Six months ago, the effect pigment industry was unexpectedly faced with a new challenge: a raw material commonly used in the industry was classified as a chemical toxic to reproduction.
It is a phosphoric acid isotridecyl ester (CAS 52933-07-0), which up until now has been completely inconspicuous and which is widely used to stabilize aluminum pigments for aqueous formulations.
As part of its voluntary commitment, ECKART was the first supplier on the market to react very quickly by developing alternative formulations in order to continue to provide customers in the coatings and printing industries with products that meet regulatory requirements.
At the same time, the company attached great importance to keeping its customers constantly informed about the current state of affairs. The products concerned have been marked accordingly. An intensive exchange with the customers took place with regard to the reformulations, in order to also map technical preferences and advancements in this process. Another focus was on taking into account the listing status applicable in each country.
The result is pigment series that both comply with the latest global regulations and meet current customer requirements.
"Due to our fast reaction we are able to offer solutions guaranteeing long-term product safety for our customers with the product series HYDROXAL V, ROTOVARIO Aqua Slurries, HYDRO PELLET and SHINEDECOR," says Dr. Dirk Schumacher, Global Head of Product Management at ECKART, who is also happy to answer questions on this topic (dirk.schumacher@altana.com).