CIUPL has the pleasure in offering Cadmium Pigments for the Plastic Masterbatch / Coating applications, from our overseas Principal - M/s Johnson Matthey Ceramics ( Asia ) Pvt. Ltd., Singapore.
CADMIUM PIGMENTS : Introduction
GOOD NEWS FOR USERS OF CADMIUM PIGMENT
The European Commission voted in the recent past for no further restrictions on the marketing and use of cadmium pigments for use in plastics, halting the trend of recent years reducing the number of applications in which these pigments are permitted.
Cadmium pigments have exceptional properties, most especially for colouring of engineering polymers, and cover the whole colour range from green-shade yellow, through yellows, oranges and reds, to deep maroons. However, in recent years their use for pigmentation of plastics and paints has been restricted by legislation aimed at protecting the environment. It is well known that soluble cadmium species can adversely affect the environment and man if critical levels are exceeded, but on the other hand cadmium pigments are extremely insoluble compounds.
The environmental legislation was based on the "Precautionary Principle". In the absence of information about releases associated with cadmium pigments or of data that was either definitive or accurate about the risks involved, the legislation sought to remain on the safe-side by substituting for cadmium-containing products where technically feasible alternatives exist.
In 1995, the European Union recognised the inadequacy of existing data, and the Commission instituted an assessment from an independent consultant to evaluate the cradle-to-grave lifecycle of cadmium pigments.
Overall, it is known that the main releases of cadmium into the environments are from the burning of fossil since 1970, and the dose to man has remained all the time much lower than that set as safe by the World Health Organisation.
Cadmium emissions associated with pigments represent a negligible fraction ( less than half a percent ) of the total emissions of cadmium to the environment.
The thorough scientific assessment of the risks was completed last year and concluded that the emissions from the cadmium pigment lifecycle do not pose any significant risk to man or to the environment. On this basis, the European Commission did not recommended any further restrictions, and the Member States voted accepting this.
The risks associated with heavy metals will continue to be reviewed, but it is now unlikely that changes in restrictions on marketing and use of cadmium pigments will be reconsidered for at least three years.
Unless new evidence is available then, it must be anticipated that cadmium pigments will continue to be assessed environmentally as free of any significant risks. It would then be hoped that current restrictions will be lifted, as not being based on sound science!
Further information may be obtained from the International Cadmium Association (Avenue de Tervuren, 168 / 4, B - 1150 Brussels, Belgium ( Tel.: +32(0)2-777 0560. Fax: +32(0)2-777 0565) who have produced two leaflets - "Cadmium - A problem of the Past - A Solution for the Future" and "Cadmium Pigments are Green".
For a more comprehensive listing, technical data, or samples, please submit a literature request.
We kindly request you to go through the individual product data sheet and for additional / further details, we will be please to furnish you the desired information / clarification from ushavi@bom5.vsnl.net.in
