Research, Innovation and Technology

The search for alternatives to chemicals called PFAS has been going on for years. Recently, materials design company Techmer PM created one—a new chemical for use in polymer processing.

The new solution: Last year, the Clinton, Tennessee–based manufacturer introduced the HiTerra T5—a polymer processing aid that helps maintain film surface smoothness and die-lip buildup—which replaces traditional chemistry based on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

• The HiTerra T5, which meets Environmental Protection Agency guidelines and does not interfere with other additives, is being used in large-scale commercial undertakings by Techmer PM customers.

Why it’s critical: In March, the EPA issued the first federal reporting limits and guidelines for tracking the use of PFAS in manufacturing, along with other PFAS-related regulations. Individual states are also imposing their own restrictions on PFAS chemicals.

• The current regulatory environment is motivating plastics processors and raw materials suppliers to seek new alternatives to this chemistry.
• “The biggest challenge is that fluorinated chemistry is excellent at reducing friction, reducing melt fracture, improving hydrophobicity, stain resistance and helping the processing that manufacturers use, for example, to make film,” Techmer PM CEO Mike McHenry told the NAM in a recent interview. “It also helps with wear on small gears. It’s very effective, and it has unique properties that customers are accustomed to.”

More replacement efforts: Techmer PM is working closely with its customers to come up with additional PFAS alternatives, McHenry said.

• Because one of PFAS’ most useful characteristics is its ability to resist fire, “we’re looking at ways to remove halogen flame retardants, including fluorinated compounds” and find a comparable alternative for customers, McHenry said.

Unrealistic timelines: While the firm is hard at work developing potential replacements, the stringent deadlines that the EPA has set for the reporting and potential elimination is damaging, McHenry told us.

• “It can take years to get use approval [for alternatives], and finding them is a huge challenge in itself,” he went on. “We see the timelines being put forth as something that needs to be looked at, and [manufacturers] need support.”
• “For some uses—tubing, for example–it’s going to be very difficult to find something that will work the way fluorinated chemistries do. As much as we all want to move away from [PFAS], there are some instances in which it will be worse” to rush the search than continue using PFAS, he added.
• One of these areas is medical devices, McHenry said. The gowns used to protect surgeons and nurses, for example, are coated in PFAS-containing substances, which “will be very difficult to replace.”

The long view: For many applications, dependable alternatives will likely be found at some point, McHenry concluded.

• “I think we’ll find alternatives, but it’s not one-size-fits-all, and it will take time,” he said. “The versatility of fluorinated compounds is unique.”