New EPA assessments and Slide Products’ decision to eliminate all chlorinated solvents.
On September 28, 2011, the EPA issued their “final health assessment” for trichloroethylene (TCE), one of the most widely used chlorinated solvents nationwide, to the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS.) It states:
“The final assessment characterizes the chemical as carcinogenic to humans…”
What does this mean?
This assessment has already made an impact on our industry. While some aerosol manufacturers have
kept TCE in their formulations, the solvent’s availability has become very limited. Dow, for example, no
longer makes TCE accessible to our industry while PPG has chosen to significantly raise its price and
limit its availability. This in turn has driven up costs and resulted in higher prices for molders and mold
makers who use products like mold cleaners, which contain TCE as a solvent. To read more about this subject click here.
