BATON ROUGE, La., April 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A compound used to improve the fire safety of circuit boards and plastics in nearly 70 percent of the world's electrical and electronic equipment has been formally approved by the European Union (EU) for use in all of the product's designated applications, a decision commended by one of the product's main manufacturers, Albemarle Corporation .
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The compound Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), made and marketed by Albemarle as SAYTEX(R) CP-2000 flame retardant, underwent an extensive, multi-year risk assessment by the EU to evaluate the product's effects on human health and the environment. European Union member state experts concluded that TBBPA presents no risk to human health. The group also concluded that TBBPA presents no risk to the environment when used as a reactive compound, as in printed circuit boards.
"We strongly applaud the EU's approval of the use of TBBPA to enhance the fire safety of consumer electronics and electronic equipment," said Mark C. Rohr, president and chief executive officer of Albemarle. "The use of effective and proven flame retardants such as TBBPA offers life-saving protection for millions of people. As the global dependence upon electronic and electrical appliances continues to grow dramatically, it is more important than ever that we maintain strict fire safety standards to protect consumers.
"As concerned citizens with families of our own, we are committed to creating innovative and sustainable products that meet the highest level of fire safety standards while posing no threat to human health or the environment," Rohr continued. "We appreciate the EU's intensive assessment of this product to ensure that it continues to meet these strict standards, and we reiterate our commitment to continue our own legacy of rigorous and transparent testing of Albemarle's existing flame retardant products."
Albemarle's flame retardants division, part of the company's Polymer Additives business segment, enhances the lives of millions of people every day by helping provide protection from fire, encouraging environmentally responsible and sustainable manufacturing practices, and driving technological and economic development worldwide.
Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics; petroleum and petrochemical processing; transportation and industrial products; pharmaceuticals; agricultural products; and construction and packaging materials. The Company operates in three business segments -- Polymer Additives, Catalysts and Fine Chemicals, and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. Learn more about Albemarle at http://www.albemarle.com/.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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