The European Basic Acrylic Monomers Group (EBAM)
Who we are
Acrylic acid serves as an industrial intermediate product, i.e. it is either processed directly into a polyacrylate or polymerised via the intermediate stage of an acrylate ester. Furthermore, acrylic acid is used as an ingredient and occurs as residual monomer in consumer products like adhesives, paints, binding agents and printing inks.
About half of the crude acrylic acid is processed to purified (glacial) acrylic acid, which is further processed both on-site (captive use) and by external downstream users. The other half of crude acrylic acid is transformed into various acrylate esters at the production sites. Identical to glacial acrylic acid, these acrylic esters serve as commercial products, which are further processed both on-site and by external downstream users.
Acrylic acid and basic alkyl esters (methyl, ethyl, butyl and 2-ethylhexyl esters) are used for the manufacture of polymer dispersions, adhesives, super absorbent polymers, flocculants, detergents, varnishes, fibres and plastics as well as chemical intermediates.
The Group is chaired by Friedrich Martin (BASF) and includes the following companies: Arkema, BASF, Dow, Evonik, Hexion, Rohm & Haas and Sasol.
What we do
As part of its ongoing remit, EBAM is committed to:
- Promoting the standing of the acrylics industry (acrylic acid and basic acrylic esters) in a socially responsible manner
- Responding to the regulatory and environmental pressures on the industry
- Contributing to the activities of industry consortia with US and European producers of acrylic acid and its basic esters for the preparation of the registration dossier within the framework of the REACH legislation.
We are contributing with other global producers of acrylic acid and its esters to the activities of joint Methacrylate / Acrylate Industry consortia (REACH Task Force) for the preparation of registration dossiers within the framework of the REACH legislation.
In that respect, the Sector Group has prepared a Briefing Document for the attention of downstream users (DU). It includes brief descriptions of the current and future REACH activities and will be used as a communication tool for enhancing cooperation between the Sector Group member companies (“manufacturer and/or importer”) and the users of acrylic acid and its acrylates (“downstream users”).
As it is pointed out in REACH Regulation, Article 9 (a) iii, p.22, the Registration Dossier shall include “information on the manufacture and use(s) of the substance as specified in section 3 of Annex IV; this information shall represent all the registrant’s identified use(s). This information may include, if the registrant deems appropriate, the relevant use and exposure categories.” So it is necessary that manufacturer and downstream user cooperate to cover the entire life cycle of a substance.
If a company does not want to register a particular use on its own but wants the Reach Task Force to consider including this use in the registration dossier, it should contact the Task Force Administrator. - Co-ordinating industry's views on health and safety issues, especially those related to the EU risk assessment of acrylic acid and basic acrylic esters.
- Co-ordinating industry's views on health and safety issues, especially those related to the EU risk assessment of acrylic acid and basic acrylic esters
- Encouraging the safe and proper use of basic acrylates by developing and publishing appropriate technical information. To that effect, EBAM released its second edition of the Safe Handling Guidelines for Acrylic Acid and for Acylic Esters. The users of both acrylic acid and acrylic esters should contact their suppliers to receiving these Guidelines.
- Maintaining a PTZ locations database. The EBAM members are informing the parties involved in the acrylic monomers supply chain about the locations (including addresses and telephone numbers) and the supplies of phenothiazine (PTZ), which is a polymerisation inhibitor. The PTZ network is part of EBAM’s commitment to provide emergency response services for acrylic monomers in Western Europe.
- Maintaining a high level of technical undertanding by identifying and managing research into health and environmental effects and assessing risks in use
- Presenting a positive image of acrylates to the industry, authorities and the public
- Developing a common position on major issues for presentation to regulators, opinion leaders and other concerned bodies
- Developing product stewardship programmes following the Responsible Care principles
- Made available: a recommendation, as well as guidelines for the use of dry disconnect couplings on transportation equipment for acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylates and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate.
- Made available: a recommendation, when using multi-compartment or combination load trucks or barges for the transport of acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylates and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate.
- Made available: a recommendation when using bulk containers (IBCs) for the transport of acrylic monomers.
- Made available: a statement with respect to inspections performed on acrylic monomers cargo by means of X-rays.
- Maintaining a database containing details (including address and telephone numbers) of the European locations where Emergency Services can find supplies of the PTZ emergency inihibitor.
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