History >

The originators of n-Propyl Bromide solvent cleaning.

Enviro Tech International began in the early 1990’s as an idea of Larry Clark, an entrepreneurial Californian and twenty year veteran of the US Navy.

Larry had intimate knowledge of the importance of cleaning for critical aerospace requirements from his military experience aboard aircraft carriers. Unfortunately, 1,1,1,-Trichloroethane (TCA), a very effective vapor degreasing/cleaning agent, was banned by the Montreal Protocols when it was discovered that it was destroying the Ozone Layer. Larry’s vision was to develop a proprietary cleaning solvent that would clean as effectively as TCA, but was environmentally friendly and safer to use.

Early in the process of developing the "perfect" cleaning solvent, terpenes, such as pinene and d-limonene blended with hydrocarbons, and in some cases water, were tried. These materials offered some interesting advantages for specific applications, but in general, fell far short of Larry’s expectations.

The Enviro Tech team of chemists searched the databases and experimented with several solvents and additives. Finally, n-Propyl Bromide was discovered as a candidate that might meet the criteria for the "perfect" solvent. An additive package was developed to improve solvency, azeotropic performance and inhibit acidity. From this research effort, EnSolv Precision Cleaning Solvent emerged and was patented in 1995. Then began the work of proving the product in the real world.

Within a short time, EnSolv became recognized by an ever growing number of insightful customers for its effective cleaning and non hazardous properties.

In 1995, the California based company shifted its headquarters to a more central location in the Midwest, Melrose Park, IL (Chicago). Here, in the "hub" of the US, EnSolv could be manufactured and distributed to anywhere in North and Central America. Later, a relationship with Croftshaw Solvents Ltd. (ETI - Europe) was formed in the United Kingdom to provide EnSolv to industry throughout Europe. Today, ETI products are available world-wide.

Through the course of time, Enviro Tech International has grown into several market areas, including metal finishing, metal working, aerospace, oxygen service, NDI, optics, electronics and medical devices.

A family of EnSolv products, with formulations specific to different applications, has been developed to meet a broad range of cleaning needs. ETI is not only the originator of nPB solvent cleaning, it continues to be the leading provider of proprietary nPB cleaning solvents. Recently, EnSolv-5408 Cleaning Solvent was recognized by the Boeing Aircraft Company as the only approved stabilized nPB solvent for use to their BAC 5408 vapor degreasing specification.

Today, EnSolv Precision Cleaning Solvent is accepted by most industries as the benchmark nPB based cleaning solvent. A highly qualified and professional staff of chemists, engineers, technicians, EH&S and regulatory experts are a technical resource to all customers. The future of Enviro Tech International is assured by a process of continuous improvement, development of new and innovative products and a business philosophy that focuses on meeting or exceeding customer expectations.