Vencorex presents Hexachlorobenzene-free Isophorone diisocyanate (HCB-free IPDI)

03-09-2020

Vencorex presents Hexachlorobenzene-free Isophorone diisocyanate (HCB-free IPDI).

For some decades, Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) has been increasingly used in polyurethane chemistry applicable in many related industries, namely, coatings, adhesives, inks, and elastomers. Being a cycloaliphatic isocyanate with different reactivities between two isocyanate functions, IPDI does not only pertain high lightfastness as any aliphatic isocyanates, but it also provides  good selectivity in urethane reactions, leading to good control of polymeric chain length and consequently suitable mechanical & chemical properties.

Polyurethane materials based on IPDI are often related to human-contact applications; for example, inks for food packaging, adhesives for sport shoes, and top-coats for electronic appliances as well as wood furniture. Therefore, it is ideal to avoid any carcinogenic contaminants, even at ppm levels, such as notable contaminant hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which is difficult to totally eliminate in IPDI or polyurethane production.

Historically, HCB had many uses in agriculture; the major agricultural application for HCB used to be as a seed dressing for crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye to prevent growth of fungi. The use of HCB in such applications was banned in many countries in the 1970s due to concerns about adverse effects on the environment and human health. Today, it remains mostly as a by-product or impurity in some pesticides and other chemicals.

According to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, HCB is found to be hazardous for all living organisms and reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen leading to being banned for commercial usages globally. Its carcinogenicity has been addressed by many organizations, most recent by the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) of European Union as class 1B – H350 (May cause cancer). Consequently, prominent leather& textile associations and many related companies such as OEKO-TEX and Nike have restricted to 1 ppm maximum presence of total chlorinated benzene including HCB in the final products.

In response to the raising safety concerns, Vencorex ensures that its IPDI is free from this carcinogenic compound and can be recommended for food and human-contact applications.

Vencorex, as leading producer of aliphatic diisocyanates and their derivatives, is highly committed to offer safe and environmentally friendly products to its customers. To illustrate this, Vencorex was pioneering in launching Tolonate™ X FLO 100, a partially bio-based isocyanate derivative, in 2013, and since 2016 Vencorex has been rated with the Gold Medal from EcoVadis rewarding world class management system, sustainable development, and Corporate Social Responsibility.

For further information, do not hesitate to contact Vencorex via https://www.vencorex.com/contact-us/

 

Reference

  1. Website of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Archived at the Wayback Machine (2014)
  2. The US National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services, Report on Carcinogens, Fourteenth Edition (2016)
  3. Institut national de l’environnement industriel et des risques, Fiche de données toxicologiques et environnementales des substances chimiques: HEXACHLOROBENZÈNE (2011)
  4. Nike, CHEMISTRY PLAYBOOK, 2018
  5. Internationale Gemeinschaft für Forschung und Prüfung auf dem Gebiet der Textil- und Lederökologie, STANDARD 100 BY OEKO-TEX, 2019
  6. https://ecovadis.com