Phthalates are the most common characterized family of chemicals used in several food products, cosmetics, and home improvement products. They are mainly found in toys, wall coverings, detergents, pharmaceuticals, blood bags, nail polishes, soaps, perfumes, and other personal care products. Phthalates are used as softeners in most of the aforementioned personal care products and are also used in food packaging applications.
Phthalates have been proved harmful for humans, especially men and children as they affect the endocrine system and hamper the reproductive health in men. In children, they increase the risk of asthma. They enter into our bodies through plastic coatings, food labels, adhesives, and sealants on cans and metal lids. Their increasing concentration in the human body has caused several leading organizations to impose stricter regulations on their widespread use. The use of many phthalates has been banned in Europe and the US, in food and cosmetics processing. Thus, the demand for phthalate-free or low-phthalate alternatives has increased. In response to the regulations, the demand for phthalate-free seals and gaskets is on the rise in food and pharmaceutical industry. What are phthalate-free seals made of? Read this post to know more.
What are the Common Materials Used for Making Phthalate-free Seals?
Advancement in chemical technologies has been harnessed by OEMs over the years. Today, it is easier to create phthalate-free alternatives for several elastomers. However, these elastomers may have certain limitations when used in sealing applications. This is because phthalates are utilized as plasticizers in several elastomeric compositions. There are a few elastomers that can be altered to make phthalate-free alternatives without altering their beneficial chemical properties. The following are a few such elastomers that are also available as phthalate-free compounds, and widely used for making seals and gaskets in the food and cosmetics industry.
All the above-mentioned characteristics make O-rings made of FKM ideal for sealing various applications involving vegetable oils, greases, mineral oils, fuels with methanol content, and more.
There are several manufacturers who specialize in the design and manufacturing of phthalate-free seals for the food and pharmaceutical industry. SSP Seals is one of the leading manufacturers of these seals. They offer these seals in FKM and Aflas FFKM as well as EPDM materials. The company specializes in a wide range of food grade seals made of FDA-approved materials.
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