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ARCHIVED - Draft Screening Assessment of Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)

Uses

HBCD is used primarily as a flame retardant in expanded (EPS) and extruded (XPS) polystyrene foams that are used as thermal insulation materials in the construction industry (ACCBFRIP 2005). EPS and XPS are incorporated into materials such as boardstock for insulation of industrial and residential buildings (Great Lakes Chemical Corporation 2005a). EPS is also used to insulate coolers and as a packaging material (2007 email from Dow Chemicals Canada Inc. to Environment Canada; unreferenced). Foam HBCD levels in Europe are higher than used in Canada to meet European fire performance standards. For European foams, typical HBCD levels are around 0.67% in EPS and 1-3% in XPS (EU RAR 2008). HBCD levels in XPS foams in Canada are typically from 0.5 to 1% (EPSMA et al. 2009).

A second application is the flame retarding of textiles, in which HBCD is applied in a typical concentration of 6-15% to the back of upholstery fabric encapsulated in a polymer (ACCBFRIP 2005). Common end products from this application include residential and commercial furniture, upholstery seating in vehicles, draperies and wall coverings (FRCA 1998). HBCD may be added to latex binders, adhesives and paints to make them flame retardant (Albemarle Corporation 2000a; Great Lakes Chemical Corporation 2005a). It may also be added to high-impact polystyrene used in electrical and electronic equipment, such as audiovisual equipment, although this application is not common (BSEF 2003). HBCD is not used in electronic housings in products such as television set and computers, which are required to meet higher flame retardancy standards than other products (ACCBFRIP 2005).

The primary uses of HBCD in Canada (i.e., in EPS, XPS and textiles) are consistent with the above-noted global and European use patterns. The European Union Risk Assessment Report on HBCD (EU RAR 2008) indicates some examples of end-use products containing HBCD:

  • flat and pile upholstered furniture (residential and commercial furniture)
  • upholstery seating in transportation, draperies and wall coverings
  • bed mattress ticking
  • interior textiles, e.g., roller blinds
  • automobile interior textiles
  • car cushions
  • insulation boards used in building construction, e.g., used in walls, cellars, indoor ceilings, inverted roof
  • insulation boards used to prevent frost heaving of roads and railway embankments
  • packaging material
  • electrical and electronic equipment, e.g., distribution boxes for electrical lines
  • video cassette housings
  • polyvinyl chloride wire, cable and textile coating
  • protective paints

HBCD is an additive-type flame retardant. Additive flame retardants are physically combined with the material being treated, rather than being chemically bonded as is the case with reactive flame retardants; therefore, there is potential for migration, at least to some extent, within the polymer matrix. A number of factors act to constrain migration of HBCD within polymers, including the low vapour pressure, low water solubility and high predicted organic carbon/water partition coefficient (Koc) of the substance (2007 email from Albemarle Corporation to Environment Canada; unreferenced). HBCD at the surface of a polymer or product could be released into the environment during use or disposal of the product. Small quantities of synergistic organic peroxides are commonly added to HBCD to enhance performance efficiency (US NRC 2000), and thermally stabilized grades of HBCD are required for processing temperatures above 200°C. Dicumyl peroxide can be used in expanded polystyrene as a synergist with HBCD to enhance the flame retardant activity (2007 email from Dow Chemicals Canada Inc. to Environment Canada; unreferenced).

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