From Corn to Clean: Why Kreussler Developed Bio-Based SYSTEMK4

For 8 years SYSTEMK4 has expanded the textile care industry with proven reliability and performance. We’re happy to add ‘bio-based and sustainability’ to the attributes of this paradigm-shifting solvent. Yes! And here’s why Kreussler developed Bio-Based SYSTEMK4.

SOLVONK4, the cornerstone of the SYSTEMK4 textile cleaning process, was revolutionary in its composition. Every solvent introduced since SOLVONK4 has been a blend of hydrocarbon with glycol or modified alcohols, relying on the co-solvent to improve the cleaning performance but skirting the concerns of stability and consistency when in regular use.
SOLVONK4 offers one single ultrapure solvent that cleans better than Perc without any of the environmental or health related concerns.

Although not a hydrocarbon, SOLVONK4 was made through the reaction of two chemicals which came from the petroleum refining industry. The result of this very simple and clean reaction was the pure compound Dibutoxymethane or DBM.
Over 1,000 Cleaners are using SOLVONK4 and universally praise the cleaning performance, ease of use, low risk for damage to trim and ornamentation as well as exceptional solvent mileage. Many cleaners have taken advantage of the ability to promote its low risk to the environment and health safety. There are challenges in finding a simple way to explain to the end users of dry cleaners what it is and why it’s better.

Misleading claims from some solvent companies, for example, that their product is derived from or as safe as sand makes great copy but anyone with access to Google can soon find out that to go from silicate to silicone is not easy, clean, low carbon or low waste and has a huge toll on the environment. Consumers are interested in the entire carbon footprint of a product when making their decisions. Important things like:

• Where did the raw ingredients come from?
• How much energy was used to make this?
• What are the waste streams that resulted?
• What will happen when I am done with it?

With the exception of water, all solvents would have a difficult time scoring high marks when a cradle to grave assessment is made. For all solvents, with the exception of water, there was no way to improve this score until the development of SOLVONK4. SOLVONK4 was derived from the petroleum industry due to economics not because of necessity.
SOLVONK4 is composed of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. The source of these elements isn’t important to the composition. We knew that was just as easy to produce the carbon supplying butanol from bio derived material as it was from petro derived and we are very happy to say that is exactly where it comes from now.

Launched during Clean in Las Vegas in 2017 and now available in the market SOLVONK4 is made using carbon grown in corn, right here in the US. You read that right, SOLVONK4 is now derived from American-grown corn.

Thanks to work of Green Biologics and their facility in Minnesota we are now making dry cleaning solvent from corn grown by about 500 family-owned farms in the heartland of America. Bio-derived and sustainable are words never before applied to the dry-cleaning industry until now. Changing the source of the carbon has no negative effect on the solvent or its cleaning performance, only adding to it an even purer version DBM with all the additional marketing benefits of a solvent made in part from corn.

Over the next several months Kreussler will be rolling out additional marketing tools to help our SYSTEMK4 clients to promote this change and the benefits to the end-users. At Kreussler, we put our clients first, we don’t compromise and always reach for true innovation and advancement. We feel strongly that this separates Kreussler from our competitors and SOLVONK4 from other solvents on the market.

We are looking forward to this development and all the benefits and competitive advantages it will present to you, our partner in a successful future.

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