Check your tech: Electronics industry harbors 4,400 metric tons of PFAS yearly, flags ChemSec

27 Apr 2023 --- ChemSec has released a report that maps the extensive use of “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in the electronics industry, focusing on the chemicals’ presence in electronic devices, semiconductors and their respective manufacturing processes.

The electronics industry is currently one of the largest users of PFAS, highlights the international chemical secretariat. But the European Union (EU) is en route to passing a comprehensive ban, forcing industries to phase out these toxic PFAS.

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades in various consumer products, asserts the company. The electronics and semiconductor industry uses 4,400 metric tons of PFAS annually in the EU. ChemSec warns the number will increase to almost 100,000 metric tons in 30 years.

“PFAS is used in many different processes in electronics manufacturing and ends up in many electronic devices. The report gives an overview of this and shows where it is possible today to find alternatives and where more research is needed,” Dr. Anna Lennquist, senior toxicologist at ChemSec, tells PackagingInsights. 

The packaging industry must make attempts to replace PFAS used in electronics packaging, says ChemSec.“The use of PFAS in electronics is considerable, but knowledge about where they are used and how to replace them is very low. This is why we decided to develop a guide specifically on PFAS in electronics”, adds Dr. Jonatan Kleimark, senior chemicals and business advisor at ChemSec.

EU ban to come?
The report, titled Check Your Tech, is written with consultant firm WSP and has been published at a convenient time as the EU is on course to pass measures restricting all PFAS chemicals in all products.

Cory Robertson, environmental chemist at HP, says the report is a welcome addition to the electronics industry and a useful starting point for evaluating alternative materials. “The guide is very useful to identify where PFAS are used in electronics, and we plan to make it available to suppliers as a reference to help us get more accurate information,” he says.

PFAS offer several sought-after properties, making them desirable for applications in electronic products such as water repellency, flame retardance and chemical inertness. The report pinpoints 77 different uses for PFAS in the electronics industry.

Electronics and packaging 
PFAS uses in the electronics industry include, for example, smartphones, printed circuit boards, solar panels and electric cables. According to the report, the most important to prioritize for replacement are the products where PFAS are heavily used and where viable alternatives are available. 

This category includes printed circuit boards, wiring and cables, heat transfer fluids and dielectric fluids used in manufacturing.

Lennquoist highlights the report maps where PFAS are intentionally added to electronics for a specific function. Regarding packaging for electronics, she says that she guesses “that different types of films and wrappings on new electronics are likely to contain PFAS.”

When asked about how packaging technology can protect electronics from PFAS exposure, Dr. Lennquist explains that for the packaging industry, it is more important to look into if and why PFAS is also used in packaging for electronics and where this could be replaced. “The electronics industry needs to work on the phaseout from the electronics manufacturing and devices.” 

By Natalie Schwertheim