Vertrel^® is the brand name for a family of ozone-safe solvents made by the DuPont Company. These solvents are used for all sorts of precision cleaning applications. You can use Vertrel^® to remove fluxes from circuit boards or to degrease tiny metal parts. You can rinse away particulate and, in an interesting twist of technology, you also can use Vertrel^® to deposit coatings and lubricants. It is an incredibly versatile group of products.

Getting very technical for a moment, the term Vertrel^® describes a group of fluorinated solvents and specialty fluids. At their core, each product is based on HFC-43-10mee which is also known as 2,3-dihydrodecafluoropentane. Most of the products also contain other ingredients, such as alcohols, trans, and/or HFC-365, which tailor the solvent's performance to specific cleaning requirements. All but two of the Vertrel^® products are true azeotropes or exhibit azeotropic-like behavior, which means they can be used repeatedly and safely in heated cleaning systems.

The Vertrel^® products were developed by the DuPont Company to provide safe, effective and environmentally acceptable alternatives to the old-style, ozone-depleting solvents used in many applications. Vertrel^® is a superior replacement for many solvents such as CFC-113, HCFC-225, HCFC-141b, nPB, TCE, most aqueous-based cleaning products and many hydrocarbon-based choices. Properly used, Vertrel^® will deliver faster, better and cheaper cleaning than any equivalent product on the market today.

Here is a generalized summary of the characteristics which make Vertrel^® so special. For more details on individual blends, see the Product Spec sheets for the specifics on any particular product):

Cleaning Solvency	Mild to Aggressive, and Varies by Product
Materials Compatibility	Generally Excellent, and Varies by Product
Density	Very High (1.3 - 1.6 times heavier than water)
Surface Tension	Very Low
Ozone Depletion Potential	None (Completely Ozone Safe) and S.N.A.P. Accepted (This is the "Significant New Alternatives Program" to develop ozone-safe solvents by the U.S. E.P.A.)
Global Warming Impact	Slight
Photoreactive Organic Compound Impact (VOCs)	Exempt to Moderate
Flammability	None
Toxicity	Low to Medium

Commercialized in mid-1995, the Vertrel^® products were the first fluorinated cleaning agent alternatives with zero ozone-depletion potential and low global-warming potential. In addition to these desirable environmental properties, their unique physical properties -- including low surface tension, low viscosity and other properties which are very similar to CFC-113 -- make Vertrel^® products ideally suited for almost every critical cleaning application.

But before you or your company buys any solvent, including any of the Vertrel^® cleaners, please keep in mind that SAFETY COMES FIRST. As with any chemical, it is important for all users to be educated regarding the products' properties. Technicians should know all of the issues involving safe and safe handling, storage and use. Emergency procedures should be well-developed and thoroughly understood. Users are advised to communicate safety information to all the workers involved with the storage, handling and uses of Vertrel^® products.

These products are marketed in North America by MicroCare Marketing Services, a division of MicroCare Corp., under the Vertrel^® name.

Just for the record, the term "Vertrel^®" is registered trademark of the DuPont Company.

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