DuPont Cites Progress Toward PFOA Elimination
In a progress report posted Tuesday, DuPont said it has made "significant progress in developing new high-performance products that will enable the company to no longer make, buy or use PFOA by 2015, or earlier if possible." 2015 is the date by which manufacturers of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid, a synthetic chemical used in Teflon coatings and all-weather clothing, among other things), working with EPA, agreed to try to end PFOA production and its use in products.
"We are proud of our accomplishments that have allowed us not only to move toward our phaseout commitment, but also to serve customer needs," said David Boothe, global business manager – DuPont Fluoroproducts.
The advances listed by DuPont include a new Echelon™ technology that reduces PFOA content by 99 percent in aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion products; commercial use of Capstone™ fluorotelomer products, including firefighting foams and home furnishings, that are made from short-chain compounds that cannot break down to PFOA in the environment; and a replacement technology being used in DuPont's manufacturing facilities to produce test materials for all major fluoropolymer product lines. "We have begun to supply fluoropolymer products made without PFOA to customers for testing in their processes, and we are working to obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals for this technology," the company said.