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Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). Overview. What is TBBPA? EU Risk Assessment Process Risk Assessment Status for TBBPA Future developments - REACH WEEE Directive Resource Recovery at Integrated Metals Smelter Conclusions. What is TBBPA?. What is TBBPA?. Tetrabromobisphenol-A.

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Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

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  1. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

  2. Overview • What is TBBPA? • EU Risk Assessment Process • Risk Assessment Status for TBBPA • Future developments - REACH • WEEE Directive • Resource Recovery at Integrated Metals Smelter • Conclusions

  3. What is TBBPA?

  4. What is TBBPA? Tetrabromobisphenol-A • One of 75 different Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs). • The largest volume brominated flame retardant in production worldwide today.

  5. Chemical Properties of TBBPA • In epoxy resins, TBBPA is a reactive chemical. After processing, TBBPA does not exist as a free chemical in the matrix but as part of the polymer chain to make the final product - e.g. FR4 printed circuit board laminate.

  6. The Main Uses of TBBPA • The main application of TBBPA is as a reactive flame retardant in laminates (e.g. epoxy resins) for PWBs (FR4 boards!) • TBBPA is also used as an additive flame retardant mainly in ABS plastics.

  7. Continued growth in TBBPA global market –shift to the Far East

  8. STYRENICS (Mainly ABS) 42,500 MT (24%) TBBPA derivatives & oligomers 30,500 MT (18%) LAMINATES (Epoxy & Phenolics) 96,500 MT (58%) TOTAL SALES – 170,000 MT

  9. EU Risk Assessment Process

  10. EU Risk Assessment Proces Central basis of EU chemical legislation • European Regulation 793/93/EC • Identification of priority chemicalson the basis of properties and use volumes (“Priority Lists” 1 - 4) • Analysis of data on ecological and toxicological properties and on human and environmental exposure • Assessment of potential risks to human health and to environment (air, soil, sediment, water …) – two risk assessment reports are developed! EU Risk Assessment of several FRs currently completed or underway

  11. EU Risk Assessment Process • Three possible outcomes: Approved as Safe Risk Reduction Measures Ban

  12. EU Risk Assessment ProcessStatus for TBBPA • Environmental Report: • Ongoing • TBBPA is not a Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) chemical • Potential for degradation currently under investigation • Not readily biodegradable • 3 tests ongoing to generate more data (sludge, soil, sediment) • Low bioaccumulation potential • Toxic to aquatic organisms • Next EU technical discussion will be held in June 2006. Finalization is expected at the end of 2006.

  13. EU Risk Assessment ProcessStatus for TBBPA • Environmental Classification • TBBPA is classified with R50/53 – Very Toxic for the Environment. However: • Once reacted into the polymer backbone, TBBPA does not exist anymore & so this classification is of no consequence for Printed Circuit Boards • Its use in printed circuit boards is fully compatible with all existing ecolabels regardless of the classification • The BFR Industry pro-actively developed a Voluntary Emissions Reduction & Control Action Program to manage process emissions of brominated flame retardants • Co-operation with downstream industry • Support from the EU Commission & Competent Authorities

  14. EU Risk Assessment ProcessStatus for TBBPA Approved as Safe • Human Health Report • The Human health risk assessment was finalized in December 2004 • No human health hazard of concern identified • No risk was identified in the risk assessment • The European Scientific Committee (SCHER) advising the European Commission agreed with the conclusions of the risk assessment

  15. EU Risk Assessment ProcessFuture developments - REACH • All substances will undergo a similar type of risk assessment under REACH! • Registration, Evaluation & Authorisation of Chemicals • Requires an evaluation of all uses & all hazard & risk information for all existing substances • Special provisions for substances having already undergone a risk assessment under Regulation 793/93/EC • Current timing: • Final adoption of REACH: October 2006? • Entry into force of REACH: April 2007? • Deadline for registration of substances > 1000 tonnes : 2011

  16. WEEE DirectiveResource Recovery at Integrated Metal Smelter

  17. EU WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC • WEEE = Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment • WEEE deals with the collection, recovery, reuse and recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment • Minimum collection, recovery, reuse and recycling targets have been set for different categories of waste: • small & large household appliances, IT & Telecommunications, • consumer equipment, lighting equipment, electrical & • electronic tools, … • As a minimum, plastics containing brominated flame retardants; printed circuit boards (greater than 10 cm2) (and …) have to be removed –separate treatment from any collected WEEE. • Amendment to allow direct inclusion to incineration and metallurgical processes without separation has been tabled!

  18. WEEE DirectiveResource Recovery at Integrated Metal Smelter Partners are PlasticsEurope, European Flame Retardants Association (EFRA) and Umicore • Trial run in September 2004 • Full scale run (750 t/d) of 2 successive campaigns : • Blanktest • Basic feed + 0% plastic + 4.5 % coke • Followed by Blank + plastics test • Basic feed + 6% plastic + 1 % coke

  19. WEEE DirectiveResource Recovery at Integrated Metal Smelter • Observations from the trial : • 55% of plastics is used as reducing agent and substitute primary carbon-sources • Process stability : no negative influence. • Reducing capacity of plastics in the smelter is proven. • Based of the test results, capacity of Umicore for • E&E plastic with metals (80% of plastic) > 15 000 t/y • Printed Circuit Boards (contains 25% plastic) > 45 000 t/y • The Flemish Waste Administration granted Umicore a permit for handling WEEE plastics plus agreed this should be part of recycle quota in the WEEE directive

  20. Conclusions

  21. Conclusions • TBBPA is fully compatible with electronic waste recycling and recovery: • Precious metals recycling is driving printed circuit board recovery • Compatible with the requirements of the WEEE Directive • TBBPA is currently one of the most tried and tested flame retardants with data supporting its sustainable use: • It is undergoing an extensive EU risk assessment • It is not a PBT chemical • The general toxicity profile is very good • Once reacted into the brominated epoxy resin like FR4 printed circuit boards, it becomes integrated in the polymer • It is cost-effective

  22. Conclusions • Conclusions are in line with the IPC White Paper & Technical Report on Halogen-free Materials used for Printed Circuit Boards & Assemblies (IPC-WP/TR-584, April 2003): There is no data indicating that the halogenated flame retardants presently used in printed circuit boards present any significant environment or health hazard”

  23. Conclusions • IPC Conclusions: • “Halogen-free” is a marketing term only & IPC will not advocate a conversion from TBBPA; • TBBPA has no health, environmental or regulatory issues that exclude its use; there is no legislation or regulations, pending or otherwise, calling for the removal of TBBPA currently; • Although halogenated FRs have been in use for many decades, there have been no reports of illness or death attributable to their use & in fact injuries and/or death are known hazards of the fires associated with non-FR electronic equipment; • There is currently no data indicating that any of the materials being considered as replacements are any better or worse for the environment.

  24. For more information, visit: www.ebfrip.org www.bsef.com

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