Volume 95 Issue 45 | p. 31
Issue Date: November 13, 2017

Periodic graphics: The chemistry of dry cleaning

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning cycles through the chemistry used to wash our delicates
By Andy Brunning
Department: Science & Technology
Keywords: Consumer products, dry cleaning, solvents, perchloroethene, carbon dioxide
 

To download a pdf of this article, visit cenm.ag/drycleaning.

References used to create this graphic:

Dry cleaning dreams

A chronology of historical developments in dry cleaning

Reducing worker exposure to perchloroethylene (perc) in dry cleaning

Perchloroethylene dry-cleaning facilities required to meet federal regulation

Evaluation of glycol ether as an alternative to perchloroethylene in dry cleaning

Preliminary study of propyl bromide exposure among New Jersey dry cleaners as a result of pending ban on perchloroethylene

A collaboration between C&EN and Andy Brunning, author of the popular graphics blog Compound Interest

To see more of Brunning’s work, go to compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit http://cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.

 
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © American Chemical Society
Comments
dennis mac caskie (Wed Nov 15 13:53:22 EST 2017)
you might also note that hydrocarbon mixtures are and continue to be used as alternatives to PCE. Stoddard solvent was developed for that purpose in 1928 and the modern equivalent is Green Earth 2000.
Reply »
Ian Jamie (Wed Nov 15 17:11:24 EST 2017)
Green Earth 2000 is decamethylclopentasiloxane, one of the siloxanes mention in the graphic as an alternative to "perc".
Reply »
Paul E. Eckler (Wed Nov 15 14:56:56 EST 2017)
A little known tidbit. Because many forms of dirt dissolve in water, small amounts of water are often present in dry cleaning fluids. The "soap" (or surfactant) used helps stabilize this water as an invert emulsion.
Reply »
Tom Farrell  (Thu Nov 16 14:02:01 EST 2017)
It is not clear to me how PVA/Elmer’s glue fits into this discussion. Would you please explain further? Thanks
Reply »

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