Dry cleaners are very helpful when it comes to the stain removal off of delicate fabric. However, the chemicals used in the cleaning process are often very damaging to the environment. The average dry cleaning business produces a number of harmful waste products, including solvents, soils, carbon, dyes, grease, and powdered filter material.

Soon, these negative side-effects could be a thing of the past: The renewable specialty chemicals leaders Green Biologics and the professional textile care company Kreussler Inc. have developed a bio-based dry cleaning solvent made from corn.

The first and only bio-based dry cleaning solvent

The Minnesotan facility of the UK-based Green Biologics uses corn from the American heartland and converts it via their patented low-energy, minimal waste fermentation process into the bio-based n-butanol used to produce SOLVONK4, the main solvent in the SYSTEMK4 dry cleaning process. The worldwide patented SOLVONK4 is not only sustainable, but also the first and - so far - only bio-based solvent in the dry cleaning industry.

Kreussler, founded in 1912 and headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, has a long history of products closely linked with an application technology. Currently, Kreussler is applying for the USDA BioPreferred certification for its new biobased dry cleaning solvent.

Textile cleaning on a new, bio-based level

"We are pleased to be working in conjunction with Kreussler to bring SYSTEMK4 bio-based dry-cleaning solution to market. This is an excellent example of how we specialize in collaborating with a market leader to leverage our renewable specialty chemicals platform in new and unique applications to deliver value to customers," said Peter O'Loughlin, Vice President of Global Sales at Green Biologics.

Richard Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Kreussler Inc. added: "This next step for SYSTEMK4 adds a critical and significant advantage for our clients, the ability to market a bio-derived and sustainable cleaning fluid. Green Biologics advanced developments in fermentation has given us the ability to push solvent-based textile cleaning into a new level and completes the picture of unparalleled cleaning, cost-effective operations, extremely low risk, and true ecological benefits."

jmr