Novel C₆-technology with fluorocarbon compounds

The media has reported for some time, that the European Community intends to ban PFOS*-containing (perflurooctanic sulphonic acid) chemicals. Some customers of RUDOLF GROUP also strive for a PFOA*-free (perfluorooctanic acid) finish.

For good water and oil-repellent effects a certain length of the perfluoroalkyl side-chains is requested. According to the state-of-the-art these effects are optimally achieved with an average chain length of 8 carbon atoms (C₈-side-chains). Although by origin (telomerisation) our fluorocarbon polymers do not contain PFOS*, and they are PFOA*-optimised (perfluorooctanic acid <1 ppm), they are not completely PFOA*-free.

That‘s why we have further optimised our ®RUCOSTAR- and RUCO-GUARD®-ranges and have added new products of the so-called C₆-technology. Perfluorocarbon monomers from telomerisation with a chain length of 6 carbon atoms are used. The fluorocarbon polymers made from C₆-monomers are PFOS*- and PFOA*-free.

The production of C₆-monomers is very expensive, because short-chain (C₄) und and longer-chain (C₈ usw.) components have to be separated. This leads to higher raw material and higher product costs. The fluorine side-chains of these products are shorter than those of the standard fluorocarbon polymers. Sometimes, the effects are therefore poorer. These facts should be considered if one decides to work with this new, ecologically optimised product group.

With the new range of C₆-products and the group of BIONIC-FINISH® products RUDOLF GROUP is a worldwide leader in the field of ecological finishes for water, oil and soil-repellent textiles.

To distinguish them from standard fluorocarbon polmyers, the C₆-based products contain the figure 6 in their name.

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*) Please visit
/company/environment/pfos-pfoa-information.htm
for further information.