Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment Case Studies: Foam Fabrication EPA 744-R-00-007 June 2000 Bulletin Contents Description of the foam fabri- cation industry Case study on Foam Craft Inc, a foam fabricator in Cerritos, CA Case study on Prestige, a foam fabricator in North Carolina Case study on Latex International, in Santa Fe Springs, CA Case study on Hickory Springs, a flexible slabstock polyurethane foam manufac- turer Alternatives to Chlorinated Solvent Adhesives in the Foam Fabrication Industry The Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA), a nonprofit organization located in Santa Monica, California, analyzed the cost and performance of alternative adhesive technologies used by the furniture and sleep products industries. This project was sponsored by the U.S. EPA with a grant from the Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. The Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA) is a partnership with industry including Southern California Edison (SCE) and the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFSS). Industry Description Flexible slabstock polyurethane foam is produced by 23 companies in about 75 pouring plants in the United States. In 1977, approximately 830 million pounds of slabstock foam were produced. By 1998, slab- stock foam production doubled to about 1.6 billion pounds. Flexible slabstock foam is fabricated (cut and shaped) into pieces to be used in carpet underlay, furniture, bedding, packaging, transportation CTSA: Foam Fabrication 1 ------- Flexible slabstock foam manufac- tured at a pouring plant. About IRTA IRTA is a nonprofit organization established in 1989 to assist companies in adopting low- and non-solvent technologies. IRTA provides technical assistance in general and precision cleaning, drycleaning, paint stripping and coating, adhesive and ink operations. seating, and other products where a durable and resilient cushioning material is required. Many foam manufacturers are vertically integrated and have on- or off-site foam fabrication operations using the foam stock they manufacture. Flexible foam manu- facturers fabricate about half of the foam produced in their own facilities. The other half is purchased by independent fabricators who cut and shape it into vari- ous products. There are approximately 350 foam fabri- cation plants in the United States. All foam fabricators perform fabrication services for other companies that manufacture bed- ding, upholstered furniture and other products. Some of the foam is fabricated using adhesives and some is not. In many cases, the foam requires a particular shape or a particular feel. During fabrication, several different densities of foam or other materials, like polyester fiber, are bonded together to form a particular shape with spe- cific characteristics. The foam used in sofa arms, for example, does not require adhesive because it has the proper shape and density. In contrast, pieces of foam are cut then bonded together with adhesive to achieve the proper shape for sofa seat cushions. It is estimated that about one-third of the foam used in furniture manufacture and five percent of the foam used in bedding manufacture requires adhesive in the fabrication opera- tion. Adhesive Alternatives In the 1980s and early 1990s, most of the adhesive used by foam fabrica- tors was based on 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), a chlorinated solvent. TCA was an effective carrier for the adhesive because it evaporates rapid- ly leaving an instant bond, it is fairly low in toxicity, it does not have a flash point, and it is not classified as a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) that contributes to photochemical smog. In the 1990s, TCA was designated as a class one ozone depleting sub- stance and, in 1996, its production was banned for that reason. Although TCA inventory was still available, the chemical had become very expen- sive because of a Federal tax on ozone depleting substances. Virtually all adhesive formulators stopped making TCA adhesives and began offering adhesives based on methylene chloride (METH), also a chlorinated sol- 2 GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- vent. Like TCA, METH evaporates quickly, does not have a flash point and is not classified as a VOC. However, METH is a suspected carcino- gen. In 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a regulation on METH that lowered the worker exposure level from 500 ppm to 25 ppm measured as an 8-hour time weighted average. The regulation also set an action level at 12.5 ppm. Companies with worker exposure above that level are required to institute monitor- ing and medical surveillance. The regulation was effective for foam fab- ricators with more than 150 employees in April, 1999 and for fabricators with less than 150 employees in April, 2000. Many foam fabricators have converted to alternative adhesives because they do not believe they can meet the new worker exposure levels for METH. Other fabricators are testing alternatives and still others have not done anything to address the changing regulatory requirements. A few fabricators plan to contin- ue using METH adhesives. In the early 1990s, the formulators developed one-part and two-part water-based adhesives and many foam fabricators, particularly in Southern California, began testing them. In Southern California, METH is classified as a toxic and could not be used when the formulators stopped using TCA adhesives. The early one-part water-based adhesives were based exclusively on natural latex and they did not bond instantly like the solvent-based adhesives. The two-part adhesives were difficult to use in equipment but did bond instantly. Because they were much more expensive than the one-part adhesives, however, the foam fabrica- tion industry did not adopt them. At this stage, new one-part water-based adhesives composed of natural latex and a small amount of syn- thetic polymers are available. These adhesives bond much more rapidly than the older one-part adhesives that are based exclu- sively on latex. Many California foam fabricators have convert- ed to these new one-part latex/synthetic water-based adhesives. Another alternative is an adhesive based on acetone, a non-chlo- rinated chemical. Acetone is low in toxicity and like TCA and METH, readily evaporates leaving a quick bond. It does have a very low flash point, however, and measures must be taken to minimize the chance of fire or explosion. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has rated acetone as an NFPA 704 level 3 flammability hazard. State building codes and fire codes are based on NFPA guidelines. The codes vary according to loca- Mention of trade names, companies, or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by either the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or other firms, organizations, or individuals who have participated in the preparation of this publication. : - New one-part latex/synthetic waterbased adhesives bond more rapidly. CTSA: Foam Fabrication 3 ------- About SCE SCE, the flagship of the Edison International family of companies, is the nation's second largest investor-owned electric utility company. Central to the growth of the region's economy, SCE continues its decades-old commitment to assist businesses seeking to start, expand, or relocate to its service territory. About AWFSS AWFS® was incorporated to fulfill a major need to represent the interests of companies and individuals who supply the home and institutional furnishings manufacturing industries. Today, AWFS® has an international membership that includes manufacturers and distributers of machinery, hardware, lumber, upholstery materials, bedding, wood products and other supplies to furniture and cabinet manufacturers. tion and local fire departments have regulations that affect the amount of the adhesive that can be stored, require explosion-proof motors and high air flow ventilation systems. Some formulations based on acetone also contain other chemicals like heptane, hexane, and mineral spirits. The other chemicals in these formulations are classified as VOCs. Another alternative is an adhesive based on n-propyl bromide (nPB). This chemical, like TCA and METH, evaporates readily and has no flash point. It has unknown but likely high toxicity. nPB is structurally sim- ilar to other brominated chemicals that are carcinogens or have repro- ductive toxicity problems. nPB-based adhesives used by fabricators contain some 2-bromopropane (2-BP) as a contaminant. 2-BP is toxic and has caused reproductive problems in Korean workers. nPB is cur- rently classified as a VOC and it also contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have nominated nPB and 2-BP for carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity testing. In Southern California, VOC regulations are very stringent and fabrica- tors cannot use adhesives based on nPB or the acetone adhesives blend- ed with other chemicals. In most cases, California fabricators have adopted one-part water-based or acetone-based adhesives. In other parts of the country, North Carolina in particular, where VOC regulations are less stringent, many fabricators, especially small ones, are adopting nPB- based adhesives. A few are adopting the acetone adhesives that contain other chemicals and very few have converted to water-based adhesives. Fabricators that wish to continue using METH-based adhesives have to purchase and install effective ventilation systems that reduce the worker exposure to the legal OSHA limit. Fabricators that wish to use acetone adhesives must also install ventilation systems to ensure that the acetone concentration is below the lower explosion limit of the chemical. Fabricators that are converting to nPB adhesives are installing ventila- tion systems to reduce the worker exposure to a potentially toxic chem- ical. Fabricators adopting one-part water-based adhesives generally install a ventilation system; the water-based systems produce aerosol particulates that can be removed from the workplace with the ventilation system. In effect, fabrication facilities that select any one of the alterna- tive adhesives must expect to install a ventilation system. 4 GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- Characteristics of Alternatives Adhesive Classified as VOC 1,1,1-Trichloroethane No Methylene Chloride Acetone Acetone Blends Water-Based No No No Toxicity Medium High Ozone Depleter Flash Point No No Low No Yes Low No No Issues Production banned Heavily regulated Fire regulations rire regulations Forms aerosols GTSA: Foam Fabrication 5 ------- Foam Fabricator Helps Push Water-Based Adhesive Technology "The ban on TCA was a good thing. It forced us to examine our process and find a bet- ter alternative for work- ers and the environ- ment," says Bob Nylander. Foam Craft Inc., located in Cerritos, California, employs 160 people. The firm started operation in 1965 and was bought by Future Foam, a flexible slabstock foam manufacturer, in 1994. Foam Craft fabricates foam for use in packaging, furni- ture and bedding. Products like futons, recreation vehicles, trucks, tractors and dog beds use the foam fabricated by Foam Craft. Several years ago, like most of the industry, Foam Craft used methylene chloride (METH)-based adhesives for bonding foam- to-foam in their fabrication operations. Because of air regulations put in place by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Foam Craft converted their process- es from METH to 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA)-based adhesives. Like other compa- nies in Southern California, Foam Craft used TCA-based adhesives until the cost of the chemical became prohibitive. TCA con- tributes to stratospheric ozone depletion and production was banned in 1996. A Federal tax placed on the chemical made it extreme- ly expensive to use. "We have completely converted to water at this stage," says Bob Nylander, Foam Craft's plant manager. The company began investigating water-based adhesive alterna- tives about six years ago when it became clear that TCA would be phased out. At that time, the water-based products were new to the market and Foam Craft went through a long learning curve to optimize their use. Foam Craft and the vendors, in a partner- ship, were able to solve all the problems that arose during a long testing phase. Foam Craft emerged as one of the industry pioneers for water-based foam bonding 6 GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- adhesives. The company spent two years of intensive testing to determine the best meth- ods of using the new adhesives. They began work with a one-part adhesive made by Upaco. Foam Craft found that the adhesive did not dry as fast as the solvent-borne adhe- sives so they tested different application techniques. Instead of spraying two pieces of foam and putting them together for an instant bond, the workers now spray a stack of foam pieces and then join them. Worker applica- tion time is virtually identical now to what it was before the conversion. Foam Craft had to work out several other problems over the two-year period. They had difficulty developing an adhesive feed system for their eight stations that had a total of 32 spray booths and guns. Going to a gravity feed system eliminated shearing issues. They also found that at first they used about 1.6 times more of the water-based adhesive than the solvent-borne adhesive. With expe- rience, they were able to optimize the appli- cation process and now they use about three-fourths as much of the water-based adhesives. This reduction in materials use means that the cost of doing business for Foam Craft was reduced by the switch to water-based adhesives. Foam Craft is now testing new water-based products to see if they can reduce their costs further. The company is also investigating new cutting processes that could help elim- inate some of the requirements for adhesive use altogether. "The ban on TCA was a good thing. It forced us to examine our process and find a better alternative for workers and the envi- ronment," says Bob Nylander. "We've pro- vided information to the other Future Foam plants in the country. They are planning to use our example to convert now that meth- ylene chloride can't be used. We're investi- gating other methods to reduce our costs further." GTSA: Foam Fabrication 7 ------- Prestige Evaluates Several Glue Technologies Prestige "I think we'll go with acetone glues," says Joe Wingfield. "Acetone is flammable, but it has low toxicity and the glues perform well." Prestige is one of the largest foam fabrica- tors in North Carolina. The company also manufactures polyurethane slabstock foam in Asheboro. About 80 percent of the foam the company manufactures is used in the fabrication operation and 20 percent is sold to other firms. The foam pouring and fabrication operations were located in the same building until recently; the foam fabrication now takes Prestige produces thousands of styles and sizes of cut foam, pillows, sleeper mattresses, and garnetted fiber. place in a separate 200,000 square foot facility. Prestige does fabrication for a vari- ety of furniture manufacturers. Adhesive is used to bond the foam-to-foam in the fabri- cation operation. The company also manu- factures sleeper mattresses for sofa beds but, in this case, has found that lifetime test- ing results are better with sewing for those products. Prestige has a very large fabrication opera- tion with 30 gluing stations. The company has 250 employees and about 40 of them apply adhesive. In 1991, the company used a 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA)-based adhe- sive. Prestige started evaluating alternative technologies when it became clear that TCA production would be banned because of the chemical's contribution to ozone depletion. The company converted to a one-part water- based adhesive and has been using it for several years. They also used a two-part water-based adhesive for critical bonding GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- In 1983 Prestige began manufac- turing its own foam. applications on furniture arms, ears, seams and other complex parts. "We never liked the performance of the water-based glue," says Danny Sykes, General Manager at Prestige. "It took four to six weeks for the workers to learn to spray the water-based glues and six to eight weeks to get their speed up," he says. The company purchased and installed 30 spray booths when they converted from TCA to the water-based adhesives. Recently, the company began using an n- propyl bromide adhesive on the line where they used the two-part water-based glue. The The fabri- cated foam is cut, buffed, glued, labeled, and pre- pared for shipment. two-part adhesives are very costly to main- tain. "We like the performance of the n- propyl bromide glue but are concerned about possible regulation," says Joe Wingfield, President of Prestige. The company has also evaluated the costs of acetone-based adhesives and is considering using them. "I think we'll go with acetone glues," says Joe Wingfield. "Acetone is flammable but it has low toxicity and the glues perform well. The cost of using ace- tone glues is also lower than the cost of using the n-propyl bromide products." Annual Cost Comparison for Prestige Cost Capital Cost One-Part Water-Based $11,182 Two-Part Water-Based $11,182 Acetone Adhesive $12,160 n-Propyl Bromide Adhesive $11,182 Adhesive Cost $656,250 Labor Cost $720,000 Maintenance Cost $3,780 Electricity Cost $2,160 Training Cost $1,080 Total Cost $1,394,452 $656,100 $720,000 $3,780 $2,160 $1,080 GTSA: Foam Fabrication 9 ------- Santa Fe Springs Foam Fabricator Converts to Water- Based Adhesives / At TE ft /V A T / O Af A L WEST "We did a lot of testing and converted away from sol- vent-based adhesives entirely," Roger Coffey says. "The water-based adhesives work effectively and they are better for the workers and the community." Latex International, a large manufacturer of latex foam, has two manufacturing plants worldwide. The company has a fabri- cation plant in Santa Fe Springs, California with 50 employees where they fabricate foam used primarily in the bedding industry. In the 1980s, like other companies in the country, Latex International used methylene chloride-based adhesives in their fabrication operation. More recently, as methylene chlo- ride was more heavily regulated by the local air district, the company converted to an ace- tone-based adhesive. Latex International did not want to continue to use solvent-borne adhesives and initiated work on water-based products. Today, the company is exclusively using water-based adhesives. The latex foam cores that are used in mat- tresses are manufactured in Latex International's plant in Conneticut. The ingredients are poured into molds of vari- ous types. Two twin molded cores are glued together to form a king sized core. The plant in Santa Fe Springs receives latex foam cores from the Conneticut plant and bonds two types of foam products. In one operation, latex is bonded to latex to form the foam core of a high end mattress. The latex foam takes the place of springs that are commonly used in lower end mattresses. The company also uses glue to attach alu- minized "cigarette tape" to the edges of the mattress to prevent cigarette fires. In the second operation, Latex International uses 10 GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- Latex is bonded to latex to form the foam core of a high-end mattress. adhesives to bond "racetracks" which are smaller cores of latex foam with an outer perimeter of polyurethane. These cores are used in less expensive bedding. In the polyurethane foam-to-latex operation, Latex International uses a one-part latex water-based adhesive which does not have an immediate tack. In the latex-to-latex opera- tion, a different one-part water-based adhe- sive which has a shorter tack time is used. The latex is less porous than polyurethane foam so a faster tack adhesive is required. Says Ron Bruneau, Plant Manager at Latex International West, "our adhesive use has been reduced by about 30 percent since we converted from acetone to water-based adhesives." The cost of using the water- based adhesives is roughly the same as the cost of the acetone adhesives. "We are test- ing other water-based adhesives to see if we can lower our costs," says Ron Bruneau. Roger Coffey, President of Latex International West, is pleased with the con- version and continued work to find lower cost adhesives. "We're an environmentally conscious company. "We did a lot of testing and converted away from solvent-based adhesives entirely," he says. "The water- based adhesives work effectively and they are better for the workers and the communi- ty." Annual Cost Comparison for Latex International Cost Capital Cos Adhesive Cost Water-Based Adhesive $27,360 $196,000 $372 Electricity Cost Training Cost Regulatory Cost Total Cost $352 $232,870 GTSA: Foam Fabrication 11 ------- Hickory Springs Decides on Acetone "Acetone is low in toxicity and it's as effective as METH as a blowing agent and in the glues," says Bobby Bush. "We think it's the best overall solution." Hickory Springs is a major manufacturer of flexible slabstock polyurethane foam. The company has six pouring plants in the country, including Conover, North Carolina and City of Commerce in California. The foam is used in diverse applications like packaging, bedding, furni- ture and recreational vehicles. In addition to manufacturing the polyurethane foam, Hickory Springs also has a number of fabrication operations. The company has fabrication operations in all of their foam pouring plants; in addition, Hickory Springs owns about 30 separate fab- ricating companies. About half the foam the company produces is used in their own fabri- cation operations. In all, the company has about 2,000 employees who manufacture and fabricate foam. Hickory Springs historically used methyl- ene chloride (METH) as an auxiliary blow- ing agent in their slabstock foam production operations. Because of more stringent toxic regulations on METH, the company began investigating alternatives in the early 1990s. In 1993, Hickory Springs patented a new blowing agent process that used acetone as J J The foam is used in diverse applications including packaging, bedding, furniture, and recreational vehicles. 12 GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- the auxiliary blowing agent in foam manu- facture in place of METH. A few years, later, when acetone was deemed exempt from VOC regulations, the company converted all of their pouring plants from METH to ace- tone. Like other companies, Hickory Springs used TCA-based adhesives in the early 1990s. When the production ban on TCA was announced and the price of TCA increased, the company converted to METH-based adhesives for their fabrication operations. In 1990, the pouring plant in City of Commerce used TCA-based adhesives. From 1991 to 1998, the company decided not to continue fabrication at that site. In 1998, the company decided to reenter the fabrica- tion market. At that stage, METH was heav- ily regulated by the local air district and Hickory Springs investigated and adopted water-based adhesives. "We tried for about a year to make the water-based adhesives work for us but we were unsuccessful," says Steve Isenhour, Plant Manager at the City of Commerce plant. "We're using acetone adhe- sives now and we've had no problems," he says. When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulated METH more stringently, Hickory Springs decided to convert away from METH in their fabrica- tion operations throughout the country. In the Conover plant, the company converted to water-based adhesives for a short time. In 1998, the company began testing acetone- based adhesives in their fabrication opera- tion at the pouring plant. "The company was very familiar with acetone because it was used as a blowing agent in our pouring plants," says Bobby Bush, Vice President of the Foam Products Division at Hickory Springs. "People are nervous about acetone because of its combustibility," he remarks. "Our insurance rates did not go up; we had to install a ventilation system but we would have had to do that with water or METH adhesives too." The Conover plant has 16 stations where adhesive is applied. With the conversion to acetone, the company installed ventilation systems that collect from the floor at 11 of the stations; at the remaining five stations, a fan pulls the air outside. At the City of Commerce plant, which has a much smaller fabrication operation, the company has always had one spray booth and no addi- tional ventilation was necessary for the con- version to acetone adhesives. In the Conover plant, the company uses an adhesive formulation that is a blend of ace- tone and heptane. In the City of Commerce plant, the company uses a straight acetone- based adhesive because of the more strin- gent local air district regulations on VOCs. "Acetone is low in toxicity and it's as effec- tive as METH as a blowing agent and in the glues," says Bobby Bush. "We think it's the best overall solution." At the City of Commerce plant, the compa- ny reduced their costs in converting from GTSA: Foam Fabrication 13 ------- water-based to acetone adhesives. The com- pany's production efficiency is much greater with the acetone-based adhesive. The table below shows that the production adjusted cost of using acetone adhesives is about 43 percent less than the cost of using the water- based adhesives. Annual Cost Comparison for Hickory Springs, Conover Plant Cost Adhesive Cost Labor Cost Maintenance Cost Electricity Cost Total Cost METH Adhesive $345,403 $55,000 $288,000 $2,403 Annual Cost Comparison for Hickory Springs, City of Commerce Plant Cost Water-Based Adhesive Production-Adjusted Total Cost $31,608 $17,949 14 GTSA: Foam Fabrication ------- About the Design for the Environment (DfE) Program The Design for the Environment (DfE) Program is a cooperative effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), industries, research institutions, environmental/public interest groups, and other government agencies. Working with these partners, the DfE program identifies cost-effective alternatives to existing products and processes that reduce risks to workers and the environment while maintaining or improving performance and product quality. Through the DfE program, EPA encourages businesses to incorporate environmental considera- tions into their products, processes, and technical and management sys- tems. To help industry implement some of the ideas and technologies identified, the DfE program has published a number of case studies of companies which have found that environmental improvements can also lead to economic benefits. The case studies encourage other ven- dors, as well as other businesses, to learn from these environmental suc- cesses and adapt the techniques to their own processes. For More Information To obtain additional copies of this or other case studies, or for more information contact: Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA) 2800 Olympic Blvd., Ste. 101 Santa Monica, CA 90404 Telephone: (310) 453-0450 Fax: (310)453-2660 E-Mail: irta@earthlink.net IRTA website: http://home.earthlink.net/~irta Check Out DfE's Adhesives Web Site: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/ dfe/ad hesi ve/ad hesi ve. html Check Out IRTA's Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/ -irta GTSA: Foam Fabrication 15 ------- |