Substitution of the new “PolyFR” flame retardant for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) products is proceeding apace. BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has now completely switched production of its “Styrodur” XPS insulation panels at Tudela / Spain to the new product, which it said “has a superior environmental profile while offering the same flame retardancy.” The German group said all of its XPS and EPS plants, including the units at Ludwigshafen and Schwarzheide / Germany as well as Bibbiano / Italy will make the changeover by the end of this year.

As European market leader for PS-based insulation materials, BASF is supporting the sustainable development of the foam industry, said Giorgio Greening, senior vice president of the polystyrene foam global business unit. “Our goal is to enable our customers to make the switch successfully and in good time.”

Alongside the world’s largest chemical producer, other European chemicals and plastics groups have entered the conversion phase. Austria’s Sunpor has already switched some of its EPS output to PolyFR. Ineos, RP Compounds and Dow are in the process of converting their XPS production.

The European REACH legislation mandates the phase-out of all HBCD-based flame retardants in EPS production by 21 August 2015 because of the substance’s role as a persistent organic pollutant (POP). Producers of PolyFR – about which no concerns have yet been voiced – all plan to expand capacities for the flame retardant ingredient during 2014.

In February of this year, a consortium of 13 EPS producers including Ineos, Versalis, StyroChem and Syntho, jointly petitioned the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA, Helsinki / Finland; www.echa.europa.eu) to allow legal use of some HBCDD-based products to continue in certain applications, such as building – see Plasteurope.com of 11.03.2014. On 14 May, ECHA opened a consultation period on the companies’ appeal, scheduled to run until 9 July 2014.