New EU rule will label most mould inhibitors 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.

New EU legislation

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.

Ammonium buffered organic acid products

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.

Consequences of the new legislation

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. “Perstorp Feed & Food specialises in organic acid solutions for preservation. Therefore we think it’s important to alert farmers and distributors to these important changes,” states Kinjet. “Users and re-sellers should take timely precautions or consider switching to an alternative that is non-corrosive. There are a few products in the market that remain non-corrosive. Our solution for this is ProSid™ MI 700 which uses glycerol esters of propionic acid instead of ammonium buffering.”