PVC stabilizers | additives feature
Vinyl decision: selecting heat stabilizers for PVC compounds
A world free of lead-based PVC stabilizers is one step closer. By the end of this year, the use of these heavy metal additives is scheduled to end in Europe, as production is fi nally phased out under a voluntary agreement among members of the European Stabiliser Producers Association (ESPA). If previous experience is anything to go by, the rest of the world is likely to follow suit. Alain Cavallero, secretary general of ESPA, said in late May that the European phase-out was still on-going, but on-track. All lead-based stabilizers with commercial relevance
have been registered under the EU’s REACH regula- tions, and all have been identifi ed as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and included in the REACH Candidate List on the basis of their CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic) classifi cation. When a substance is included in the Candidate List, suppliers of articles which contain it in a concentration by weight above 0.1% have to provide article users with enough information to allow its safe use. Lead-based additives have not really been an issue in the North America, where tin-based chemistries have traditionally dominated, but they will continue to be specifi ed in other parts of the world for some time to come. “Lead-based additives have been workhorses worldwide for years, and they still account for a majority of the market in Asia”” says Cavallero. However, he expects more phase-outs to occur. “Generally what happens in Europe sooner or later happens in other countries too,” he explains. “Alterna-
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Peter Mapleston examines new developments in PVC stabilizers, including replacements for lead-based additives
tives have already been validated in Europe and the USA, so there is no risk in adopting them. Processors here have also learned how to process alternatives, so it will be straightforward for companies operating internationally to transfer best practices to other facilities.” Cavallero also points out the power of consumers to push moves to more sustainable systems. What about recycling old PVC products that contain
lead stabilizers? Cavallero points out that the “Circular Economy” package adopted by the EU encourages recycling instead of landfi ll. “ESPA and VinylPlus [the voluntary sustainable development programme of the European PVC industry] are studying the migration of legacy additives, including lead, from the PVC matrix to demonstrate that they pose no risk for the use of articles containing them,” he says.
Tin under the microscope Lead-based stabilizers are not the only types on a downward path, with some tin-based types also in the regulatory spotlight. There are no restrictions in Europe
June 2015 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 17 Window
profi les can be a challenging application for lead-free PVC stabilizers
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