Akzo Nobel N.V.
Corporate
Velperweg 76
6824 BM Arnhem
P.O. Box 9300
6800 SB Arnhem
www.akzonobel.com
Comments from AkzoNobel on applications made for an
authorization under REACH for the use of lead sulfochromate
yellow (C.I Pigment yellow) and lead chromate molybdate
sulphate red ( C.I. Pigment red 104) in industrial and professional
coatings
1. Introduction
AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings company,
supplying to customers in our market sectors throughout the
world. The end-user segments for our coatings products include :
1
(i)
Buildings and infrastructure1 – manufacture and supply
of coatings for protection, decoration and maintenance
of bridges, offshore and onshore infrastructure, the
interior and exterior of commercial buildings and
residential dwellings and coil coatings applied to roofing.
Products are supplied for both new build projects and for
maintenance, renovation and repair.
(ii)
Transportation¹ – includes manufacture and supply of
coatings for all interior and exterior surfaces of ships and
boats and the aftermarket refurbishment and
modification of cars, trucks and other vehicles. We also
supply paints for components of cars, trucks and
commercial vehicles.
(iii)
Industrial¹ – includes coatings for assets of the oil and
gas, metals, mining, water, power and agriculture
industries.
(iv)
Consumer goods – includes coatings for wood furniture
and domestic appliances.
Includes uses in coatings discussed in REACH authorisation consultation number 0012-01, 001202, 0012-03, 0012-04, 0012-05, 0012-06.
AkzoNobel are committed to providing sustainable solutions to
our customers. We consider product stewardship to be a key
element of sustainability and that it is critical to ensure our
products and processes do not pose a danger to people or the
environment. We are constantly striving to introduce safer
products into the market and in 2011 we became the first global
paint company to completely phase-out the use of all lead
compounds2 from all of our products and processes throughout
the world. This prohibition is enforced under our company
Product Stewardship program through a mandatory standard
which includes a ban on the use of all lead compounds as
pigments in all of our paints in all of our end-user segments.
AkzoNobel took this stance having proven that safer and
effective alternatives to lead chromate pigments are available
which can be formulated to work in all our products from both a
technical and economic perspective.
2. AkzoNobel experience with lead chromate-free pigments
and coating products
A range of suitable and safer alternatives to lead chromate
pigments have been commercially available in the European
Union and throughout the world for many years.
Examples include :



Bismuth vanadates
Mixed metal oxides/iron oxides3
Organic pigments (eg Diketopyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP), azos,
Isoindoline, benzimidazolones)
These pigments can be used alone, as hybrids or in formulated
mixtures with other pigments to obtain the desired coating
2
3
Including lead chromates
Examples include “Solaplex” and “Sicopal” products from the Rockwood and BASF companies
product characteristics and performance4 at an acceptable cost.
Different formulation solutions are often required for different
product types, depending on the end-use involved.
Since the complete withdrawal from the use of lead compounds
from all products across AkzoNobel at the end of 2011, it is clear
that the performance achieved with lead chromate-free products
has met the requirements of the customers in our markets. In
transition we experienced no resistance to the introduction of
lead chromate-free coatings from customers, neither have we
lost business on account of being free of products containing
lead chromate.
3. Economic feasibility
In consideration of the economic feasibility of lead-free versus
lead chromate containing coatings products it is important to take
a life cycle approach from a human health and environmental
perspective. For example, in addition to consideration of the cost
of pigments as raw materials used in paints, costs associated
with protecting and the monitoring of workers during handling of
lead pigments, during paint manufacture and paint application
should be included , along with those associated with removal of
paint from lead contaminated surfaces and disposal of waste at
end of life.
4. Conclusion on the suitability and availability of alternatives
to lead chromate
On the basis of experience in the markets in which we operate,
AkzoNobel maintain that technically effective, economically
feasible and safe products are available that do not contain lead
chromate pigments.
These products meet our customer requirements, are available
globally and include the following uses relevant to the application
for authorization:
4
Key issues include opacity, colour and gloss retention, coating durability
(i)
Production
of
yellow
and
red
colour
paste/dispersions for use in manufacture of
solvent-based coloured paints5
(ii)
Industrial application of coatings to metal surfaces
of non-consumer articles including high grade
steel-based products6 (eg. Piping used in the
petrochemical industry, crane arms, agricultural
machinery, steel bridges, construction arches and
coil coating for roofing, ships and boats).
(iii)
Professional application of coatings to metal
surfaces of non-consumer articles including high
grade steel-based products7 (eg. Piping used in
the
petrochemical
industry,
crane
arms,
agricultural machinery, steel bridges, construction
arches, ships and boats).
5. Other comments
As regards coatings used for road marking on public roads,
in car-parks and airports8 we do not believe use of lead
chromates is technically necessary and believe that
continued use is undesirable from a human exposure and
environmental perspective (flaking). However we do
recognise that there may be specifications based on colour
for roads (i.e. bright yellow, bright red) which are historically
based on previously approved products/formulations
containing lead chromate. The widespread acceptance of
lead chromate-free products in this sector will require
approval prior to widespread adoption in the marketplace.
5
REACH authorization consultation numbers 0012-01, 0012-02
REACH authorization consultation numbers 0012-03, 0012-04
7
REACH authorization consultation numbers 0012-05, 0012-06
8
REACH authorization consultation numbers 0012-11, 0012-12. This use is not a significant market
for AkzoNobel
6
6. References
6.1 Paint square – Paint and coatings industry news (2012).
International Paint drops lead chromate. Link :
http://www.paintsquare.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=8186
6.2 Removing lead from coil coatings – AkzoNobel website. Link
:
https://www.akzonobel.com/ccna/coil_coatings/leadfree/