Transitioning to Safe Solvents: How and Why to Do It

Safe solvents are sought after more and more as companies decide that their usual ones are no longer sufficient for their needs. Environmental awareness, an increased emphasis on worker safety, and changes in market demands are some of the main drivers behind the change. What makes a solvent safe, and what are the benefits of switching?

What is a Safe Solvent?

A safe solvent differs from the typical types in a few key ways. The fact that these solvents are made without the use of petroleum products is the key factor. Companies are trying to move away from petroleum-based products of all sorts in order to reduce their environmental footprints.

Safe solvents created by Vertec BioSolvents are made from biological sources such as plant oils. This not only eliminates petroleum from the equation, but makes them sustainable. It can also reduce problems like irritation or allergic reactions in users, which helps to reduce worker injury claims and other such problems. Finally, bio-based solvents reduce the risk of environmental contamination since they are biodegradable.

What are Safe Solvents Used For?

Vertec's product line covers a wide range of uses. There are solvents for making paint, making ink, and cleaning. In most cases, they can be used as 1-for-1 replacements for petroleum-based options.

Many of Vertec's options are made to work with specific substances. For example, there's an option for cleaning off asphalt and other tough surfaces, another is for cleaning out various types of commercial tanks, and multiple options exist for cleaning polyurethane and other resins.

Other safe solvents are used for sanitization. The hard surface sanitizer can destroy over 99.99% of bacteria while also providing great general cleaning effects such as grease removal, and a patented method of providing persistence in sanitization Vertec also has a hand sanitizer with the same antibacterial power, but with skin conditioners and persistence.

There are also solvents used in paint manufacturing.

Some products are made to directly replace other common solvents. The recently relaunched VertecBio Ethyl Acetate Bio-Based is a perfect example. It's a 100% bio-derived product that works anywhere the petroleum-based version would be used.

Benefits of Safe Solvents

Traditional solvents cost companies both money and time in several ways. Since petroleum-based products are dangerous, they are subject to special storage requirements, extra paperwork, and in some cases, the need for extra PPE for those using them. Some also have re-entry intervals, meaning that people can't go back into a treated area until a certain amount of time has passed. This sort of requirement interferes with a facility's productivity and can result in fines and expensive cleanup costs for companies that get it wrong. 

Safe solvents address all of these issues. As the name says, they are safe in many ways. If they get into the environment, they are biodegradable and won't cause a hazmat event. Because of this, the storage and paperwork requirements are much lower. They can basically be stored anywhere, and in some jurisdictions, there may be no special recordkeeping requirements.

Bio-based solvents also tend to be less flammable. You'll sleep easier knowing that they won't cause an explosion or a massive fire in your facility. Not only that, with some products you won't need to have a special fireproof storage area just for them.

The need for PPE is lower in some cases. Gloves may be recommended for particularly strong formulations, but the need for full suiting or other extreme precautions is rare. In fact, some safe solvents are meant to be used directly on the hands. Vertec's hand sanitizer is the perfect example of just how safe, safe solvents can be.

It is also possible to go back into a treated area much sooner when safe solvents are used. This lets you get your equipment back up and running much more quickly, thereby eliminating long periods of unproductivity.

How to Transition to Vertec BioSolvents Safe Solvents

There are a few steps involved in transitioning from traditional solvents to safe ones.

• Determine your requirements
• Find a suitable bio-based product
• Work out any needed changes in your formulas
• Obtain the safer alternative product
• Implement the changes

If you're already manufacturing a product, you already know your requirements. Therefore, this will be the easy part.

Next, go to a producer of bio-based solvents to find the products that will meet your requirements. Vertec BioSolvents currently offers over 20 options. This number ensures that your needs are covered, without overwhelming you with hundreds of confusing options. It is very easy to pick one or more products from the lineup.

In some cases, you may find that you need to adjust your current formulations to take the properties of the new ingredients into account. This is often a good thing, since some Vertec products are more powerful than the components that they'll replace. In these cases, you'll save money in the long run because you won't need to use as much solvent as before.

At other times, you'll be able to do a 1-for-1 replacement of your old solvent. These products have the same chemical properties as petroleum-based products, but are made from biologically-sourced inputs.

The details of your implementation will depend on your product and how you use it. Typically, you won't find this aspect to be troublesome. For any 1-for-1 replacement, it should be as simple as putting the new product into the production process instead of the old one. Other solvents may require slight adjustments to your current formulas.

Now that you know the benefits of transitioning to safe solvents and how easy it is to find a suitable option, you can see why so many companies are making the switch. Contact Vertec BioSolvents today to learn more and see how your business, and the environment, will benefit from joining this wave of modernization.