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Content about Silicone

June 12, 2012
Rather Switch Than Fight? (Part 1 of 2)

CHICAGO — Recent EPA assessment, sluggish economy may grant perc reprieve from new regs

CHICAGO — In February, after 14 years of study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named perchloroethylene a “likely” human carcinogen in its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. And after more than two decades of increasingly stringent regulation on the industry’s solvent of choice, the announcement seemed like the final nail in perc’s coffin.

Ironically, the decision actually protects perc’s position in dry cleaning, at least for the time being. “Everyone has the misconception that the category perc is in has changed,” says Faye Graul, executive director of the Halogenated Solvents Industry Association (HSIA). “It has not changed at all. The report says perc is safe for use in dry cleaning.”

EPA expressed no concerns about consumers wearing clothing cleaned in perc, and the IRIS report could ease the drinking-water standard required for environmental cleanups. And with a recent, recessionary lull in regulatory activity, only co-located facilities and plants in California and a few other areas see the possibility of a full phaseout ahead.

June 4, 2012
Conn. Governor Recognizes Best Cleaners for Decade of ‘Green’ Dry Cleaning

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Conversion to GreenEarth® was good business decision, owner says

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — When Best Cleaners owners Bill and Shawn McCann completed the conversion of their family-owned business to the GreenEarth® dry cleaning method a decade ago, they knew it was the right move for many reasons.

Despite the significant cost of modifying equipment in all 11 Connecticut locations, they believed that switching from perc to the environmentally safe silicone-based solvent would be a win-win for everyone. Customers’ clothing and household goods would be treated to a kinder, gentler cleaning process while chemical odors would become a distant memory. Soon, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection recognized Best with a Green Circle Award for voluntarily implementing a facility-wide pollution prevention plan.

In recognition of Best’s leadership and commitment to keeping Connecticut green, Connecticut State Sen. Paul Doyle recently presented the McCanns with a citation from Gov. Dannel “Dan” Malloy honoring the 10th anniversary milestone and Best’s ongoing community support.

October 1, 2010
State of The Industry (Part 1 of 7)

QUESTION 1: After almost two decades of increasingly stringent regulation, operators are slowly letting go of perc. Is there a clear winner in the race for a substitute?

BILL FISHER: There’s no winner. If you strip away the health issues, perc is as close to a perfect solvent as the industry has had.

June 9, 2010
Freedom of Choice

An Expanding Array of Solvent Systems is Helping Produce New Converts — And New Concerns

Choice in solvents has expanded exponentially in the last 20 years due to the regulatory pressure on the use of perchloroethylene in drycleaning. Ongoing research and development is a testament to the industry’s ingenuity, flexibility and importance, but the industry is still far from having a new “solvent of choice.”

October 24, 2008
State of the Solutions: A Look at Perc’s Alternatives

CHICAGO — As perc is slowly phased out of lawful use, the industry’s longtime favorite continues to face sporadic, localized ban threats, recently in New Jersey and Philadelphia. So, what’s going on with the alternative solvents?

General acceptance of high-flashpoint hydrocarbons such as DF-2000 and EcoSolv is driving most machinery sales. Variations on hydrocarbons such as no-distill, powder-filtration options and the vaporized hydrocarbon iPura system are also attracting fans.

February 12, 2008
California ARB Completes GreenEarth Evaluation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has completed an 18-month evaluation of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) silicon, the solvent used in GreenEarth. According to a letter published at its website, ARB has determined that D5 is an “acceptable drycleaning solvent alternative” to perchloroethylene, but is not eligible for the state’s grant program.