On September 20, 2024, the Official Journal of the European Union published (EU) 2024/2462, which added a new item 79 to Appendix XVII of the EU REACH regulation - perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), with restrictions on its salts and related substances.
This regulation shall automatically become a mandatory regulation of the Member States 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union; And it is binding as a whole and directly applicable to all member states.
Regarding PFHxA
Due to its unique properties (oil resistance, dirt resistance, and water repellency), PFHxA (Undecafluorohexanoic acid, or Perfluorohexanoic acid) and its salts and related substances are widely used in various industries in the European Union. The main uses currently understood are in paper and paperboard (food contact materials), textiles and fire foam. The European Chemicals Agency has prepared a non exhaustive indicative list of substances covered within the scope of this restriction recommendation (as shown in the screenshot below, only a portion is displayed).
It can be seen that the EU is making every effort to replace the use of perfluorinated compounds, from early control of long-chain perfluorinated compounds, to restrictions on medium - and long-chain perfluorinated compounds, and finally to the control of short chain perfluorinated compounds. This shows that the restriction of the use of perfluorinated compounds is on the way, which requires relevant enterprises to find new green and environmentally friendly substances in waterproof, oil proof, and anti fouling materials to meet the current market demand.
