PLASTICISERS | ADDITIVES
Corporate sustainability efforts and consumer concerns are seen as driving some shifts in plasticiser use. Jennifer Markarian reports on offerings from suppliers
New options for making PVC flexible
A wide range of plasticiser chemistries are used to make PVC flexible and enable its use in many different applications, from swimming pool liners and toys to medical devices and electrical cable insulation. Phthalate-based plasticisers are widely used, but
many of the low molecular weight phthalate plasticisers have been phased out or are coming under more restrictions due to toxicological concerns. High molecular weight phthalate-based plasticisers do not have the same concerns and have been extensively studied and regulated for more than two decades, said European Plasticisers, a sector group of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic). “High molecular weight phthalates represent
around 85% of all the ortho-phthalates currently produced in Western Europe,” the group said on its website. “Nowadays, the most commonly used high molecular weight phthalates are diisononyl (DINP), diisodecyl (DIDP) and di(2-propyl-heptyl) phthalate (DPHP). Use of low molecular weight
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phthalates is decreasing in Europe, and they account for less than 11% of the total production, with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, also known as DOP) representing the highest remaining but decreasing volume and DEHP is only used in specific applications.” In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) final risk assessments for DINP and DIDP reaffirmed the safety of the substances as currently used in the vast majority of applications, said the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) High Phthalates Panel. The evaluations had been requested in 2019 by the substances’ manufacturers, and the final risk assessments were released this year. “Specifically, EPA determined that uses of DINP and DIDP regulated under TSCA [Toxic Substances Control Act] do not pose unreasonable risk of injury to human health for consumers or the general population, or to the environment. This conclusion reconfirms DINP and DIDP manufacturers’ full confidence in the safety of these chemistries as currently used,” said the ACC Panel.
Main image: More alternatives to low molecular weight phthalate- based
plasticisers are reaching the market
August 2025 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 37
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