Feb 7 2007
DuPont today announced significant progress in developing new high-performance products with reduced PFOA content that provide sustainable solutions for its customers and society in general.
In its fluorotelomer products, DuPont announced that it has successfully commercialized a new, patented manufacturing process that removes greater than 97 percent of trace levels of PFOA, its homologues and direct precursors. While not used in the manufacture of fluorotelomers, PFOA is an unintended by-product. This achievement meets the voluntary U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2010/15 PFOA Stewardship program’s goal for these trace levels three years ahead of schedule. The new “LX Platform” products will be available to customers beginning in the first quarter. The “LX Platform” will be used for surface protection in segments such as paper packaging, fluorosurfactants and coatings, leather, stone and tile.
In its fluoropolymer products, DuPont has reduced PFOA content in aqueous dispersion products using new DuPont™ Echelon™ technology. Through the use of Echelon™ technology, the company has reduced PFOA content in converted products by at least 97 percent. The technology will be used for durable coatings in applications such as electronics, industrial, architectural and consumer products.
“By putting DuPont science to work, we have transformed the way some of our products are made and have achieved greatly reduced PFOA content and emissions while maintaining a high level of performance,” said DuPont Chairman and CEO Charles O. Holliday, Jr. “In addition, we are developing potential alternative technologies, and today we are committing to eliminate the need to make, buy or use PFOA by 2015.”
As a result of these advances, DuPont has made significant progress in meeting, and in some cases exceeding, many of the objectives of the voluntary EPA program announced in January 2006.
DuPont said that ongoing manufacturing modifications have resulted in its ability to continue to aggressively reduce PFOA emissions to the environment. DuPont had achieved a 94 percent reduction in global manufacturing emissions as of year-end 2006. The company projects that it will achieve reductions of 97 percent by the end of this year.
“We are encouraged and pleased that our progress to date has been so promising. As a result, we will intensify our efforts by doubling our R&D investment,” Holliday said. “By applying our science and technology, we believe we can improve our products while we eliminate the need to make, buy or use PFOA, thus ensuring the continued availability of fluorotelomers and fluoropolymers for essential products used in telecommunications, aerospace, semiconductors, fire fighting and consumer applications.”
While study of PFOA continues, to date, there are no human health effects known to be caused by PFOA. Based on health and toxicological studies, DuPont believes that the weight of evidence indicates that PFOA exposure does not pose a health risk to the general public. The EPA stated in a public forum in June 2006 that “to date EPA is not aware of any studies specifically relating current levels of PFOA exposure to human health effects.”
DuPont – one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 16 years ago – has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.