Are carcinogens lurking in your mold releases & mold cleaners?

October 26th, 2020

It’s been nine years since the Environmental Protection Agency assessed trichloroethylene (TCE) as carcinogenic to humans and efforts to phase-out the use of this solvent took on heightened urgency.

At Slide, we had already eliminated TCE and all other forms of chlorinated solvents from our products months before the EPA assessment in September 2011. There was simply no good reason to expose our customers or the environment to the harm these chemicals pose, especially when there were good alternatives.

Our products – all of them – have been free of TCE and chlorinated solvents since February 2011 and will remain so. The health of Slide users is of paramount importance to us.

“We decided that we wanted to offer the safest product line we could,” said Slide President Michael Muth of the company’s decision to make the switch.

"That was nearly a decade ago," he continues, "but we still come across products in use at some customer sites that contain TCE."

Examine Your Safety Data Sheets: Some Products Still Contain Carcinogens

Typically, injection molders, extruders, blow molders, and mold makers have no idea that they are exposing themselves to chemicals linked to cancer in humans as well as the destruction of the ozone layer.

That’s because product labels for industrial aerosols and chemicals are not required to include a list of chemicals. A place to start is the back of the label. Trichloroethylene formulations will have an HMIS flammability rating of 1 (non-flammable.) So, if you see a #1 in the diamond, you need to look at the SDS to see if the non-flammable formulation contains trichloroethylene.

To confirm whether the products you are using contain TCE or other chlorinated solvents, you need to review the manufacturers safety data sheet (SDS), especially for the mold releases, mold cleaners, rust preventives, and ejector pin grease you use today. If you are using Slide products, you don’t have to worry – you’ve already made the transition to safer formulations.

We Make It Easy to Make the Switch

If you are using products that contain TCE and other chlorinated solvents Slide can help you make a switch. Eliminating these harmful formulations from your processes may seem like a daunting task, but there are very effective alternatives. In fact, Slide products are not just better for the health and safety of your workers and the environment – they’re better for your bottom line.

We can show you. We can also help you make the transition to products that will eliminate more than safety concerns – they’ll eliminate hours of time wasted on inefficient processes.

With Slide products you get safer formulations and better performance.

Talk to one of our factory experts or your local Slide distributor to get started making the transition to better everything.