Plastics Technology - Dedicated to improving Plastics Processing.
Issue link: http://pty.epubxp.com/i/707262
largest-volume, most widely used and lowest-cost phthalate. Its use in children's products has been prohibited for nearly a decade in the U.S. and the EU, though the latter is aiming to ban it altogether. This is also becoming the case with the other ortho- phthalates—DINP and DIDP (diisodecylphthalate). According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, toys for children under age three are currently regulated in the U.S and the EU to contain less than 0.1% of several ortho-phthalates, including DINP and DEHP. Ashok Adur, global development director at Indianapolis-based Vertellus (vertellus. com), says most major toy producers have switched away from ortho-phthalates; however, toys imported from Asia still may contain them. Adur says big-box stores like Walmart pushed Chinese manufacturers to convert; now, exports from the big Chinese toy suppliers supposedly do not contain the phthalates, though it's unclear who is doing any testing. He adds, "We are also seeing real pushback in Europe for no phthalates in wire and cable that go into toys and electronic gadgets. This is also catching on in North America—part of the drive is a liability concern. Even in automotive wiring, this is starting to take place to some extent, with the push coming from the electronic companies." Mark Brucks, market-development representative for plasticizers at Eastman Chemical (eastmanplasticizers.com), Kingsport, Tenn., adds that there will be continued pressure on phthalates, not just on the regulatory front, but also from major retailers. Home Depot and Lowes are no longer selling PVC flooring that contains phthalates. Apple has eliminated them from cables for earbuds and power cords. Mark Napiany, business director for plasticizers and oxo C5 alcohols at BASF (basf.com), Florham Park, N.J., explains that the classification of DEHP in Europe as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) has had a significant impact on conversion in that region. France's 2015 law that restricts DEHP's use in pedi- atrics, neonatology, and maternity applications has also driven changes in the medical device market. Addition of several ortho-phthalates to California Proposition 65 and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 have resulted in some conversion in the U.S. away from both DEHP and DINP. Eastman's Brucks points out that the advent of non- phthalate plasticizers with good toxicology profiles has actually supported the continued use of PVC in several market segments, including medical applications. These include medical tubing for IV, infusion, intra-tracheal, and dialysis applications, as well as intravenous bags and self- injectables. Conversion is largely driven by the EU, whose new medical-device directives (for which a final decision is pending) aim to abolish use of phthalates by 2020-2026, depending on the patient's illness. "Expect a knock-back effect in North America from brand owners and retailers with global business," says Brucks. He also mentions the recent trend of mega-mergers in the medical device industry, noting that the impact they might have on the choice of plasticizers in medical applications remains to be seen. Brucks and others venture that the use of DEHP in medical applications will decline in North America and Europe. They all project the same for DINP in general, clarifying that it is not used for medical devices that go into the body but for more general, not highly sensi- tive, applications. Says Paul Keeney, business director for epoxides at Arkema, Inc., King of Prussia, Pa. (arkema.com), "Issues with conversion may be fairly application/ user dependent. Most of the alternatives, while similar in perfor- mance, are not always a direct shoo-in and often require some reformulation and testing of the PVC compounds. Our technical staff is working to optimize the balance of cost and performance in phthalate-free vinyl products." Here's a look at some of the most recent non-phthalate alterna- tives that are getting increasing play. Included are new DOTP (dieth- ylehexyl terephthalate, aka DEHT) versions offered by both Eastman and BASF; and BASF's Hexamoll DINCH (disononyl cyclohexane dicarboxylate); VersaMax, based on a proprietary terephthalic ester from Eastman; a polyolester plasticizer called Pevalen from Ortho-phthalate plasticizers are on the way out in major flexible PVC applica- tions in the EU and North America. PHR to Reach 70 Shore A 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 Hardness/Efficiency: How Eastman's Plasticizer Stacks Up Eastman 168 SG Acetyl- tributyl- citrate Eastman DOP Hexamoll DINCH Trioctyl Trimellitate The efficiency of Eastman 168 SG (DOTP) has been shown to be fairly similar to Hexamoll DINCH. Eastman 168 SG is also shown to be more efficient than TOTM (far right) , and slightly lower in efficiency than both Eastman DOP (aka DEHP) and ATBC (center). @plastechmag 43 Plastics Technology Pla sticizers