3M™ Novec™: Improving lives through sustainable chemistry

As engineers, chemists, facility managers, and EHSR managers, you are continually faced with the challenge of ensuring high performance while protecting people, property and the planet. You need a collaborative partner you can trust to deliver smart, safe and sustainable solutions.

Through safe, sustainable chemistry, we provide products that make a real difference in people’s lives today and in the future. At 3M, we define sustainable chemistry as optimizing high performance solutions while minimizing environmental, health and safety impact, when compared with legacy chemistries such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), n-proply bromide (nPB) and trichloroethylene (TCE).

We use science to find solutions that have a positive impact from every perspective — exceptional performance, human safety and environmental sustainability. 3M Novec products apply this commitment to applications including fire suppression, solvent cleaning, heat transfer, immersion cooling, carrier solvents, electronic coating and more. See how intentional engineering can help you achieve your vision for a better world.

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Science with values.

Sharing a common goal: Using science to help create a greener world

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In all of us, there is a desire to do our best — to do our part to advance the things we care about. People. Our work. The planet. We’re constantly seeking the answers to how to do it all better, safer, more responsibly. Science that’s intentional, that’s created with these same values in mind, does more than just help us get the job done. It helps us fulfill our purpose. Protect what matters. All of it.

A smart business decision
Every 3M Novec product bears the hallmarks of thoughtful science: precise characteristics, consistent quality and optimized performance developed to meet the needs of your application. Our scientists excel at understanding the needs of our customers and finding innovative ways to help improve their business and realize their vision. Turn to 3M Novec's industry-leading experts to design a solution that will help:

Improve performance

Drive greater efficiency

Offer excellent reliability

Protect business continuity and important assets
Wide margin of worker safety
There is no need to compromise human health and safety. In developing Novec products, our scientists honor our commitment to safety for people who use them. This in turn allows businesses to live up to their commitment to provide a safe, healthy work environment for the people who power their success. That’s why Novec products share key safety attributes including:

Wide margin of worker safety

Non-flammability

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Sustainable chemistry for the planet
At 3M, we believe it’s our responsibility to be good stewards of our planet. That’s why we developed Novec fluids with the intent to replace non-sustainable chemistries. Novec fluids offer a favorable environmental profile, which not only makes compliance with environmental regulations easier, but is also the right thing to do. 3M Novec fluids share these qualities:

Zero ozone depletion potential (ODP)

Low global warming potential (GWP)

Not targeted for regulatory phasedown

Low in volatile organic chemicals (VOC) or VOC-exempt per U.S. EPA

Contain no HCFCs, HFCs, nPB or HAPs (hazardous air pollutants)

Learn more about 3M's sustainability efforts

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Smart

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The smart way to protect people, property and the planet: Novec 1230 fluid

3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid uses proprietary technology to extinguish a fire by removing heat from the fire — safely, cleanly and without damaging valuable assets or harming the environment. That means no water damage to sensitive electronics or precious artifacts, no long-term damage to the environment and it can be safely used in occupied spaces — a clean sweep of the things that matter most. If you’re looking to replace halon or find an FM-200™ alternative, consider Novec 1230 fluid.

Novec 1230 fluid is designed to:
- Discharge rapidly
- Penetrate even complex environments quickly
- Extinguish fires quickly
- Help you avoid downtime and ensure business continuity

Thoughtfully developed products that help get the job done right

Engineered fluids that are versatile for many applications

With a wide range of boiling points, low viscosity and high dielectric strength, 3M™ Novec™ Engineered Fluids are suitable for cleaning, heat transfer and other applications.
Aerosol cleaners that give more cleans per can

3M™ Novec™ Aerosol Cleaners are 95% active solvent. And the cleaning performance is excellent. It is non-corrosive and non-conductive, penetrates deep into tight spaces, is fast drying and leaves no residue.
Electronic coatings that help lower production and labor costs

3M™ Novec™ Electronic Grade Coatings are easy to apply, often don't require masking and can be handled within seconds.
SF₆ alternative insulating gases that are a focal point of new electrical power industry technology

3M™ Novec™ Insulating Gases are being used in cutting-edge gas-insulated lines and gas-insulated power equipment, helping electrical power industry leaders meet their goals for a sustainable future.

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Engineered fluids that are safer by design

When used in industrial applications like heat transfer, lubricant and coating deposition, and precision cleaning, workers are typically exposed to solvent vapor during their shifts, which is why determining acceptable exposure limits is a critical factor in selecting process solvents. Based on extensive toxicity testing, the eight-hour worker guidelines for 3M Novec Engineered Fluids have a wider safety margin than other solvents, such as n-propyl bromide (nPB), trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PERC), making them an excellent alternative.

Novec Engineered Fluids are:
- Not classified as a CMR toxin, unlike TCE, which is a Category 2 carcinogen
- Not subject to regulatory limits or a potential phasedown like nPB
- Not subject to an exposure ceiling, unlike TCE and PERC

Novec 1230: The safer choice among clean agents

3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid is safe for use in occupied spaces, which are the places you want to protect most. In fact, it provides the widest margin of safety relative to other clean agents and CO₂. These features are especially important if you are looking for a safer alternative to FM-200™ or FE-25®, both HFC-based fire suppressants targeted for phasedown.

Download the Novec 1230 Safety Comparison (PDF, 125 KB)
Non-flammable aerosol cleaners that make workplaces safer

3M Novec Aerosol Cleaners offer a wide margin of safety for maintenance and repair workers in a range of industries. Their non-flammability makes them easier and safer to work with, as well as being safer to store, easier to ship and allowing more efficient processes by eliminating safety steps needed for flammable cleaners. They also contain no n-propyl bromide (nPB) or other hazardous chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE) or methylene chloride.

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Immersion cooling for data centers using Novec Engineered Fluids can cut power use by 97%

Data centers are critical to every facet of our lives — from business and commerce to communications and entertainment. But large data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity, much of it for cooling. Immersion cooling using Novec electronic fluids allows for simple thermal design and has the potential to lower data center electricity costs related to cooling by up to 97%.
Fire protection that leads the way in sustainability

Compared with other clean agent fire suppressants, 3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid excels at addressing the global demand for a sustainable clean agent. It features a global warming potential of less than 1, is non-ozone depleting and has a short atmospheric lifetime of five days, compared with 65 years for halons. And unlike HFCs such as FM 200®, it is not targeted by a global phasedown.
Novec is a part of more sustainable insulating gas solutions for the electric power industry

For years, the electrical power industry has sought an alternative to SF₆ for gas-insulated applications. While effective at preventing arcing, SF₆ is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. With the development of Novec Insulating Gases, industry leaders and equipment manufacturers have worked with 3M to develop new SF₆-free gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), gas-insulated lines (GIL) and circuit breaker technology that has similar size, performance and features compared with traditional SF₆ equipment. Greenhouse gas impact reductions of up to 99.99% are attainable when Novec Insulating Gases are used, as compared with SF₆.