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Materials News
EU control on phthalates and Eastman to stop producing
P
hthalates used in plastics have now been placed under a special European Union (EU) control list that will ban them from 2015 unless a specific function has been authorised by the European Commission. Meanwhile, US company Eastman Chemical will no longer manufacture two of its ortho-phthalate plasticisersFirst to be placed on the EU list, which is mandated by EU's chemical control system Reach, are the three phthalates of bis(2-ethylexyl) phthalate (DEHP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are among a group of six chemicals.
DEHP makes plastics more flexible, including those used in medical products such as blood bags and dialysis equipment, and also in construction materials, including cables, roofs and tubing.
Meanwhile, BBP has been used as a plasticiser additive for PVC and polymers, for use in automotive parts, vinyl floor coverings and other products. And DBP has also been used in PVC for vehicle parts, construction materials, cables, medical devices and toys.
In other news on phthalates, Eastman will stop producing its DEP and DBP plasticisers. With the recent acquisition of the Benzoflex family of benzoate plasticisers and the launch of its DBT non-phthalate plasticiser, Eastman says it is able to offer a number of non-phthalate alternatives.