Most used flame retardant TBBPA approved by EU
Friday 29 February 2008
Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) (1) is the largest volume brominated flame retardant in use todayto improve fire safety of printed circuit boards (2) and plastics in electrical and electronicequipment (3). TBBPA is used in >70% of the world's E&E appliances.
TBBPA has undergone an 8-year EU Risk Assessment to evaluate its effects on human healthand the environment. The Risk Assessment, and the subsequent Risk Reduction Strategy, didnot foresee any legislative restriction for TBBPA. TBBPA is therefore approved for use bythe EU for all its applications.
EU Member State experts have concluded that TBBPA presents no risk to human health.They also agreed that there is no risk to the environment when TBBPA is used as a reactivecomponent such as in printed circuits boards. For the additive use of TBBPA in E&E plasticscasings, an environmental risk was identified in one production plant in Europe only. No risk wasidentified for the other production plants or in end use articles. To address this risk the EUapproved a Risk Reduction Strategy and, after reviewing all possible measures it recommended aproportionate measure requesting an environmental permit to control and reduce emissions(Integrated Pollution Prevention Control - IPPC).
Moreover, TBBPA is not restricted by the RoHS Directive. Based on the results of the riskassessment, there is no basis for including TBBPA in the upcoming revision of this Directive. Inthe frame of TBBPA risk reduction strategy, EU Member States reviewed a series of EUlegislation including the RoHS Directive and did not withheld it as an appropriate measure tocontrol the local risks identified.
As a next step, the EU will publish in the EU Official Journal the conclusions of TBBPA RiskAssessment before June 2008. This will enable a smooth transition of TBBPA through theREACH registration procedure, as the science needed to register TBBPA is already completed.
More information: www.bsef.com and www.ebfrip.org
1 CAS number: 79-94-7
2 TBBPA is one of the monomers to form the epoxy resin, therefore it no longer exists as a free chemical in the finalboard but forms part of the polymeric backbone of the resin. As a reactive chemical TBBPA is used in more than 95%of FR-4 and CM-3 printed circuit boards, the most commonly used board in electronic devices, including domesticappliances such as televisions, printers, computers, radios and fax. It is also predominantly used in CM-1 laminates.
3 As an additive, TBBPA is mainly used in ABS plastics.
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TBBPA has undergone an 8-year EU Risk Assessment to evaluate its effects on human healthand the environment. The Risk Assessment, and the subsequent Risk Reduction Strategy, didnot foresee any legislative restriction for TBBPA. TBBPA is therefore approved for use bythe EU for all its applications.
EU Member State experts have concluded that TBBPA presents no risk to human health.They also agreed that there is no risk to the environment when TBBPA is used as a reactivecomponent such as in printed circuits boards. For the additive use of TBBPA in E&E plasticscasings, an environmental risk was identified in one production plant in Europe only. No risk wasidentified for the other production plants or in end use articles. To address this risk the EUapproved a Risk Reduction Strategy and, after reviewing all possible measures it recommended aproportionate measure requesting an environmental permit to control and reduce emissions(Integrated Pollution Prevention Control - IPPC).
Moreover, TBBPA is not restricted by the RoHS Directive. Based on the results of the riskassessment, there is no basis for including TBBPA in the upcoming revision of this Directive. Inthe frame of TBBPA risk reduction strategy, EU Member States reviewed a series of EUlegislation including the RoHS Directive and did not withheld it as an appropriate measure tocontrol the local risks identified.
As a next step, the EU will publish in the EU Official Journal the conclusions of TBBPA RiskAssessment before June 2008. This will enable a smooth transition of TBBPA through theREACH registration procedure, as the science needed to register TBBPA is already completed.
More information: www.bsef.com and www.ebfrip.org
1 CAS number: 79-94-7
2 TBBPA is one of the monomers to form the epoxy resin, therefore it no longer exists as a free chemical in the finalboard but forms part of the polymeric backbone of the resin. As a reactive chemical TBBPA is used in more than 95%of FR-4 and CM-3 printed circuit boards, the most commonly used board in electronic devices, including domesticappliances such as televisions, printers, computers, radios and fax. It is also predominantly used in CM-1 laminates.
3 As an additive, TBBPA is mainly used in ABS plastics.
