Dichromates: EU Grants Permission for Specific Uses

The EU Commission has approved the REACH applications of four companies and permitted the use of sodium and potassium dichromate for specific uses in the packaging, air, and aerospace industries.

A Dutch firm, Gentrochema BV, which is affiliated with the German Tymo Mineralien GmbH, may use sodium dichromate and potassium dichromate to treat the surfaces of metals, composites, and sealing of anodic films in the air and aerospace industry and may use sodium dichromate to process steel for the packaging industry.

The EU also responded positively to the request of a corporate group consisting of Brenntag, UK; AD International, NL; and Germany’s Henkel that also wanted to use sodium dichromate to treat metal surfaces.

The EU decision applies Article 60, Section 4 of REACH. That part of the Regulation states that the use of a chemical is permitted when the socio-economic benefits of such use outweigh the risks to human health and the environment and no substitute is currently available.

Last year, the EU rejected a request from a German company to use sodium dichromate.

Both sodium and potassium dichromate are listed in Annex XIV of REACH because of their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic (CMR) properties. Their sunset date was September 21, 2017.

For more information about the authorization, see REACH Info 10: Authorization in REACH (German only).

Do you have any questions about the legal compliance of your products? We’re happy to help. Please contact us at reach@kft.de.