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REACH, Solvent Legislation and its implications. Jon Anderson Development Chemist Camberley 8 th July 2008. Overview. REACH – what is it? Timelines for implementation Solvent legislation Implications Solutions – silicones, water based and UV curable Issues with the new technology
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REACH, Solvent Legislation and its implications Jon Anderson Development Chemist Camberley 8th July 2008
Overview • REACH – what is it? • Timelines for implementation • Solvent legislation • Implications • Solutions – silicones, water based and UV curable • Issues with the new technology • Summary
Overview of REACH • Regulation, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances. • REACH entered into force on 1 June 2007 • Replaces EINECS (European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances)
Timeline for the implementation of REACH • June 2008: European Chemicals Agency becomes operational. • June 2008 to November 2008: Pre-registration of phase-in substances. (any substances not pre-registered will be subject to full testing before being allowed onto the market) Applies to all substances manufactured or imported in quantities > 1 tonne per year. • November 2010: Registration deadline for substances in quantities of 1000 tonnes and above as well as carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic to reproduction (CMR category 1 and 2) above 1 tonne/year and substances classified as very toxic to aquatic organisms (R50/53) above 100 tonnes. • May 2013: Registration deadline for substances in quantities of 100 tonnes and more. • May 2018: Registration deadline for substances in quantities of 1 tonne and more.
Some definitions • Substance : a chemical element, manufactured or in the natural state. • Preparation : a mixture or solution composed of two or more substances. • Manufacturer : a company that manufactures substances. • Downstream user (1) : companies that use substances to make preparations. • Downstream user (2) : companies that utilise preparations in their products.
HumiSeal Implementation Plan • Make sure we are fully informed by monitoring the emerging guidelines. • By 1st December 2008 have issued REACH compliant MSDS to all clients currently using our conformal coatings. Ensure that our raw material suppliers have : • Pre-registered all products supplied to us, coming under REACH by November 2008. • That all products are registered by the deadlines of : November 2010 > 1000 tonnes, June 2013 >100 tonnes and June 2018 > 1 tonne. • Work with our clients on all aspects of REACH relating to HumiSeal conformal coatings. • Continue development of environmentally safe products that do not require registration under REACH.
Alongside REACH there has also been VOC legislation in recent years
Background • Solvents historically used for conformal coating – many benefits • New Solvent Emissions Directive • Need to find solvent-free solutions • What are the impacts of the new technology
What are the VOC controls? • Reduced solvents • ISO 14000 • Improved environment with less pollution • Low or no tax
Conformal Coating - What’s New? • Insurance Liability • Increased risk in processing hazardous or flammable solvents • Employer liability • Operator safety • Long term health risks
VOC controls • Emission of VOC compounds into air, soil, water • any organic compound having at 293.15 K a vapour pressure of 0.01kPa or more (i.e. any solvent with bp < 250°C) • Organic compound shall mean any compound containing Carbon and at least one or more of hydrogen, halogens, oxygen, sulphur, phosphorous silicon or nitrogen
Solutions • Solventless - Using UV curing technology, coatings with no solvents (100% solids) • Water based - Emulsions using AR and UR hydrophobic polymers
UV curable coating • Solventless - UV • Since 1995 • NO SOLVENTS! • UL & MIL Spec approvals • High speed curing in seconds
Conformal Coating - What’s New? • Solventless UV - Issues: • Flexibility, prone to cracking during T shock testing • Curing in shadows areas under components (often >72 hours) • Difficult to rework • Requires more sophisticated process plant • Properties from primary and secondary curing mechanisms may differ
HumiSeal UV40 • Reliable secondary moisture cure mechanism < 48 hrs • Extremely flexible (-40 to 150C) • Easily selectively coated • Extremely Chemical resistant • High Temperature resistance (150C constant) • Rework cleanly with soldering iron
Water based • emulsions of hydrophobic polymers -> no affinity for water • HumiSeal 1H2O series (excellent hydrolytic stability). • Proven formulations for use on: • Dip Coating Systems • Spray Coating Systems
Water based • MIL Spec Qualified • UL Approved • Non-flammable • Safer to use • Reduced fume extraction demands
Water based • New formulations have excellent high temperature performance to 2000C • Superior flexibility • Repairable • Fast curing <30 minutes at room temperature
Example - 1H2OAR3 • Developed for automotive industry • Ideal for Ultrasonic selective coating • Improved dielectric properties • Improved water-resistance • Increased adhesion • Easier to Rework • ~30% lower price • Looks more like 1B31/1B73
Implications of change – moving away from solvents • Solvents historically used • reduce viscosity to facilitate application • enable rapid drying • Evaporation of solvent yields thin films • clean the substrate • give good wetting • hide many cleanliness issues
Implications of change • So solvents are mostly a good thing for coating application, but bad for environment • Successful implementation of solvent-free coatings is possible • often see improved performance. • Water-based works well
Implications whichever route you take • Thicker films – not necessarily a bad thing! • Curing can be an issue with thicker films • Solvent-less products more prone to de-wetting • Cleanliness becomes much more important • Cleaning will probably become normal • No direct solvent-free replacement • Water-based is closest
Summary • REACH will being to ramp up very soon (before 2009!) • It will impact all areas of the chemical industry • VOC controls will lead further drives away from solvent based coating • New coating technologies must be developed to counter this: • Humiseal UV40 and AR3 are the solution to meet those legislation