Development of a non-fluorinated oil / grease resistant
Introduction
Daikin Industries is one of the largest fluorochemical companies in the world. UNIDYNE, a water and oil repellent, has been used in a wide variety of applications, including paper, non-woven fabrics, textiles, and carpets, since its launch in 1968 due to the combined characteristics of high water and oil resistance, and high durability. These characteristics are recognized as advantages imparted by fluorine compounds.
However, fluorine compounds have received negative attention in recent years, and there are global movements to tighten regulations. Through these movements, C8 substances were designated as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and their use has been restricted globally. Global fluorine manufacturers began a phase-out of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C8, and stated related substances. This phase-out was completed in 2015.
With the global restrictions on C8, the industry assumed that perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHXA) and related fluorine compounds (C6) could be substituted for C8. However, in recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised concerns for fluorochemical impurities in food contact applications. Under these circumstances, Daikin Industries has voluntarily decided to discontinue sales of C6 oil resistant agents for paper and develop non-fluorine oil resistant agents for paper for these types of food-related applications.
Our goal was to develop an oil-resistant non-fluorine agent with the lowest surface free energy and stable performance at high temperatures that could be applied in a thin film while retaining the innate properties of paper, such as air permeability, which allows air and water vapor to pass through, and defibration, which enables recycling. Using our polymerization and blending technologies, we developed XP-8001, an oil-resistant agent for food service wrapping paper surface treatments using only non-fluorine materials.
