Several thousand chemical substances from the PFAS group are to be banned. The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF is now looking for industrial partners for the project "Evaluation of options for the substitution of PFAS in selected applications". Together, the possibilities, advantages and disadvantages, limits and opportunities of possible approaches to substitution are to be developed.
Participants are to be supported and the effects of a possible PFAS ban assessed. PFAS polymers are used in many applications and industrial products, machines and systems due to their resistance under extreme conditions and their unique portfolio of properties. PFAS polymers are used in plastics, elastomers and rubber applications, e.g. in seals, cables and coatings. Due to their high resistance, they are bioaccumulative, i.e. they accumulate and no longer decompose, and can therefore pose a risk to the environment. They are also suspected of being responsible for damage to health. Their outstanding properties in terms of temperature and media resistance, wear protection and electrical insulation properties make substitution difficult. The aim of the joint project is to compile and evaluate the relevant state of the art and science in the context of PFAS substitution for polymers using the example of selected requirement profiles, materials and applications. Furthermore, the possibilities, advantages and disadvantages, limits and opportunities of possible approaches to the substitution of PFAS polymers are to be demonstrated. The project is open to partners from industry and business.
