ANALYSIS of ALTERNATIVES Public Version
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ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES Public Version Legal name of applicant(s): AkzoNobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals Submitted by: AkzoNobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals Substance: Sodium dichromate Use title: Use 1: Use of sodium dichromate as an additive for suppressing parasitic reactions and oxygen evolution, pH buffering and cathode corrosion protection in the electrolytic manufacture of sodium chlorate, with or without subsequent production of chlorine dioxide Use 2: Use of sodium dichromate as an additive for suppressing parasitic reactions and oxygen evolution, pH buffering and cathode corrosion protection in the electrolytic manufacture of potassium chlorate. Use number: 1 & 2 Disclaimer This report has been prepared by Risk & Policy Analysts Ltd, with reasonable skill, care and diligence under a contract to the client and in accordance with the terms and provisions of the contract. Risk & Policy Analysis Ltd will accept no responsibility towards the client and third parties in respect of any matters outside the scope of the contract. This report has been prepared for the client and we accept no liability for any loss or damage arising out of the provision of the report to third parties. Any such party relies on the report at their own risk. Note This public version of the Analysis of Alternatives includes some redacted text. The letters indicated within each piece of redacted text correspond to the type of justification for confidentiality claims which is included as an Annex (Section 7) in the complete version of the document. Table of contents 1 Summary..............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Use applied for................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Potential alternatives for sodium dichromate................................................................................1 1.3 Suitability of potential alternatives to sodium dichromate............................................................4 1.4 Feasibility and availability of potential alternatives for sodium dichromate .................................6 1.5 Actions needed to improve the suitability and availability of potential alternatives...................10 2 Analysis of substance function............................................................................................13 2.1 The chlorate process.....................................................................................................................13 2.2 Conditions of use and technical feasibility criteria.......................................................................20 2.3 Summary of functionality of sodium dichromate in the “Applied for Use” .................................27 3 Annual tonnage.................................................................................................................. 31 3.1 Tonnage band ...............................................................................................................................31 3.2 Trends in the consumption of sodium dichromate ......................................................................31 3.3 Form and usage of sodium dichromate........................................................................................31 4 Identification of possible alternatives.................................................................................. 33 4.1 List of possible alternatives...........................................................................................................33 4.2 Description of efforts made to identify possible alternatives ......................................................33 4.3 Screening of identified alternatives..............................................................................................68 5 Suitability and availability of possible alternatives...............................................................89 5.1 Introduction and scope of analysis ...............................................................................................89 5.2 Chromium(III) chloride..................................................................................................................89 5.3 Sodium molybdate........................................................................................................................99 5.4 Molybdenum-based coatings .....................................................................................................109 5.5 Two-compartment electrolytic systems .....................................................................................116 6 Overall conclusions on suitability and availability of possible alternatives.......................... 123 6.1 Technical feasibility of shortlisted alternatives ..........................................................................123 6.2 Economic feasibility of shortlisted alternatives..........................................................................125 6.3 Reduction of risks from the use of shortlisted alternatives........................................................126 6.4 Availability of shortlisted alternatives ........................................................................................128 6.5 Overall conclusion.......................................................................................................................129 7 Annex – Justifications for confidentiality claims................................................................. 131 8 Appendix 1 – Information sources..................................................................................... 133 9 Appendix 2 – Comparative hazard and risk characterisation of alternatives........................ 137 9.1 Background .................................................................................................................................137 9.2 Reference values for sodium dichromate and alternative substances.......................................137 9.3 Exposure Assessment..................................................................................................................160 9.4 Comparative risk characterisation..............................................................................................164 9.5 References for this Appendix......................................................................................................166 10 Appendix 3 – Economic feasibility ..................................................................................... 169 10.1 Economic feasibility of sodium molybdate.................................................................................169 10.2 Economic feasibility of molybdenum-based coatings ................................................................177 10.3 Economic feasibility of two-compartment electrolytic systems.................................................182 DECLARATION We, AkzoNobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals, request that the information blanked out in the “public version” of the Analysis of Alternatives is not disclosed. We hereby declare that, to the best of our knowledge as of today 2015-10-21 the information is not publicly available, and in accordance with the due measures of protection that we have implemented, a member of the public should not be able to obtain access to this information without our consent or that of the third party whose commercial interests are at stake. Bohus, 2015-10-21 Ingrid Brassart Regulatory Affairs Manager 1 Summary 1.1 Use applied for This Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) is part of an Application for the Authorisation (AfA) for the continued use of sodium dichromate (CAS No. 7789-12-0 & 10588-01-9; EINECS No. 234-190-3, hereafter referred to as “SD”) by the applicant, AkzoNobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals (hereafter referred to as AkzoNobel), in the sodium chlorate (NaClO3) manufacturing process, where it acts as a crucial additive to the process. Generation of sodium chlorate is based on the electrolysis of sodium chloride (NaCl), at a controlled pH range, where the sodium chloride is converted into sodium chlorate while hydrogen evolves as a co-product. SD acts to increase the current efficiency of the conversion process by suppressing unwanted (parasitic cathodic) reactions and thus reducing the use of electrical energy, and acts as a pH buffer to ensure optimal process conditions are maintained. It also has a crucial role in limiting the amount of oxygen generated during the process, as the presence of oxygen poses a serious hazard because it forms explosive atmospheres in the presence of hydrogen. AkzoNobel is the only EU producer of potassium chlorate and sodium dichromate is also required for this use, fulfilling the same technical role as for sodium chlorate. Therefore, the AoA is equally applicable for both of these uses. AkzoNobel uses ''''''#B#''''''' tonnes of SD out of a total consumption of <40 tonnes consumed in this use by EU-based manufacturers of sodium chlorate. This overall volume represents less than 1% of the entire amount of SD used each year in the EU. This AoA has been prepared by an independent third party working on behalf of AkzoNobel and a further six EU-based users of SD who collectively formed the Sodium Dichromate Authorisation Consortium (hereafter referred to as SDAC). While there is notable overlap in the information presented and the argumentation made in the AoA documents of all seven applicants, each AoA