BYK ends production of PFAS-containing additives

For years, BYK has actively supported considerable research efforts to replace products containing perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) with more environmentally friendly alternatives. Dr. Stefan Mößmer, Managing Director Marketing & Commercial: "As a leading additive manufacturer, one of our major research focuses in recent years has been to replace additives containing PFAS with alternative substances. We not only want to be an innovation leader, we also want to make it easy for our customers to phase out products containing PFAS by offering differentiated alternatives at an early stage and demonstrating new, sustainable and more environmentally friendly ways of formulating them. Our specific goal is to offer fluorine-free solutions for almost all of our customers' applications in which additives containing PFAS are still used today by the end of 2025. This is also the time when BYK will deliver the last additives containing PFAS." BYK uses fluorinated alkyl compounds to a very small extent as raw materials in the production of selected additives. These are bound in the additives, are not volatile and are only used in closed systems. They are found in various product groups such as defoamers, surface additives and wax additives and enable a variety of special effects in paints and architectural coatings, industrial coatings, wood and furniture coatings, printing inks, automotive coatings, corrosion protection systems, can & coil coatings, floor coatings, adhesives and sealants, polishes, leather and PVC as well as process additives in extrusion, injection molding, films and fibers.

The proportion of PFAS-containing products at BYK is already very low. "As an innovation leader, we are convinced that we can make it easy for customers to phase out PFAS-containing products by offering them innovative alternatives at an early stage and showing them new, sustainable ways of formulating them," says BYK Business Unit Manager Dr. Jörg Hinnerwisch. "BYK takes its responsibility as a leading additive manufacturer seriously and consistently focuses on forward-looking and sustainable solutions. Thanks to our special customer proximity and as a development partner to many major global customers, we recognize trends at an early stage and are in a position to set the next milestone. Even before the EU or other legislative authorities present an exit roadmap, we are converting our entire portfolio to sustainable products and PFAS-free production." Matthias Kramer, Managing Director Global Production: "BYK will not only produce all additives PFAS-free by the end of 2025, but will also have converted all production sites worldwide to PFAS-free firefighting foam. To this end, we at BYK have invested heavily in new or adapted fire protection systems." Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds are under discussion, as the group of substances is extremely stable. They are therefore also referred to as "eternity chemicals". PFAS are virtually non-degradable and can accumulate in the environment, humans and animals.