Number
244-EN
Section
General Section
Use
Sector
Manufacture of rubber products
Manufacture of plastics products, including compounding and conversion
Other
Function
Flame retardant
Process
Other
Product category
other
Application
Flame retardants in plastic pallets
Abstract
This is a report comparing evaluating the alternatives to plastic pallets containing DecaBDE for flame retardancy. The investigations evaluate different materials and chemical flame retardants and also investigate if fire safety measures would eliminate the need for flame retardants in plastic pallets. The green screen for safer chemicals was used to evaluate the hazards of the chemical alternatives, and two of the investigated chemicals were found to be safer than DecaBDE: magnesium hydroxide and a proprietary phosphorus based substance. In addition, wood passed the fire safety test.
Substituted substances
DecaBDE
CAS No. 1163-19-5 EC No. 214-604-9 Index No.
Chemical group
Bromine compounds; ethers
Other adverse effects
The substance is: on the OSPAR list of substances of possible concern, endocrine disruptor (SIN List), as listed in the Substance Database according to SUBSPORT Screening Criteria (SDSC)
Alternative Substances
Magnesium hydroxide
CAS No. 1309-42-8 EC No. 215-170-3 Index No.
Chemical group
Magnesium compounds; hydroxides
Reliability of information
Internet information: data are from an internet document and only a basic and partial evaluation could be performed
Reason substitution
CMR
PBT
vPvB
Other type of alternative
Using wooden pallets would also provide the flame retardant properties desired for this application, according to this study.
Hazard Assessment
Substances to be substituted: DecaBDE 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). Alternative substance: Magnesium hydroxide is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database and has no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation).
Description of Substitution
Pallets are used to ship goods around the world. An increasing number of the pallets are made of plastics. In the US, fire safety standards require the use of flame retardants in plastic pallets, and the most common flame retardant used for this purpose is decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE). Deca BDE is of concern due to its persistence and its endocrine disruptive properties. This report goes through possible alternatives to deca BDE for this purpose, including the use of other materials (wood) for the pallets and also investigates if increased fire safety measurements would eliminate the need for chemical flame retardants. The green screen for safer chemicals was used to evaluate the hazards of the chemical flame retardant alternatives. Two of the evaluated flame retardants: a magnesium hydroxide-based one and a phosphorus based one- were found better than deca BDE from a hazard point of view. Neither wooden pallets or pallets with non-halogenated flame-retardants met the functional requirements set up by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). The wooden pallets were found too heavy and the plastic ones with non-halogenated flame retardants were found too weak. For many applications, however, the wood and the plastic ones without halogenated flame-retardants would be sufficient.
Case/substitution evaluation
This is an extensive report considering alternatives in a wide perspective, including replacement of flame retardants with fire safety measures.
State of implementation
Full capacity
Availability ofAlternative
The tested evaluated alternatives were all on the market at the time of the study.
Type of information supplier
Authority
Publication source: author, company, institute, year
Prepared for: Maine Department of Environmental Protection by: www.purestrategies.com 2012
Publication source
Type of publication and availability
http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/attach.php?id=365205&an=3
Date, reviewed
November 26, 2021