Sasol NACOL® Ethers as D-limonene Alternative
Sea-Land Chemical Company |
Are you frustrated by the instability of d-limonene supply and pricing? Are the markets available to you limited by d-limonene’s low flash point, high VOC levels and sensitization potential? Sea-Land Chemical Company is now marketing the Nacol® brand of dialkyl ethers from Sasol Performance Chemicals. Sasol employs over 30,000 people in 33 countries and is currently building a large manufacturing complex in Lake Charles, LA.
Nacol Ethers are high purity, low odor, readily biodegradable ethers, derived from saturated linear C6, C8 and C10 alcohols. Nacol 6 has a mild odor and high flash point of 97⁰C. It is LVP-VOC exempt in consumer products in California and is not a sensitizer. The Nacol Ethers are saturated structures offering excellent stability to oxidation and are stable over pH range 3-11. In cleaning applications, Nacol Ethers are fast spreading, and offer very good flow characteristics, with a pour point of -42⁰C and a viscosity of 1.7 cSt at 20⁰C. The Kauri Butanol (Kb) value for Nacol 6 of 44 gives it excellent solvency characteristics compared to saturated hydrocarbons, while offering wider plastics and elastomer compatibility than conventional d-limonene replacements. In addition, the solvency of Nacol Ethers may be further enhanced with the addition of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants.
The potential applications for Nacol Ethers are many. Microemulsions of Nacol Ethers may be formulated for solvent cleaner replacement. Nacol Ethers are readily biodegradable according to OECD test methods, making it suitable for use in some environmentally sensitive applications, including, oil field aqueous well bore cleaners. In metalworking applications, the Nacol Ethers offer post process compatibility, burning off cleanly above their boiling points.
Nacol Ethers have good pigment wetting properties in coatings applications. The solvency of Nacol Ethers makes them useful as ink oil solvents, and for cleaners for printing equipment, requiring good elastomer compatibility. Nacol Ether 6 is completely miscible with carbon dioxide, opening many possibilities for use in aerosol applications. Other potential uses for Nacol Ethers include waterless hand cleaners, penetrating fluids, and brake pad and fuel injector cleaners.
The Nacol Ethers are registered on chemical inventory lists in most global markets, including US TSCA, Canadian DSL, EU REACH, Japan and Taiwan. To learn more about these chemistries or other technologies in our portfolio, contact us today.
