PFAS regulation proposals ‑ where are we now?

As industry bodies continue to gather and analyse data regarding the continued use of PFAS, James Walker has released a second webinar on the subject. Back in March we helped explain the proposed regulations and the timeline of activity towards implementation, as well as encouraging customers to share their opinions by completing a survey commissioned by European Sealing Association.

The focus for our second webinar is on the impact that the proposed regulation will have on the sealing industry, what we feel seal users need to be aware of, what action James Walker is taking and how polymer manufacturers, sealing companies and end-users can all help each other find the optimal solutions to this challenge.

To this end, whilst a decision on the proposed regulation, and the likely timelines for implementation is still being considered by the ECHA, James Walker is proactively looking at, and qualifying, alternative materials and working with its suppliers to ensure sealing materials are available that allow continued supply of product that will be compliant with any proposed regulations.

This will be particularly important around the subject of a future in which PFAS polymers may well continue to be used by the sealing industry but these would have to be manufactured without the use of PFAS surfactants. Research is already ongoing into such formulations but whether the performance capabilities and behaviours of the resulting materials will match current PFAS polymers will be the big question – a question James Walker is already looking into in our research partner the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM), WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) at the University of Warwick.

You can see the full webinar presentation below, which explains the company's understanding of the proposed regulations and looks at the actions being taken by James Walker.

The presentation takes just under 30 minutes with a further 20 minute Q&A. Should you have any additional questions after viewing the webinar then you can submit further enquiries to our PFAS Project Team by completing our online enquiry form.

The following links will take you to key documents of interest from the ESA (European Sealing Association) and ECHA (European Chemicals Agency):

• ESA position statement
• Ricardo socio economic assessment
• ECHA web-site public consultation questionnaire
• Published questionnaires