Number

278-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Abstract

This document describes the substance decamethylcyclopentasiloxane or D5, a substance used increasingly as a substitute to different halogenated solvents. The compound has latterly shown undesirable properties. This study has investigated the availability of alternatives to the compound for the uses dry cleaning, maintenance cleaning and as an ingredient in cosmetic products. For the first two uses some alternatives using new technologies, including liquid carbon dioxide and ultrasonic cleaning were mentioned as safer alternatives. The document focuses on function and cost aspects of the alternatives.

Substituted substances

Reliability of information

Internet information: data are from an internet document and only a basic and partial evaluation could be performed

Reason substitution

vPvB

Other type of alternative

Alternative technologies mentioned in the document include liquid carbon dioxide cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and water based technologies using high pressure or icy water with "detergents" that are not specified in this document.

Hazard Assessment

Substance to be substituted: The substituted substance is a vPvB and PBT substance that is very persistent and very bioaccumulative or persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, respectively, according to the criteria in Annex XIII of REACH under Article 57 d and e. It is restricted by REACH (Annex XVII entry No. 70) for the use in wash-off cosmetic products. Alternative substances: Several chemical alternatives are mentioned in the document, but are not being much described or evaluating according to hazardous properties. There are, however, changes in technology mentioned also, that do not require any solvents or other potentially hazardous chemicals. These include liquid carbon dioxide, high pressure water and ultrasonic cleaning.

Description of Substitution

Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane is a volatile compound. The compound was introduced in the mid -1990s in cleaning products as an alternative to the halogenated solvents 1,1,1-trichloroethane and 1,1,2,trichloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethane. It was also marketed as a green alternative to perchloroethylene in dry cleaning, marketed under the trade name “green earth”. The use of the substance increased dramatically over a few years, also in a variety of personal care products. In this report the authors chose to focus on the following uses: Dry cleaning Repair and maintenance cleaning Personal care products (deodorants, hair products, beauty creams, sunscreens and personal lubricants) Dry cleaning The investigated alternatives for dry cleaning were hydrocarbon, glycol ether based technology, water based technology and carbon dioxide. The report concludes that from a health and environmental perspective the water based technologies and carbon dioxide technologies were preferable. They do however require new equipment, compared to when just substituting an organic solvent with another, and thereby the cost may be higher. A cost comparison is available in the document. Repair and maintenance cleaning This part of the report consists of a number of case stories from different firms who have successfully changed from D5 to water based cleaning systems, some also using ultrasound technology. A cost comparison show also that changing to water based systems were economically advantageous. Personal care products In cosmetic products, D5 is used alone or together with other siloxanes in a mixture called cyclomethicone or D4. The function of the siloxanes in cosmetics is to give a smooth and soft feeling without being greasy or leave stains at clothes. In this project alternatives were identified only by looking at the ingredient description of different product and identifying products of the same type with and without siloxanes. The alternatives were not much evaluated according to hazards in this study, and are there for not mentioned specifically here in SUBSPORTplus. This case story is from a large report from a project funded by US EPA and performed by The Department of health services hazard evaluation system and information service (HESIS) and the Institute for research and technical assistance (IRTA). The aim of the project was to study five emerging solvents, and to find safer alternatives to these in a number of applications per substance. Hazard properties, function and cost was investigated for a number of alternatives per application. For each chemical there are case stories in the report from companies evaluating the alternatives. Solvents are most often used in dispersive applications where exposure is likely to be high. The five selected solvents were Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, D5 Parachlorobenzotrifluoride, PCBTF n-propylbromide NPB 1,2-trans-dichloroethylene, DCE N-methyl pyrrolidone, NMP For more details, concerning the other solvents, please have a look at the case stories 279, 280 and 281.

Case/substitution evaluation

This is a case story with a very practical approach to finding alternatives, including company interviews, cost evaluations and descriptions of the methods. Due to the fact that some information about the chemical alternatives is missing, this case study cannot be evaluated conclusively.

State of implementation

In use

Date and place of implementation

2006 USA

Type of information supplier

Authority

Type of publication and availability

report for authority, publicly available in full

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF ALTERNATIVES FOR FIVE EMERGING SOLVENTS Prepared for: Hazard Evaluation System & Information Service California Department of Health Services Under Agreement No. 04-36006 A01 and United States Environmental Protection Agency Pollution Prevention Grant NP-96912401-1 October 2006

Publication source

Type of publication and availability

http://www.irta.us/reports/Five%20Emerging%20Chemicals.pdf

Date, reviewed

November 26, 2021