Environment, health and safety

Betaine:

Betaine is one of the main raw materials of Thermera, in addition to water. Betaine, or trimethylglycine, is an amino acid, and it occurs in all living organisms. It is also used as an additive in foodstuffs, medicines, cosmetics, and animal feeds. Betaine as a chemical is well known and there is a lot of literature on this subject. Betaine used in Thermera is acquired from sugar beet.

Biodegradation of betaine.

In general a substance is defined as easily biodegradable, if the mineralization degree after 28 days exceeds 60%. In the case of betaine, this value exceeds 88%, so it can be called highly biodegradable.

Stability of betaine.

Betaine is very stable, both in view of temperature and microbiology. Betaine endures a continuous temperature of more than 110 °C. Betaine prevents the growth of micro-organisms, when the betaine content of a fluid is over 20 w-%. Solubility of betaine Betaine is completely water-soluble. This means a completely homogeneous aqueous solution under all circumstances. For comparison, glycols just mix with water (water and glycol may later separate in a solution).

Non-toxicity of Thermera

Betaine, the main raw material, is an absolutely non-toxic natural product, which is verified as a material suitable for several drugs by the United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Such small amounts of additives have been used in Thermera as to keep the end product non-toxic. (Cf. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland’s statement).

Combustibility of Thermera

Thermera is not a combustible fluid. See also the safety data sheet.

Destructibility of Thermera.

Thermera can be disposed from the HVAC systems directly to the sewer system. However, the correct procedure shall always be checked with the local sewage treatment plant. Betaine does not cause any risk to a biological purification plant.

Storage and transportation of Thermera

Because of Thermera’s non-toxicity, no official licences are needed for the storage and transportation of Thermera (Cf. Safety data sheet). Thermera should be stored protected from direct sunlight. Thermera should always be stored in a sealed container, to avoid evaporation of water from the product. Betaine which has possibly crystallized on the container edge (white deposit or powder) can be easily dissolved back to the solution by shaking the container.