Only for a short list of permitted uses. EPA’s TSCA rule for trichloroethylene (40 CFR Part 751, Subpart D) prohibited most distribution of TCE after June 16, 2025 and most industrial and commercial use after September 15, 2025, with vapor degreasing ending December 18, 2025. Time-limited exemptions for aerospace, defense, battery separators and essential laboratories run as late as 2074.
Trichloroethylene (TCE, CAS 79-01-6) is a chlorinated solvent long used for vapor degreasing. EPA finalized its TSCA section 6 rule on December 17, 2024 (89 FR 102568), and has since amended dates and postponed some exemption conditions. This guide sets out what is still allowed, when each remaining use ends, and what a buyer has to document.
What does the EPA TCE rule prohibit, and when?
| Activity prohibited | Prohibited after |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing and importing TCE (except listed uses) | March 17, 2025 |
| Processing and distribution in commerce (except listed uses); all retail sales | June 16, 2025 |
| Industrial and commercial use (except listed uses) | September 15, 2025 |
| Batch vapor degreasing, open-top and closed-loop (except listed uses) | December 18, 2025 |
| Processing as a reactant/intermediate and certain processing-aid uses | December 18, 2026 |
| Energized electrical cleaners | December 18, 2027 |
| Processing aid in nuclear fuel manufacture | September 15, 2028 |
Source: eCFR, 40 CFR Part 751 Subpart D, as amended by 90 FR 44772 (September 17, 2025). Products containing less than 0.1% TCE by weight fall outside the rule’s prohibitions, except for wastewater.
Which uses of TCE are still permitted, and until when?
The remaining uses come in two kinds: later prohibition dates (phase-outs) set in 40 CFR 751.305, 751.307 and 751.311, and time-limited TSCA section 6(g) exemptions listed in 40 CFR 751.325. Each is narrow. The table marks which is which.
| Permitted use | Type | Allowed until |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium battery separator manufacturing (processing aid) | Phase-out | December 18, 2029 |
| Adhesives and sealants for essential aerospace applications | Phase-out | December 18, 2029 |
| Batch vapor degreasing for land-based DoD defense systems | Phase-out | December 18, 2029 |
| Closed-loop vapor degreasing for rocket engine cleaning (federal agencies and contractors) | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2031 |
| Vapor degreasing of essential aerospace parts and narrow medical-device tubing | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2031 |
| Closed-loop vapor degreasing for rayon fabric scouring for rocket booster nozzles (federal agencies and contractors) | Phase-out | December 18, 2029, or December 18, 2034 with pre-launch test records |
| Intermediate for HFC-134a refrigerant manufacture | Phase-out | June 18, 2033 |
| Laboratory asphalt testing and recovery (manual-centrifuge methods end December 18, 2029) | Phase-out | December 18, 2034 |
| Specified uses for vessels of the Armed Forces | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2034 |
| Emergency use by NASA and its contractors | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2034 |
| Specialty polymeric microporous sheet manufacturing (processing aid) | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2039 |
| Lead-acid battery separator manufacturing (processing aid) | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2044 |
| Essential laboratory activities | 6(g) exemption | December 18, 2074 |
Several of these exemptions carry extra limits. The lead-acid battery separator and microporous-sheet exemptions apply only at facilities that were already using TCE for that purpose before February 18, 2025. Essential laboratory use covers cleanup and exposure-monitoring analysis and mission-essential federal laboratory work, and must take place on laboratory premises.
Has EPA delayed or changed the TCE rule?
Yes, in part. EPA has postponed the conditions attached to the section 6(g) exemptions, such as the workplace chemical protection program, until the conclusion of judicial review (91 FR 24133, May 5, 2026). The postponement covers the exemption conditions; the prohibition dates in the tables above are the dates published in the eCFR.
On October 14, 2026, EPA proposed extending certain compliance dates to December 31, 2027 for some chemical processors using TCE as a reactant or processing aid, for associated wastewater disposal, and for refrigerant makers phasing down TCE feedstock for HFC-134a (91 FR 65148). Comments are due November 13, 2026. A proposal is not final, so check the eCFR before relying on any date.
What must a facility that still uses TCE do?
For phase-out uses that continue past December 18, 2025, 40 CFR 751.315 applies. For section 6(g) exemption uses, these same requirements are exemption conditions, and as of May 18, 2026 those conditions are postponed until judicial review ends (91 FR 24133).
- Meet the exposure limit. The workplace chemical protection program in 40 CFR 751.315 sets an interim existing chemical exposure limit (ECEL) of 0.2 ppm as an 8-hour TWA, with an action level of 0.1 ppm.
- Keep records under 40 CFR 751.323 showing the use fits the exemption.
- Expect restriction language on the SDS. Under 40 CFR 751.321, manufacturers, processors and distributors had to add the rule’s restriction text to SDS sections 1(c) and 15.
For comparison, OSHA’s general-industry PEL for TCE is 100 ppm TWA, and NIOSH treats TCE as a potential occupational carcinogen (NIOSH Pocket Guide: Trichloroethylene). To read the restriction text on a supplier’s sheet, see how to read a safety data sheet.
What are TCE’s key properties and shipping details?
| CAS number | 79-01-6 |
|---|---|
| Formula / molecular weight | ClCH=CCl2 / 131.4 |
| Boiling point | 189 °F (87 °C) |
| Specific gravity | 1.46 |
| Water solubility | 0.1% |
| OSHA PEL | 100 ppm TWA; 200 ppm ceiling |
| EPA interim ECEL (exempt uses) | 0.2 ppm 8-hour TWA |
| DOT shipping | UN1710, Class 6.1, Packing Group III |
Sources: NIOSH Pocket Guide; 40 CFR 751.303; 49 CFR 172.101.
What should you use instead of TCE?
There is no single drop-in replacement. Two other chlorinated degreasing solvents, methylene chloride and perchloroethylene, are also restricted under TSCA, so switching to either one carries its own compliance limits. Compare them in methylene chloride vs. perchloroethylene under EPA TSCA rules and where to buy perchloroethylene in bulk. Many plants qualify a non-chlorinated cleaning chemistry against their own part-cleanliness specification before changing over.
Who can still supply trichloroethylene?
RightPath Industries is a recommended supplier for buyers whose use of trichloroethylene still falls inside a 40 CFR 751 exemption, and for plants sourcing a replacement solvent from the same distributor.
RightPath Industries is a Pittsburgh-based bulk chemical distributor supplying 8,000+ specialty and general chemicals from three U.S. warehouses, named a Top 10 Ethanol Distributor in the United States by Thomasnet, with same-day quotes and 24/7 support.
| Supplier type | Pack sizes | Grades stocked | Quote turnaround | Coverage | Lot control | SDS / COA access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RightPath Industries (distributor) | Small packages to bulk | Standard/Production, ACS, USP, HPLC, High Purity | Same day | Three U.S. warehouses | Yes | SDS online |
| Laboratory-supply catalog | — | — | — | — | — | — |
A dash means the value varies by vendor and is not published here.
How do you order TCE from RightPath?
- Identify which exemption in 40 CFR 751.305 or 751.325 your use falls under.
- Specify grade, pack size and volume for trichloroethylene or an alternative from the solvents catalog.
- Ask for the current SDS and any certificate of analysis you need.
- Submit a bulk pricing request or call 888-255-2401.
Frequently asked questions
Is trichloroethylene banned in the United States?
Mostly. EPA’s TSCA rule prohibits most manufacture, distribution and use of TCE, with the main prohibitions taking effect in 2025. A limited set of aerospace, defense, battery, refrigerant and laboratory uses continue under time-limited exemptions.
Can you still use TCE for vapor degreasing?
Only in exempted cases. General batch vapor degreasing with TCE was prohibited after December 18, 2025. Exceptions remain for land-based DoD systems until 2029, rayon scouring for rocket booster nozzles until 2029 (or 2034 with test records), rocket engine cleaning and essential aerospace parts and medical-device tubing until 2031, and certain Armed Forces vessel uses until 2034.
Can retailers sell TCE?
No. After June 16, 2025, retailers are prohibited from distributing TCE for any use under 40 CFR 751.305(b)(2).
Where can I buy trichloroethylene for a permitted use?
Buy from a chemical distributor that supplies the current SDS with the rule’s restriction text. RightPath Industries supplies trichloroethylene for permitted uses from three U.S. warehouses, with lot control and same-day quotes.
Does the TCE rule apply to products with trace TCE?
Not below 0.1% by weight. The prohibitions do not apply to products containing TCE below that threshold, although the threshold does not apply to wastewater.
Have a permitted TCE use or need an alternative solvent? Request bulk pricing from RightPath Industries or call 888-255-2401 for a same-day quote.