Why is a single-isomer HFE better for the environment than a dual-isomer HFE?

The environmental advantage of a single-isomer hydrofluoroether (HFE) comes primarily from how it is manufactured, not simply from having one isomer instead of two.

Legacy dual-isomer HFE fluids such as 3M™ Novec™ 7100 and 7200 were produced using electrochemical fluorination (ECF), a process associated with the generation of long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) byproducts such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). These long-chain compounds are targeted by global regulation as persistent organic pollutants.

BestSolv® single-isomer HFE fluids are produced using a targeted catalytic synthesis that avoids the generation of these long-chain PFAS manufacturing byproducts. The process also produces a high-purity single isomer, improving lot-to-lot chemical consistency while maintaining the physical properties needed for many legacy HFE applications.

This makes single-isomer HFE technology a more controlled manufacturing approach that can provide both greater chemical consistency and reduced generation of undesirable long-chain PFAS byproducts.