Commodity chemicals represent the foundation of the chemical industry, encompassing primary substances like acids, bases, and salts, which serve as building blocks for the production of more complex materials. They are heavily used across an extensive range of industries. While commodity chemicals are typically used to aid in a production process (and therefore typically do not stay on the final article), understanding the quality of the commodity chemicals you use through commodity chemical testing has become essential in managing your chemical footprint and ensuring full MRSL compliance.

 

The challenges of commodity chemical testing

The challenges of working with commodity chemicals are well understood in the many industries that use them – specifically issues around contamination, quality, and traceability. These challenges may be associated with the presence of hazardous substances in commodity chemicals – leading to a new set of challenges around MRSL compliance.

When it comes to commodity chemical testing, the problem (up until now) is that most commodity chemicals cannot be easily tested by traditional methods as their chemical properties complicate analysis and can damage sensitive analytical instruments. There are also solubility and extraction challenges that make it difficult to prepare samples for testing.

 

 

ZDHC Commodity Chemicals Guide

A key resource in addressing the challenges of MRSL compliance with commodity chemicals is the ZDHC Commodity Chemicals Guide v1.0, which provides textile, leather, apparel, and footwear industries best practices for managing and assessing commodity chemicals. The new May 2024 guideline will help stakeholders navigate issues related to contamination, traceability, and compliance – reinforcing the need for advanced and innovative commodity chemical testing solutions.

 

Introducing Eurofins Sustainability Services commodity chemical testing

To support textile, leather, apparel, and footwear industries with the advanced solutions needed for reliable commodity chemical testing, the innovation team at Eurofins Sustainability Services has developed a method to test for hazardous contaminants in commodity chemicals and to successfully prepare samples for testing. This is the first service of its kind and provides these industries with a reliable approach to mitigating MRSL risk.

 

The benefits of this approach to testing MRSL in commodity chemicals

• Cost-effective: Methodology takes into account composite opportunities to allow for budget friendly testing
• Innovative processes: We have developed a proprietary extraction and composite method to extract hazardous contaminations from samples and analyse with available chromatographic instruments
• Scalable commodity chemical testing processes: Testing across Eurofins’ global labs

 

Commodity chemical testing resources

Eurofins is passionate about providing you with accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information. Please see below for valuable resources on commodity chemical testing.

• • Webinar on-demand | Mastering commodity chemical testing. Coming soon!

 

 

Contact us about testing for MRSL in commodity chemicals

Navigating the complex regulatory landscape around hazardous substances and MRSLs can be overwhelming and a challenge for many industries. Contact us to learn how Eurofins Sustainability Services can be your partner to innovate your commodity chemical testing, and manage MRSL in commodity chemicals.

 

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Frequently asked questions about testing MRSL compliance in commodity chemicals

 

1. What substances are tested with Eurofins Sustainability Services commodity chemical testing?

We test the chemicals themselves for hazardous contaminants.

 

2. Which chemicals can be tested with Eurofins Sustainability Services commodity chemical testing?

A wide range of commodity chemicals, including acids, bases, solvents, and other processing aids commonly used in textile and footwear manufacturing.

 

3. What types of contaminants are checked with Eurofins Sustainability Services commodity chemical testing? Do you cover MRSL in commodity chemicals?

The analysis focuses on ZDHC MRSL listed substances.

 

4. Is this a test for chemicals, or raw materials?

This is a test for chemicals.

 

5. Can you comment on the techniques that are used?

The analytical techniques used are standard across most laboratories. The extraction method is a proprietary method developed by our labs, so we are unable to share further details.

 

6. You’re the first lab to offer this, why is no one else?

Firstly, it’s a challenging process due to the extreme pH levels of many commodity chemicals, and also issues with solubility and extraction, meaning testing using standard methods is difficult. Secondly, commodity chemicals have historically been a poorly understood part of the supply chain.

 

7. Are there any issues relating to specific materials we should be aware of? 

The issues arising from contact with commodity chemicals can vary significantly depending on the material involved, meaning there is no universal rule. Companies often invest heavily in purchasing functional chemicals that are free from restricted substances, only to risk negating these efforts (and the monetary investment) by using contaminated commodity chemicals. A notable example is in leather manufacturing, where the manufacturing process involves numerous commodity chemicals. The pelts, like many natural materials, can readily absorb contaminants (like a sponge sucking up water), potentially leading to the material failing Restricted Substances List (RSL) testing.

 

8. There are lots of small-sized businesses supplying chemicals, how do you envisage managing this? 

This will most likely be managed at the manufacturing level rather than the chemical supplier level.

 

9. How does the chemical supply industry differ based on global jurisdiction?  

Supply chains vary significantly in size and complexity worldwide. In Europe, commodity chemicals can often be sourced from large-scale manufacturers, resulting in fewer vendors within the supply chain. Conversely, in regions such as Asia, it is common for commodity chemicals to be supplied by numerous smaller vendors, where cost and immediacy of supply are the primary considerations.