Designed to meet the strictest air quality standards in the nation, NavSolve™ provides an environmentally friendly, nonpetroleum-based cleaning solution for military and commercial applications ranging from parts washing to weapons to aircraft engine cleaning.
The solvent contains no hazardous air pollutants and fewer than 25 grams of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) per liter, and has been certified for use within the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
The Navy began collaborating with the Defense Logistics Agency in 2008 to develop a low-VOC cleaner after the South Coast AQMD and other jurisdictions began enacting strict VOC regulations. Traditional petroleum-based cleaning solvents for Type II applications contain more than 700 g/l of VOCs, as well as high levels of hazardous air pollutants, which can lead to serious health and environmental problems. NavSolve offers a safe alternative, allowing Navy bases and other military facilities located in areas with strict VOC regulations to remain in compliance without compromising cleaning performance.
NavSolve was invented by Dr. El Sayed Arafat, who showed extraordinary perseverance and dedication in creating an alternative to high- VOC cleaners, thus resolving a significant threat to the Navy’s ability to service its fleet. To ensure a competitive marketplace, Dr. Arafat and the Patuxent River technology transfer team determined that NavSolve should be commercialized by multiple licensees. Twenty-five potential licensees for NavSolve were identified, and 12 of those entered into partnerships with Patuxent River to conduct their own evaluation tests of the technology.
The solvent contains no hazardous air pollutants and fewer than 25 grams of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) per liter, and has been certified for use within the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
In addition, Armick Chemicals of Grand Rapids, Mich., entered into a personal licensing agreement with Patuxent River in 2010 to add NavSolve to its product line, which includes cleaning agents NavClean and NavGuard. In 2011, Patuxent River signed a second Patent License Agreement (PLA) for NavSolve, this time with Ecolink, Inc., of Tucker, Ga.
Worldwide, cleaning solvents represent a $5 billion market. Although environmentally friendly solvents constitute just a portion of that, it is a significant portion. With the development and licensing of NavSolve, Patuxent River and its licensees are well-positioned to benefit from a growing demand for a high-performing, low-VOC solvent.