NEWS
Fluoropolymers sector faces tough scrutiny, industry is told
The regulatory risks and potential opportunities around PFAS-containing products were discussed at a work- shop event in Brussels, Belgium, in September, organised by AMI, the publisher of Compounding World. Fluoropolymers are one part of the universe of PFAS products that are facing intensified regulatory pressure in the EU and North America due to environmental and health concerns about the persistence of PFAS. Around 40,000 tpa of fluoropoly-
mers are sold in the EU28/EEA region, said Cedric Triquet from Chemours Group at the event, where he was representing the Fluoropolymers Product Group (FPG) Management Committee at PlasticsEurope. He said the materials are “indispen- sable to sectors such as renewable energy, semiconductors, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure, all pivotal for Europe’s economic growth, competitiveness, critical autonomy and sustainability”. The FPG has developed a Manufac-
turing Programme for fluoropolymer manufacturing sites in Europe and it is due to report on emission reductions at these sites in early 2025, he said. The EU announced in early 2023 a
proposal for a universal PFAS restric- tion which would come into force in 2025 or 2026. The EU’s consultation process is considering proposed derogations from the restriction for certain applications where alternatives
are not yet available. Theresa Kjell, Head of Chemicals
Policy at ChemSec in Sweden, said it is “an enormous task” for any company to study the large number of chemi- cals in the EU restriction dossier and attempt to work out if its own PFAS- containing products will be affected. She said ChemSec had been studying PFAS for years but the EU’s move “changes everything”. “Change is happening,” Kjell told industry delegates at the workshop, “the question is how to tap into opportunities in the PFAS-free market.” The global fluoropolymers market
was worth approximately $8.38bn in 2023, said Richard Shepherd, Senior Consultant at AMI, who stressed that market estimates vary widely. Com- pound annual growth rates of 5-6% would increase the market size to $13.90bn in 2033, which he said is based on AMI’s interpretation of
Theresa Kjell, (below) Head of Chemicals Policy at ChemSec, spoke at the AMI PFAS Workshop
available data in an ongoing project. Seals in energy applications are
made of fluoroelastomers because of their very strong performance in chemical and thermal resistance, and viable alternatives do not currently exist, said Shepherd. Alan Taylor, Technology Fellow at TWI in the UK, said: “There is no alternative chemistry to replace fluoropolymers for seals with chemi- cal, thermal, plasma and radioactive resistance.” In the area of PFAS-containing
coatings, he said TWI is investigating siloxane-based materials as potential alternatives. TWI is planning a joint industry project to provide support to industry partners. n To register your interest in AMI Consulting’s work in PFAS contact Astrid Della Porta
astrid.dellaporta@
amiplastics.com.
Covestro to build TPU application centre in China
Covestro has announced it will start construction of a new TPU APAC application development centre in Guangzhou, China. The centre is designed to integrate technical acumen
6
with innovative solutions and tailored services in key applications including paint protection films, specialty cables, consumer electron- ics, footwear and further extrusion and injection
COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2024
moulding applications, said the company. The new centre follows
on from Covestro’s com- mencement in 2023 of a project to build its largest TPU plant in the nearby
coastal city of Zhuhai. Construction in Guang- zhou is set to begin in late 2024, with the facility expected to become operational in 2025. �
www.covestro.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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