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What is PFOA?
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was used for decades in the production of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). While PFOA has been phased out of most PTFE production, PFOA often still exists in recycled PTFE streams and in irradiated micropowders. Such micropowders are manufactured into consumer and industrial applications, including lubricants and greases, printing inks, cosmetics, coatings and more. Thus, many products still contain PFOA, despite a broad belief that PFOA has been phased out and is no longer relevant.
Why is PFOA a concern?
Over the last several decades, there has been increasing scrutiny and research about the lasting effects of PFOA on the environment and mankind. PFOA doesn’t break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over long periods of time, which can reportedly lead to several potential health problems. Research on how it adversely affects human health is ongoing, but there is evidence that it can increase cholesterol, affect the immune system and increase the risk of some cancers.1
According to the American Cancer Society, studies have found that PFOA is present at very low levels in almost everyone’s blood around the world.
PTFE micropowders impart many product performance features and are tough to replace with other materials. As there’s no easy substitute for these products, manufacturers are in search of a solution that reduces PFOA content to non-detectable amounts, rather than replacing PTFE micropowders altogether.
The need for such a solution is now. Regulatory agencies around the world, such as REACH and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have been pushing for limitations on the levels of PFOA permissible in products produced or sold in their jurisdictions. New regulations over the next two years will require manufacturers to decrease PFOA levels from >1000 ppb (parts per billion) to 25 ppb.
Specify Fixpure for PFOA Elimination
Using decades of expertise with fluoropolymers, we’ve brought our unique Fixpure technology to commercial scale to ensure compliance and peace of mind for material producers, formulators and consumers around the world.
Fixpure can safely and efficiently eliminate PFOA from fluoropolymer materials from thousands of ppb to non-detectable levels, while maintaining the material characteristics and performance advantages that make your product formulations successful. Fixpure can eliminate PFOA, while maintaining your formulation’s wear and scratch resistance, lubrication, heat performance and more.
In addition to making your product formulation more sustainable, the Fixpure technology itself practices sustainable manufacturing with zero process waste and zero water waste.
Together, we can eliminate PFOA. Together, we will better the world.
Download the Fixpure technical datasheet to learn more.