From June 1st 2015 the EU will implement the new CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) legislation for chemical mixtures including mixtures of organic acids such as mould inhibitors. As a result of this new legislation most organic acid based mould inhibitors that are sold today will be labelled as corrosive.

Products labelled as corrosive need special transport and storage arrangements. Swedish organic acid producer Perstorp cautions end-users and distributors not to postpone researching the impact on the products they are using and to take precautions or switch to a non-corrosive alternative.

The purpose of the new legislation is to align the European Union with the Global Harmonised System (GHS). As part of the new classification process, all products must undergo extensive corrosion, stability and flammability tests. Most products that were labelled as non-corrosive before, now fail to prove non-corrosive in the mandatory metal corrosion test.

Products labelled as corrosive to metal must be transported according to the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR). The storage of ADR goods requires special storage facilities and permits in most EU member states.

The most affected product group will be the ammonium buffered organic acid products, such as propionic acid mixtures. Most products that are available in the market have been tested with the official corrosion test.

“Almost all examined products showed metal corrosion, which would qualify these products as corrosive” says Marc Kinjet, Product Manager for Preservation at Perstorp.

The consequences of the new legislation vary from country to country. Products labelled as corrosive or ADR are considered dangerous goods and as such new rules may apply for storage.

“Users and re-sellers should take timely precautions or consider switching to an alternative that is non-corrosive even after June 1st. There are a few products in the market that remain non-corrosive. Our own solution is ProSid™ MI 700 which uses glycerol esters of propionic acid instead of ammonium buffering,” said Kinjet.

Source: The Global Miller