Substitutes in Inks
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more. Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of environmental and health risks, including factors such as ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure potential. Lists of acceptableThis designation means that a substitute may be used, without restriction, to replace the relevant ODS within the end-use specified. For example, HCFC-22 is an acceptable substitute for R-502 in industrial process refrigeration. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. and UnacceptableThis designation means that it is illegal to use a product as a substitute for an ODS in a specific end-use. For example, HCFC-141b is an unacceptable substitute for CFC-11 in building chillers. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. substitutes are updated several times each year. The list of substitutes is shown below.
Note: SNAP-related information published in the Federal Register takes precedence over all information on this page.
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| Substitute | Trade Name(s) | ODPA number that refers to the amount of ozone depletion caused by a substance. The ODP is the ratio of the impact on ozone of a chemical compared to the impact of a similar mass of CFC-11. Thus, the ODP of CFC-11 is defined to be 1.0. Other CFCs and HCFCs have ODPs that range from 0.01 to 1.0. The halons have ODPs ranging up to 10. Carbon tetrachloride has an ODP of 1.2, and methyl chloroform's ODP is 0.11. HFCs have zero ODP because they do not contain chlorine. A table of all ozone-depleting substances (http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/ods/index.html) shows their ODPs, GWPs, and CAS numbers. | GWPThe index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare the relative radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in atmospheric concentrations. GWPs are calculated as the ratio of the radiative forcing that would result from the emissions of one kilogram of a greenhouse gas to that from the emission of one kilogram of carbon dioxide over a period of time (usually 100 years). Gases involved in complex atmospheric chemical processes have not been assigned GWPs. See lifetime. | Flammable | SNAP Listing Date | Listing Status | Further Information |
| Alternative technologies (e.g., powder, hot melt, thermoplastic plasma spray, radiation-cured, moisture-cured, chemical-cured, and reactive liquid) | 0 | N/A | N/A | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable | ||
| Benzotrifluoride | N/A | N/A | yes | June 8, 1999 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: Subject to a 100 ppm acceptable exposure limit (AEL). | ||
| Chlorinated solvents (methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene) | N/A | N/A | N/A | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable | High inherent toxicity. Use only when necessary. OSHA and RCRA standards must be met. | |
| Chlorobromomethane | 0.07 to 0.15 | N/A | no | April 28, 1999 | Unacceptable | Alternatives exist with lower or zero ODP. | |
| HCFC-141b and blends thereof | >0 | N/A | no | July 20, 2015 | Unacceptable as of September 18, 2015. | ||
| HFE-449s1 (methoxynonafluorobutane, iso and normal) | Novec™ 7100 Engineered Fluid (HFE-7100) | 0 | 297 | no | March 22, 2002 | Acceptable | |
| HFE-569sf2 (ethoxynonafluorobutane, iso and normal) | Novec™ 7200 Engineered Fluid (HFE-7200) | 0 | 59 | no | March 22, 2002 | Acceptable | |
| High-solid formulations | 0 | N/A | N/A | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable | ||
| Monochlorotoluene / Benzotrifluorides | N/A | N/A | N/A | May 22, 1996 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: Subject to a 50 ppm workplace standard for monochlorotoluenes and a 25 ppm standard for other benzotrifluorides (other than benzotrifluoride). | The workplace standard for monochlorotoluenes is based on an OSHA PEL of 50 ppm for orthochlorotoluene. The workplace standard for benzotrifluorides is based on a toxicology study. See separate listing for benzotrifluoride. | |
| Oxygenated solvents (Alcohols, Ketones, Ethers, and Esters) | 0 | N/A | yes | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable | OSHA standards exist for many of these chemicals. Formulators should use chemicals with lowest toxicity, where possible. | |
| Petroleum Hydrocarbons | 0 | N/A | yes | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable | OSHA standards exist for many of these chemicals. Formulators should use chemicals with lowest toxicity, where possible. | |
| Terpenes | 0 | N/A | yes | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable | ||
| Water-based formulations | 0 | N/A | no | March 18, 1994 | Acceptable |