ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES & SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Public version Legal name of Applicant(s): FN Herstal Browning Submitted by: FN Herstal Substance: Chromium trioxide (EC 215-607-8, CAS 1333-82-0) Use title: Use-2 Industrial use of chromium trioxide in the hard chromium coating of civilian firearms barrel bores and auxiliary parts subject to thermal, mechanical and chemical stresses, in order to provide a low friction coefficient as well as heat, corrosion and wear resistance properties. Use number: 2 Analysis of Alternatives – Socio-Economic Analysis CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 6 1. SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... 7 2. AIMS AND SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................... 9 2.1. Applicants ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.1. FN Herstal ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.2. Browning .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2. Scope of the AfA ........................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1. FN Herstal’s hard chromium plating process .................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2. Browning’s hard chromium plating process ..................................................................................................... 12 2.2.3. Common characteristics of both processes ...................................................................................................... 12 2.3. Products concerned...................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4. Supply chain ................................................................................................................................................. 15 2.5. General methodology ................................................................................................................................... 15 2.5.1. Scope of the AfA ............................................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.2. Actualisation .................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.5.3. Confidentiality .................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.5.4. Focus: Technology Readiness Levels ................................................................................................................. 20 2.6. Presentation of the “applied for use” and “non-use” scenarios .................................................................. 20 2.6.1. “Applied for use” scenario ................................................................................................................................ 20 2.6.2. “Non-use” scenario .......................................................................................................................................... 21 3. “APPLIED FOR USE” SCENARIO ............................................................................................................... 22 3.1. Elements of context ..................................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.1. Hard chromium plating .................................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.2. Historical background ...................................................................................................................................... 23 3.1.3. Types of firearms .............................................................................................................................................. 23 3.1.4. Extraction issues ............................................................................................................................................... 24 3.1.5. Failure mode of civilian firearm barrels ............................................................................................................ 25 3.1.6. Market and business model ............................................................................................................................. 27 3.1.7. Customer preference ........................................................................................................................................ 28 3.1.8. Trend in ammunition choice ............................................................................................................................. 28 3.2. Parts concerned............................................................................................................................................ 31 3.3. Analysis of substance function ..................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.1. Functional properties of hard chromium in the context of civilian armament manufacturing ........................ 33 3.3.2. Complementary requirements for the research of alternatives to hard chromium plating ............................. 35 3.4. Market and business trends including the use of the substance ................................................................. 36 3.4.1. Use of chromium trioxide ................................................................................................................................. 36 3.5. Remaining risk of the “applied for use” scenario ......................................................................................... 36 3.6. Human health impacts and monetised damage of the “applied for use” scenario ..................................... 36 3.6.1. Number of people exposed ............................................................................................................................... 37 3.6.2. Medical treatment ........................................................................................................................................... 37 3.6.3. Mortality and morbidity ................................................................................................................................... 40 3.6.4. Synthesis of the monetised damage of the “applied for use” scenario ............................................................ 46 3.6.5. Complementary elements of analysis: values taking into account a 4% discount rate .................................... 46 3.7. Environment, man-via-environment impacts and monetised damage of the “applied for use” scenario ... 46 3.7.1. Environment impacts and monetised damage ................................................................................................. 46 3.7.2. Man-via-environment impacts and monetised damage .................................................................................. 46 4. SELECTION OF THE “NON-USE” SCENARIO ............................................................................................. 47 4.1. Efforts made to identify alternatives ............................................................................................................ 47 4.1.1. Data searches and Research & Development ................................................................................................... 47 4.2. Potential alternatives already abandoned ................................................................................................... 48 4.2.1. Thermal spraying with HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) ............................................................................... 48 Use-2, public version FN Herstal - Browning 2 Analysis of Alternatives – Socio-Economic Analysis 4.2.2. Nickel and Nickel alloy coatings ....................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.3. Fine polishing of firearm chambers .................................................................................................................. 50 4.3. Research and development works in order to reduce the exposure to Cr(VI) for hard chrome plating (FNH1) 51 4.4. Assessment of shortlisted alternatives......................................................................................................... 53 4.4.1. Alternative 1: Thermomechanical modification ............................................................................................... 53 4.4.2. Alternative 2: Chromium deposition from Cr(III) electrolyte ............................................................................ 54 4.4.3. Alternative 3: Vacuum process with PVD/CVD ................................................................................................