The so-called PFOA, short for ammonium perfluorooctanoate, is an artificial chemical substance that does not exist in nature. Due to its excellent emulsification performance that can uniformly disperse insoluble substances in water, it is mainly In the form of PFOA salt, it is used as a polymerization aid for various fluoropolymers. In traditional fluorine-containing water and oil repellents, there are non-artificial traces of PFOA as impurities.

Because PFOA is a chemically extremely stable substance, it is generally believed that it will not decompose in nature and remain in nature. Because it has the property that it is difficult to be excreted once it enters the body, and it is worried about long-term intake. Toxicity, PFOA is regarded as a material that is worrying about the environment and safety. Since 2000, various countries have conducted various investigations and studies. Since there is no determination of the risk level to the human body, no regulations have been formulated so far. Sexual restriction policy.

Regardless of whether there are regulatory restrictions, the development of products that users can use with confidence is the correct solution to PFOA concerns. We are determined to start from scratch and redesign all raw materials and manufacturing methods, not just Improve the existing products, and take the lead in the world to successfully commercialize the new generation of PFOA-free fluorinated water and oil repellent "AsihiGuard E-series".

 
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project

It is widely believed that since it is currently impossible to assert that the risk of PFOA to the human body is zero, some form of countermeasures must be taken. In January 2006, the United States Department of the Environment formulated the reduction of PFOA and PFOA related substances As well as the environmental emissions of the precursors of these substances, as well as the initiative to reduce the content of products (compared with the base year (2000), 95% reduction by 2010 and abolition in 2015), and recommended 8 fluorine Manufacturers of resins and fluorine-containing water and oil repellents participated in this project. Asahi Glass agreed with the call and expressed its participation in the project.

Reference: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA< span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:#0066FF;font-size:16px;">) Homepage

AsihiGuard E-series development

After deciding on the policy of “maintaining colorful life and convenience coexisting with low environmental load as a value center, and providing convenient products with lower environmental load”, researchers have devoted themselves to innovation day and night. In the development of a first-generation product. However, it is not easy to overcome the above problems. The general view is that the more carbon atoms of the Rf group, the better the water and oil resistance. In order to obtain sufficient performance, the number of carbon atoms must be within 8 or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of solving the PFOA problem described above, the smaller the number of carbon atoms in Rf, the lower the bioaccumulation, and the safety can be improved.

Bioaccumulation of final decomposition products of fluorinated water and oil repellent

We deduced the answer of “RF-based carbon atom number = 6 while maintaining performance and safety”. After numerous polymer trials and evaluations, we finally successfully developed AsahiGuard E -Series. Although conventional products have also implemented measures to reduce the content of PFOA, as a fundamental countermeasure, we have launched the "AsahiGuard E-series" that does not contain any worrying substances. Now, we agree with our concept and specify And the number of users adopting the "AsahiGuard E-series" is increasing. In the future, the product line of the "AsahiGuard E-series" will be enriched as soon as possible, in order to achieve the goal of the reduction of worrying substances and realize a rich living environment with low environmental load. Contribute.

 Trends in other countries outside the United States< /span>

Worries about PFOA have also aroused discussion in Canada and the European Union. In the EU directive issued on December 27, 2006, Europe pointed out that it is necessary to advance the progress of risk assessment related to PFOA and related substances. As well as evaluating the availability of safer alternative substances. The directive also recommends that once economic and technical aspects are considered safe and safer alternatives, all means should be used to reduce the risks of PFOA and related substances.

After Canada banned the manufacture and import of new traditional water and oil repellents in 2006, as an initiative to take existing substances, in order to promote the reduction of PFOA, similar substances and related substances based on the Environmental Performance Agreement Its predecessor material activities are discussing the content of activities with related companies.