3M To End 'Forever Chemicals' Output (reuters.com) 17
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: U.S. industrial conglomerate 3M Co on Tuesday set a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS, the "forever chemicals" used in anything from cell phones to semiconductors that have been linked to cancers, heart problems and low birth weights. Perfluoralkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) do not break down quickly and have in recent years been found in dangerous concentrations in drinking water, soils and foods.
Legal pressure over the damage caused by PFAS has increased. Last month, 3M and DuPont de Nemours Inc (DD.N) were among several companies sued by California's attorney general to recover clean-up costs. Shareholders have also called for production of the chemicals to stop. Investors managing $8 trillion in assets earlier this year wrote to 54 companies urging them to phase out their use. "3M has been facing a raft of litigation that has prompted the move," Victoria Scholar, head of investment at abrdn's Interactive Investor, said of 3M's deadline. "3M said its annual sales of manufactured PFAS are about $1.3 billion with estimated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation (EBITDA) margins of about 16%," adds Reuters. "The sales figure works out at about 3.7% of 3M's 2021 group revenues of $35.4 billion. 3M expects related total pre-tax charges of about $1.3 billion to $2.3 billion over the course of its PFAS exit."
Legal pressure over the damage caused by PFAS has increased. Last month, 3M and DuPont de Nemours Inc (DD.N) were among several companies sued by California's attorney general to recover clean-up costs. Shareholders have also called for production of the chemicals to stop. Investors managing $8 trillion in assets earlier this year wrote to 54 companies urging them to phase out their use. "3M has been facing a raft of litigation that has prompted the move," Victoria Scholar, head of investment at abrdn's Interactive Investor, said of 3M's deadline. "3M said its annual sales of manufactured PFAS are about $1.3 billion with estimated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation (EBITDA) margins of about 16%," adds Reuters. "The sales figure works out at about 3.7% of 3M's 2021 group revenues of $35.4 billion. 3M expects related total pre-tax charges of about $1.3 billion to $2.3 billion over the course of its PFAS exit."
Evil knob from 11 to 9 (Score:1)
To be replaced with million-year-chems
Guess what happens next! (Score:5, Informative)
That way 3M gets to crow about how green they are to their large consumer base and W. L. Gore will silently grow their specialty business.
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Make stupid rules, get stupid results.
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Even worse, they get to divest themselves of the coming liabilities from the lawsuits, and limit the amount which can actually be recovered to the new parent company's feeble assets.
Just like CFCs (Score:2)
Dupont kept producing CFCs until they found a replacement chemical.
Re:Just like CFCs (Score:4, Interesting)
Even if you do find a replacement, supply chains have recently proven to be very fickle things. Manufacturers that buy from you then have to re-design their materials, which means there's a period of testing involved, but meanwhile they still have to manufacture and sell their current products. And if they don't (for any reason) you end up with supply shocks like we saw in the early days of COVID, i.e. acute shortages of everything from odds and ends to essential stuff like medical equipment. All things considered, 2025 is a very short deadline.
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It's actually a much more difficult pivot as well since the only difference between the equipment for R-12 and R-134a is markings, and the service port fittings, literally. The cans are a different color and market differently, and the gauges have different markings on them, and the hoses (not even the gauge sets) have different connectors. If you were willing to do the math yourself you could use your existing gauges and machines, just with some adapters.
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I was told by a mechanic that the old R-12 systems really aren't capable of running R-134a. The molecules of R-134a are smaller, so the seals and other permeable components would need to be changed, and the compressor replaced. Propane-based refrigerant (sold as R-12a) is actually a really good replacement for R-12. Works great. Of course it is sort of flammable, which is why it wasn't ever used by auto manufacturers originally.
Actually R-12a is a pretty good replacement for R-134a as well. I've used
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Propane (R-290) has always been a decent replacement for R-22. R12a is a mix of propane and isobutane. But you can be sure if these highly flammable refrigerants were in widespread use in the consumer market, there would be leaks and fires making the news.
That said, apparently to support the use of less global warming potential refrigerants, ASHRAE has
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I was told by a mechanic that the old R-12 systems really aren't capable of running R-134a.
Well...
The molecules of R-134a are smaller, so the seals and other permeable components would need to be changed, and the compressor replaced.
The compressor usually is fine, but you would like to drain all of the oil out of it. While they are no longer sumped (which is too bad, those were really good compressors) they do still hold some oil, and the oil holds some refrigerant. The the seals in the system do need to be changed. Any connection that's not a flare fitting (which was more common on older systems) you have to break the connection and change the seals over to the new composition. You can get a big variety pack of them for ten to
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R-12 and R-134a require different, incompatible lubricating oils. Even if you flush out the old out and add the new, the new oil is likely not compatible with seals, gaskets, & the like.
It's only taken Dupont 23 years... (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm guessing that Dupont won't be announcing any kind of clean up or offering medical insurance to those affected by PFOAs.
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Also see also: Leaded gasoline.
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this is how you know they're evil (Score:3, Insightful)
There's no way in hell they didn't know that these chemicals were persistent.
On any given day they are capable of testing anything they make and figuring out if it's persistent or not.
But they don't give a damn, so they make them anyway until someone makes them stop, making lots of money along the way.
I cry for the poor, over-regulated companies in this country.
Who's buying the factories? (Score:3)
So now it will be some shady no name which will just declare bankruptcy once the GenX scandals hit, selling their factory to the next shady noname.
Much better if 3M owns the factory, more to sue for.