Fri, 17 January, 2025
Industry is facing an increasing business risk as a result of concerns over the use of PFAS products, but TWI can help you navigate this complex and changing landscape.
Fluorochemicals and fluoropolymers (often grouped and abbreviated to PFAS) are key components in a vast number of products across all industry sectors and have been in use for many decades. Their utility is due to their chemical and thermal stability and inherent chemical properties that make them particularly effective at providing repellent properties at surfaces and as surfactants.
However, there are growing concerns about the presence of PFAS in the environment and the presence of some of these in human populations. The potential health hazards associated with some of these substances has led to them being banned under the Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Recent estimates suggest global clean-up costs to remove PFAS pollution could reach as much as £1.6 trillion over the next 20 years.
These concerns about the hazards (known and potential), the widespread contamination of water sources and the persistent nature of PFAS is leading to a significant increase in regulations. More than 150 PFAS policies have been enacted in the US since 2007, and the EU is considering a universal restriction under its REACH regulatory framework. Reporting regulations are being put into place in Canada and PFAS contamination limits in water are being enacted in many other locations.
Mounting regulation, pressure from environmental groups, and growing ESG concerns are increasing the pressure on PFAS manufacturers and users. Manufacturers have had to pay over $20 billion in litigation costs and key manufacturers have already stated their intention to exit the market.
Industry response to these challenges include improvements in manufacturing processes to reduce release of PFAS into the environment. In addition, the broad approach of grouping chemicals, and particularly polymers, is being robustly challenged. The outstanding engineering properties of many fluoropolymers and their importance to the energy transition and achieving climate change objectives has been widely highlighted.
PFAS Support from TWI
It is clear that the future will be more complex, expensive and challenging than the past. As part of our service to our Industrial Membership, TWI has been providing regular updates on this changing landscape for the last 18 months. These updates have included a webinar, two workshops and several conference presentations. Our next public presentation will be at an upcoming RSC event.
TWI has also launched a Joint Industry Project on this subject to help sponsors to mitigate their business risk. This project will provide a clear and accessible overview of this complex topic. It will also provide a review of the market and a guidelines for identifying alternative materials and technologies specifically for coatings, surface treatments and seals.
The increasing business risk surrounding PFAS is creating an environment for innovation for replacement technologies. Some of these technologies are already part of mature supply chains that have been previously overlooked but offer prudent alternatives, whilst others need to be demonstrated that they can satisfy industrial demand.
PFAS is a supply chain issue and TWI is well placed to support our Industrial Members to navigate what is clearly going to be an increasingly complex landscape.
For more information please email contactus@twi.co.uk for the attention of:
Dr Alan Taylor (TWI Technology Fellow and PFAS subject matter expert)
Dr Sofia Sampethai (TWI JIP Manager)