The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a ban on trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) chemicals because it said they cause cancer. TCE is used in the manufacture of lead-acid and lithium-ion battery separators. Both are non-flammable chlorinated solvents.
The Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), which represents US chemical distributors, criticised the EPA’s decision to completely ban TCE and said certain uses should be allowed.
ACD’s senior vice president of regulatory affairs, Jennifer Gibson, told Chemistry World magazine: “For example, TCE is a critical component in the manufacturing process of lithium and lead–acid battery separators. Lead–acid batteries and lithium batteries power our daily lives, and a reduction in this sector will have cascading impacts on the transportation, defence and energy sectors.”
The EPA said its final rules ban all uses of TCE under the Toxic Substances Control Act. It said TCE is an “extremely toxic” chemical known to cause liver cancer, kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It said safer alternatives are readily available.
TCE also causes damage to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, immune system, reproductive organs, and foetal heart defects. These risks are, it said, present even at very small concentrations. Under the rule, all uses of TCE will be banned over time (with the vast majority of identified risks eliminated within one year), and safer alternatives are readily available for the majority of uses.
Highly industrialised settings will be able to use TCE for longer than a year from the ban, it said, before ultimately being prohibited. Some of the exemptions associated with longer timeframes are necessary to avoid impacts to national security or critical infrastructure, it said.
PCE also causes cancer, according to the EPA.
BCI President and Executive Director Roger Miksad said in a statement to BEST: “Battery separators are a critical piece of the US economy and our national energy infrastructure. BCI is still evaluating the details of the recent EPA rules, but generally we’re pleased that policymakers have recognised the importance of battery separator manufacturing for both lead and lithium batteries in their approach.
“The battery industry has a long history of protecting its workers and communities, and Battery Council International will continue work with our members in the year ahead to ensure we build on that tradition of sustainability and safety.”
Separator manufacturers Entek and Polypore were approached for comment and both declined.
