Proposed EU Regulations Regarding PFAS

On February 7, 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published a regulatory proposal to restrict the manufacture, placing on the market, and use of all Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the EU.

The proposal defines PFAS as any substance that contains at least one CF3- or -CF2- chemical functional group without any H/Cl/Br/I attached to it. Roughly 10,000 substances, including both non-polymeric and polymeric substances, meet this definition. Zeus components produced from the well-known fluoropolymers PTFE, FEP, PFA, ETFE, ECTFE, and PVDF are thereby defined as PFAS because they contain CF3- or -CF2- functional groups.

If the proposal is accepted in its current state, it will prohibit any company from manufacturing, using, selling, or importing any products containing any form of PFAS in the EU within 12 years. This would ultimately prohibit Zeus from supplying fluoropolymer components to the EU. Furthermore, any product that contains a fluoropolymer component (in a concentration of 50 parts per million or above) would also be prohibited in the EU.

As can be imagined, this proposal could wreak havoc on not only the EU economy, but economies around the world due to the widespread use of fluoropolymers across multiple industry segments and applications:

• Medical
  • Fluoropolymers are used extensively in surgical devices such as catheters, thanks to their biocompatibility and low coefficient of friction.
  • Fluoropolymers are used extensively in defibrillators, pacemakers, and imaging devices thanks to their exceptional dielectric properties.
  • Fluoropolymers are used in implantable devices such as stents-grants, sutures, meshes, and more, thanks to their biocompatibility.
• Energy
  • Fluoropolymers are used in many critical wiring and cable management applications thanks to their exceptional dielectric properties.
• Transportation
  • Fluoropolymers are used in fuel lines, hydraulic systems, and more, thanks to their exceptional chemical resistance and high working temperatures.
  • Fluoropolymers are used in many critical wiring and cable management applications thanks to their exceptional dielectric properties.
• Electronics
  • Fluoropolymers are used during semiconductor manufacturing thanks to their exceptional heat and chemical resistance.

Without fluoropolymers, these industries, and many like them, will be severely affected as viable alternatives that possess the same properties and performance characteristics as fluoropolymers do not exist.

Learn how you can take action and provide feedback to the proposed EU regulations here.

Stay up to date with the latest news from ECHA here.