Vertrel^® products are the best choice for precision cleaning of difficult shapes and awkard pieces. The reason for this success is the very low surface tension, high density and low viscosity of the Vertrel^® products.

A low surface tension means the solvent can get into tight spaces more easily than solvents with high surface tensions (like aqueous systems). A heavy solvent literally can float away contamination that other types of cleaning agents cannot move. And a solvent with low viscosity flows in and around objects more effectively than solvents with high viscosity (think molasses, or maple syrup).

A clever way to understand all these different measurements is to combine the three most critical factors into a single index. DuPont recommends combining the density of the solvent, the viscosity of the solvent and the surface tension into an index score. DuPont calls this the wetting index. With the wetting index, the higher the score the better the cleaning.

In particular, the wetting index is a superior predictor when comparing particulate cleaners. It's a better gauge to use when selecting a solvent for applications in which the object is not to dissolve the contamination but to float it away.

DuPont has computed this index for a number of popular cleaners. The results confirm popular experience: a heavy, dense solvent like Vertrel^® with a low surface tension and low viscosity will clean better than anything else on the market today. Here's how the numbers rack up:

So here's a great answer: when it comes to tough cleaning problems, Vertrel^® specialty fluids are the ideal choice. These are great replacements for ozone-depleting solvents such as CFC-113, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, HCFC-141b, n-propyl bromide (nPB), HFE solvents and HCFC-225, as well as high-global-warming solvents such as perfluorocarbons (PFCs).

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