The DfE Adhesives Technologies Partnership works with industry members; federal, state and local governments; and public interest groups to develop alternative solvents and processes for adhesive technologies. Project partners are working to mitigate the health and environmental impacts posed by adhesives used in numerous manufacturing industries.

The current partnership focuses on developing safer substitutes for methylene chloride-based fabricated foam adhesives used in the fabricated foam furniture and sleep products industry. Alternative adhesive technologies include aqueous-based, non-chlorinated solvents and solventless hot melt.

Background
Traditionally, this industry has depended on chlorinated, nonflammable, solvent-based adhesives to produce manufactured products, such as foam furniture. Recent federal and state regulations are causing rapid changes in adhesive solvent use, however. The industry was forced to move from ozone-depleting trichloroethane and methylene chloride to other potentially dangerous solvents. Methylene chloride is a hazardous air pollutant (HAP), and recent OSHA regulations lowered the permissible exposure limit (PEL) from 500 ppm to a very restrictive 25 ppm. Some of the alternative solvents to methylene chloride are flammable, and some have toxic exposures or are considered volatile organic compounds (VOCs), subject to restrictions. The industry is concerned that safe, affordable, and effective adhesives are not readily available.

Current Status
The Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA), a DfE grantee, is developing a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA) for application in the fabricated foam furniture and sleep products industry. IRTA has conducted several tests and demonstration and analyses projects over the last several years and has extensive experience working with this industry as well as interested stakeholders. To initiate the CTSA and verification project, IRTA sponsored a stakeholders meeting in September 1998, where the attending stakeholders discussed the overall industry and the focus and boundaries of the project. They agreed to limit the project to the fabricated foam furniture and sleep products (mattresses) industries. Some foam manufacturers will be included because they also supply fabricated foam assemblies to furniture manufacturers.

Performance Measures
After some initial technical assistance and training, this industry will use DfE approaches to perform cleaner production in their manufacturing operations. These approaches will result in pollution prevention and reduced health and safety risk in the workplace and surrounding communities. By incorporating environmental considerations into the design and redesign of products, processes, and technical and management systems, IRTA estimates that the use of cleaner foam bonding technologies will increase and result in an 85 percent reduction of the use of methylene chloride-based fabricated foam adhesives by 2001.

The draft Cleaner Technologies Substitution Assessment (CTSA) for "Alternative Adhesives Technologies: Foam Furniture and Bedding Industries" is now available for review and comment at the University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies web site.