Alternative Solvents: Transitioning to Greener Fluids
Explore the modern, eco-friendly, and non-toxic fluids replacing Perchloroethylene in contemporary archives.
Driven by strict environmental laws and worker safety concerns, film archives are transitioning away from Perchloroethylene to safer, non-toxic alternatives.
Fluorinated Specialty Fluids
Contemporary scanners utilize specialized fluorinated fluids (such as 3M Novec or similar engineered fluids). These chemicals offer excellent refractive index matching, evaporate quickly, and are non-flammable with significantly lower toxicity profiles.
Water-Soluble and Synthetic Lubricants
For specific applications, synthetic oils or highly refined light paraffin liquids are used. While exceptionally safe, they evaporate slowly and require an active post-scan physical cleaning step to remove residue completely from the film.