Number

074-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Abstract

This document relates a study of how different corporations such as Apple, Sony Ericsson and Seagate have proceeded with eliminating PVC and halogenated flame retardants from their products. A few examples from the study will be described in this case story.

Substituted substances

Alternative Substances

Reliability of information

Evidence of implementation: there is evidence that the solution was implemented and in use at time of publication

Reason substitution

ecotoxicity
other toxic effects

Other type of alternative

Reducing the amounts of PVC-cables by simplifying the internal design of the product and switching to more material efficient connectors.

Hazard Assessment

Substance to be substituted: Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) is a Substance of very high concern and is included on the REACH candidate list for authorization, according to Article 59 of Regulation (EG) No. 1907/2006(REACH Regulation). It also fulfils the criteria to be listed in the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC). Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), according to the IARC Monographs. It fulfils the criteria to be listed in the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC). Alternative substances: None of the alternatives are not included in the database of hazardous substances according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC) and have no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation). Several of the most widely used halogenated flame retardants are toxic, persistent and bioaccumulating. » Check the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC)

Description of Substitution

The document that forms the basis for this case study reviews how bromine and chlorine compounds have been eliminated from products of several large corporations worldwide. Methods to eliminate these compounds vary between companies and many of the methods are organisational in nature such as establishing guidelines for how to remove unwanted chemicals from production, maintaining good relationships with manufacturers, or working via product improvement programs. Some examples of substitution in the document are however more chemical or technical in nature, which are described below. If you are interested in the different organisational methods for accomplishing substitution in an effective way please consult the original document. In 2006 the technology company Apple decided to eliminate bromine and chloride-based compounds completely from materials used in Apple products. Since then the company has worked in several ways to substitute these compounds or remove the need for them completely. Most chloride and bromide compounds used in technology products are flame retardants, so these were the most important to substitute. One of the methods used to accomplish this, was by using fewer potentially flammable polymers in favour of more inherently fire-resistant materials such as titanium, aluminium, steel and new specialised polymers. The need for PVC coated wires was also reduced, in many cases by eliminating the need for wires completely by substituting these with more material efficient connectors. In cases where flammable materials still have to be used, often bromine and chloride-based flame retardants were substituted with other flame retardants such as ammonium polyphosphate or different metal hydroxides. Other companies have tried other solutions to reduce bromine and chloride-based compounds. The plastics manufacturer DSM has developed a kind of high-performance thermoplastic without brominated flame retardants, PVC, halogens or plasticisers called Arnitel XG. The same company has also produced a halogen free polyamide resin called Stanyl ForTii. The manufacturer of flash-memory based components Silicon Storage has also managed to substitute their use of brominates based flame retardants with an aromatic resin formulation.

Case/substitution evaluation

Halogenated flame retardants can have severe negative consequences on the environment, including PBT-properties. Eliminating the need for halogenated flame retardants by switching to other solutions and materials that are inherently flame resistant is a way to phase out these compounds. Ammonium polyphosphate is not classified with any risk phrases and should therefore be a suitable alternative in those applications where it can be utilised.

State of implementation

Full capacity

Availability ofAlternative

All alternatives described here are available on the market.

Type of information supplier

User

Type of publication and availability

Freely available

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

Nardono Nimpuno, International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) Alexandra McPherson and Tanvir Sadique, Clean Production Action (CPA) 2009

Publication source

Type of publication and availability

https://www.cleanproduction.org/images/ee_images/uploads/resources/Greening_Consumer_Electronics.pdf

Date, reviewed

December 11, 2020