Approved Alternative Solvents for Dry Cleaning
The health risks of perchloroethylene (perc) as a dry cleaning solvent has spurred the interest in alternative solvents to replace the use of perc. The Department has responded to many requests to approve such alternative solvents and to make complying with air pollution regulations as easy as possible. Recognizing the facility operator's desire to have the least burdensome requirements and while maintaining a focus on the protection of public health and the environment, the Department has approved several alternatives to using perc solvent. Toward that end, the Department is providing a list of these alternative dry cleaning solvents, the use of which would allow the dry cleaning facility to obtain a simple Air Facility Registration (a.k.a.; AFR, Registration) if certain criteria are met as noted below.
Almost all dry cleaning facilities must obtain a NYS Air Facility Registration as required by Parts 201 and 232-1.6(a)(3). However, the largest facilities must obtain a State, or Title V, Facility Permit. Owners or operators of dry cleaning facilities which use only alternative dry cleaning solvents must obtain a Title V permit if their yearly solvent consumption exceeds 6,000 gallons per year; a state facility permit is required if their annual solvent consumption exceeds 3,000 gallons. Water-based cleaning machines (a.k.a., "wet cleaning") and dry cleaning machines that use only liquid carbon dioxide are exempt from air permitting requirements.
The following alternative dry cleaning solvents have been approved by the Department for use in dry cleaning machines. Alternative solvents proposed for approval will be noticed in the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB). After a thirty (30) day comment period any new approved alternative solvents will be posted on this webpage if no significant comments are received. After September 6th of 2018, dry cleaners may only use the below approved solvents in alternative solvent dry cleaning equipment.
- Green Earth® (SB-32): decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, CAS 541-02-6, by General Electric
- ExxonMobil DF-20001: synthetic hydrocarbon, CAS 64742-48-9
- Chevron Philips EcoSolv®1: highly refined hydrocarbon, CAS 68551-17-7
- Rynex 3™: dipropylene glycol tert-butyl ether, CAS 132739-31-2
- Sasol (LPA-142)1: highly refined hydrocarbon, CAS 64742-47-8
- R.R. Streets Solvair™2: dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether (DPGnBE), CAS 29911-28-2
- SolvonK4™: dibutoxymethane, CAS 2568-90-3, by Kreussler
- Green Earth® GEC-5: decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, CAS 541-02-6, by Shin-Etsu
- DC-1421: aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent, CAS 64742-88-7, by Essential Solvents
NOTE: None of the above approved alternative solvents is a drop-in replacement for perc. Contact the alternative solvent manufacturer for the required dry cleaning machine specifications.
1 Facilities using petroleum solvents (e.g., DF-2000, EcoSolv®, Sasol LPA-142 & DC-142) may be subject to the NSPS (40 CFR Part 60, Subpart JJJ) if the manufacturer's rated dryer capacity from all machines combined is equal to or greater than 84 pounds. Petroleum dryers installed between 12/14/82 and 9/21/84 are exempt from the NSPS if the annual facility petroleum solvent usage was less than 4,700 gallons per year at the time of installation. Subpart JJJ of the NSPS does not apply to dry-to-dry, closed-loop machines.
2 The Solvair™ dry-cleaning system uses both nPGnBE and carbon dioxide (exempt) as dry cleaning solvents and has been approved for Air Facility Registration.
