PFAS – the “forever chemicals”

Updated 12.12.2023

How can you avoid PFAS in your rubber components?

There has been a lot of debate in the media lately about PFAS, and no doubt you have been speculating on how to avoid any traces of these so-called "forever chemicals" in your products. It is not only difficult to understand the impact of the chemicals in the environment, but also the scope of existing and future legislation. At AVK GUMMI, we monitor the progress closely to ensure full compliance, and we work hard to phase out the use of PFAS in line with legislation – also outside of Europe. At the moment, less than 5% of the rubber we produce at AVK GUMMI contains PFAS (measured in kgs). Therefore, we have a broad knowledge of alternative rubber polymers and can help you choose the right rubber polymer for your product, so that your customers can feel in safe doing business with you.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the definition of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances). PFAS is a large group of chemical substances characterized by having at least one carbon-fluorine bond. The carbon-fluorine bond is the strongest chemical bond in organic chemistry. Consequently, it is extremely stable and resistant to degradation. This means that PFAS have many good properties such as water-, oil/fat- and stain repellence; resistance to high temperature, pressure, radiation, and chemicals; low friction; and thermal and electrical insulation. Therefore, PFAS are used in a wide range of products and will almost with guarantee be found both in your private home and in your company.

As a downside of their extreme stability and persistence, PFAS do not degrade after end-of-use and therefore accumulate in the environment. This has resulted in the nickname “forever chemicals”. Over the years, scientific evidence has found an increasing number of PFAS substances to pose a risk to human health and the environment. Therefore, there is high focus on limiting their use.