ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION (address: Taito-ku, Tokyo, President & CEO: Kazuya Nakano) has studied an alternative material to PFAS for valves for ultrapure water production line in cooperation with Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (address: Nakano-ku, Tokyo, President and Representative Executive Officer: Hirohiko Ejiri). We would like to inform you that we will start a demonstration experiment to commercialize valves using an alternative material to PFAS from the spring 2025.
1. Background
ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION manufactures resin valves which are applied at such factories as iron manufacturing, chemical and semi-conductor, and at such places as aquariums and agricultural water facilities. Resin valves, of which the main characteristics are light, rust-proof and long-life, contain parts made from PFAS. As PFAS is difficult to resolve, there has been a concern for negative impacts to human health and the environment in Europe and the US where restrictions to use PFAS have been reinforced. As one of the measures addressing these social issues and changes in business environment, ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION has studied an alternative material to PFAS, a material having little elution, in cooperation with Kurita Water Industries Ltd., for valves used at ultrapure water production line in the semi-conductor field. As, this time, we have confirmed a certain level of durability with such material after the internal assessment, we decided to start a demonstration experiment at water treatment facilities.
2. PFAS
Among organic fluorine compounds, perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Per-and PolyFluoroAlkyl Substances) are collectively called PFAS and it is said that there exist ten thousand or more chemical substances as PFAS. They have outstanding characteristics in water repellency, heat resistance and chemical resistance, etc. and have been applied in such a wide variety of industries as semi-conductor, automobile, electrical and electronic devices, batteries, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment and solar power generation equipment. However, they are difficult to resolve in nature and due to a concern over certain PFAS’s safety, restrictions to reduce the health damage and the contamination risk have been made mainly in Europe and the US.
3. Overview of PFAS Restrictions
Among PFAS, PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), considered to have carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption, have been registered as substances subject to restrictions under “the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention)” from the viewpoint of protecting human health. Also in Japan, the production and the import, etc. of PFOA and PFOS have been prohibited under “the Act on the Regulation of Manufacture and Evaluation of Chemical Substances”.
4. Future Prospects
Currently, the fluorine-based polymer (PVDF, PTFE and FKM, etc.), which is PFAS, used for resin valves, is not subject to restrictions. However, Europe and the US have been studying comprehensive restrictions for PFAS. If the fluorine-based polymer becomes subject to restrictions in future, it may potentially affect various industries including chemical plants, not only valve manufacturers.
As there are no products using an alternative material, ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION has focused on product development for the earliest commercialization of resin valves using an alternative material to PFAS in cooperation with Kurita Water Industries Ltd. In the spring 2025, we will start a demonstration experiment for diaphragm valves using an alternative material to PFAS at water treatment facilities and will take steps to materialize co-development and a demonstration for piping materials. We continue to contribute solving social issues and to materialize a sustainable society under our corporate philosophy, “Attempt something never tried before and make a real difference in customer experience”.
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