC Trans-1,2-

dichloroethylene Aqueous

Atmospheric 

Life

26 days  6-8

days

2.1 / 6.2 

years

16 days 5-6

months 13 days N/A

GWP100 1  140 180/620 N/A 800 Not Avail N/A

VOC or HAP VOC-exempt  Yes No Yes Yes Yes Some 

Components

Safety Solstice PF TCE 225 ca/cb n-PB PERC Trans-1,2-

dichloroethylene Aqueous

Vapor Flame 

Limits None  12 - 29 None 4.6 - 9.1 None 6.8 - 15.3 None

Flash Point None  32°C None Not Avail None -6°C None

OEL (ppm) 800  10 25 (ca 

isomer) 0.1 25 200

Depends 

Upon 

Additives

Odor Faint-None  Slight FaintNone Strong Strong Slight Faint-None

Solstice PF has excellent safety and environmental properties.
What do the OEL levels mean

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

5

10

15

NPB

TCE

PF

Release, mL

Concentration, ppm

10

.1

TCE OEL = 10 ppm

NPB OEL = 0.1 ppm

PF OEL = 800 ppm

Calculations

 Assume a 400 ft sq room.

 How many mL of solvent 

could be dripped on the floor 

before reaching the OEL.

NPB

 After the first few drops you 

could have issues.

TCE

 Take about ~70 drops to 

reach the OEL

PF

 Take about ~6200 drops 

to reach the OEL

Additional Engineering controls such as ventilation further reduce the exposure rate

The OEL Solstice PF is much higher than that of TCE and NPB.
Solstice PF – Cleaning Comparison

Mobile 600 W Silicone Grease NuCalgon Mineral Oil

Dirty 

Parts

Cleaned 

with 

TCE

Cleaned 

with PF

3 1⁄2 min 

immersion 

in boil 

sump 

followed 

by 40 sec 

in clean 

sump

Equivalent Performance to TCE
Solstice PF – Compatibility

Solstice PF has excellent metal stability and no stabilizer are required.

Uncoated Panels Electroplated Panels Plasma Coated

AMS 4037 Aluminium AMS 4037/AMS 2470 Anodic Treatment AMS 4911/AMS 2437-3

AMS 4375 Magnesium AMS 5504/AMS 2400 Cadmium Plated AMS 5504/AMS 2437-2

AMS 4442 Magnesium AMS 5504/AMS 2406 Chromium Plating AMS 5504/AMS 2437-3

AMS 4507 Copper AMS 5504/AMS 2410 Silver Plating AMS 5504/AMS 2437-5

AMS 4544 Nickel AMS 5504/AMS 2416 Ni-Cad Plating AMS 5504/AMS 2437-6

AMS 4640 Aluminum Bronze AMS 5504/AMS 2418 Copper Plating AMS 5504/AMS 2437-7

AMS 4911 Titanium AMS 5504/AMS 2424 Nickel Plating

AMS 5040 Steel

AMS 5382 Cobalt

AMS 5504 Corrosion Resistant Steel Uncoated Panels

AMS 5508 Corrosion Resistant Steel Intergranular Attack / End Grain Pitting – Testing – ASTM F2111

AMS 5524 Corrosion Resistant Steel AMS 4037 Aluminum

AMS 5525 Corrosion Resistant Steel AMS 4375 Magnesium

AMS 5536 Nickel AMS 4911 Titanium

AMS 5537 Cobalt AMS 5382 Cobalt

AMS 5596 Nickel AMS 5504 Corrosion Resistant Steel

AMS 5661 Nickel AMS 5536 Nickel

AMS 6431 Steel

AMS 4434 (AZ92) Magnesium

MAR-M-002

IMI-685
Solstice PF – Regulatory and Toxicity

• WEEL Value (8 hr TWA) = 800 ppm

• On the U.S. TSCA inventory 

• U.S. EPA SNAP list of acceptable substitutes for 

solvents. 

• Registered in EU (REACH), Japan, Canada, Australia 

and South Korea
Additional Cleaning

Mobil 28 Grease Aeroshell Grease #5 

Before After

5 min immersion in Solstice PF with 132 kHz ultrasonics