Solvents are substances which are generally liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and which have the ability to dissolve, suspend or extract other materials without chemically changing them. The concept of an industrial solvent goes much further than its capacity to dissolve. It extends equally to dilution, conveyance, extraction and separation without chemically altering its composition or that of the solute. They permit transportation, application, cleaning or separation of substances and hence are essential in numerous industries. The choice of a solvent very much depends on the particular technical demands of different applications.
Most popular questions
What are the main types of solvents ?
| Family | Main Ranges |
| Oxygenated Solvents |
Alcohols Ketones Esters Ethers - Alchols |
| Hydrocarbon Solvents |
Aliphatics Aromatics |
| Halogenated and chlorinated solvents |
|
The special fluids division of Total is a producers and marketers of hydrocarbon solvents, and is a leader in Europe, in this segment of market |
Why are they so popular?
Solvents are very versatile: they can be used pure, but can also be produced or blended to meet very specific requirements. This means that they can be 'tailor-made' for distinct purposes. When choosing or blending a solvent, performance, health and safety, cost and environmental factors are all weighed up.
A range of chemical properties need to be taken into account such as dissolving power, viscosity and evaporation rates, colour, odour, toxicity, flammability and conservation of resources. In many ways solvents are 'guests' of the process they help to make work. Once their job is complete solvents are either incinerated and energy recovered, recycled and returned to repeat the process again - often many times, or they evaporate as part of their use, for example when paint dries.
In many applications, solvent emissions from evaporation are minimised with techniques such as thermal oxidation, where heat is used to destroy the volatile solvent component
What are the main uses of solvents ?
The largest demand for solvents comes from the paint and coatings industry which relies on almost two million tonnes every year. But the pharmaceutical sector is a growing market showing a steady increase in demand year on year, because of solvents' invaluable contribution to the purity of modern medicines.
Where can I find out more about solvents ?
Visit the website of ESIG* : the European Solvents Industry Group (part of CEFIC)
What is a special fluid?
Special fluids are ultra pure tailor-made hydrocarbon solvents which can be used in various applications such as cosmetics, drilling mud, crop protection, lubricants, paints, printing inks etc. These solvents contain n-paraffin, iso-paraffin and cyclic-paraffins with extremely controlled carbon distribution in order to provide the right properties needed for each application. Total Fluids manufactures these solvents in its state-of-the-art plants located in Oudalle, France and Bayport, USA.
How do we manufacture high purity special fluids?
Special fluids are manufactured by our cutting-edge HDA© Technology. We invest huge effort in the R&D to select the best feedstock for HDA process. These feedstocks undergo controlled catalytic reaction under the high pressure of pure Hydrogen. Our HDA© units coupled with specifically designed distillation columns give us the control to manufacture the right products for our customers.
What are key characteristics of special fluids?
Special fluids are characterized by different physical and chemical properties depending on the applications. Some of the key characteristics are Distillation Range, Kinematics Viscosity, Density, Flash Point, Pour Point, Aniline Point etc. All our HDA products are aromatic free and we rigorously control aromatic content in each production batch.
Do TOTAL Fluides products contain SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) ?
None of substances listed in the candidate list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) published by ECHA are present in concentrations greater than 0.1 % w/w in TOTAL Fluides products.
Are TOTAL Fluides products classified as CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic)?
TOTAL Fluides products are not classified as CMR according to GHS recommandations / CLP Regulation except for the following marketed products: Solane Hexane, Toluene and Solvarex 10A, which are classified CMR Category 2 (substance suspected of being CMR).
Do TOTAL Fluides products contain PBT (Persistent Bioaccumulable and Toxic) or vPvB (very Persistent and very Bioaccumulable)?
None of the substances contained in TOTAL Fluides products are classified PBT or vPvB.
Are TOTAL Fluides substances registered under the REACH Regulations?
All substances manufactured or imported in the European Union by TOTAL Fluides were registered in accordance with the REACh Regulation in 2010. The registration numbers are available in the Material Safety Data Sheet of each commercial product (Section 1 - Substance identification / Mixture, and Section 3 - Composition / information on the components of the mixture).
Do TOTAL Fluides substances have a CAS number?
In the European Union, the substances present in the TOTAL Fluides products are identified by an EC number "European Community" (see MSDS Section 3). Outside the European Union, these substances are identified by a reference CAS number which enables the product to be marketed internationally via international inventories (see MSDS Section 15).
Most TOTAL Fluides products are classified H304. What does this classification mean?
H 304 is a GHS / CLP hazard statement which means: "May be fatal if swallowed and entering the respiratory tract". It refers to an aspiration risk which is associated with a non-quantifiable hazard defined by the kinematic viscosity of the product. This risk may arise in case of ingestion but also in case of vomiting after ingestion. For TOTAL Fluides products classified H304, the classification induces to mention, on the CLP labelling, the "bombing man" pictogram SGH08 (Health Hazard, CMR) (see MSDS Section 2). In no case does the pictogram correspond to a CMR classification of the product.
Are TOTAL Fluides products listed in the international inventories?
Yes, most TOTAL Fluides products are listed in the international inventories (Europe, United States, Canada, China, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Australia). For further information, see MSDS Section 15 or the table of inventories per product lines.
Are TOTAL Fluides products of animal or plant origin?
TOTAL Fluides products do not come from an animal origin. For this reason, they do not need to be Kosher or Halal certified. With the exception of the BioLife ranges, TOTAL Fluides products do not come from a plant origin. They come from a mineral origin, exclusively consisting of hydrocarbon compounds, having undergone a intensive hydrogenation followed by distillation to produce narrow cuts. The BioLife products come from a vegetable origin. They are produced from a Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
Do Total Fluides products contain GMOs, BSEs?
TOTAL Fluides products, including BioLife products, consist exclusively of hydrocarbon compounds. For this reason, they do not contain any Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
Do TOTAL Fluides products contain nanoparticles?
No nanotechis used when manufacturing TOTAL Fluides products.
Where one can find TOTAL Fluides product MSDSs?
The MSDSs for all TOTAL Fluides products are available online on www.quickfds.com. The MSDSs can be downloaded in the format of the country where the product is marketed and translated into one of the official languages of the country: Access the MSDSs.
Are TOTAL Fluides products classified as a VOC - Volatile Organic Compound?
A product is classified as a VOC solely because of its physicochemical properties. As a general rule, the vapor pressure, or the boiling temperature (these two characteristics being linked) shall be considered. The information is available in the MSDS Section 9. In the product lines sold by TOTAL Fluides, the light products in the Solane, Spirdane and Ketrul ranges are classified as VOCs, while the Hydroseal, Scriptane PW, Berylane, Fluid D and BioLife ranges are not classified as VOCs.