Rigorous material testing responds to marketplace demand for product safety and reliability
Kingsport, Tenn. — May 13, 2010 — Eastman Chemical Company today released test results that demonstrate Eastman Tritan™ copolyester is free from bisphenol A (BPA) and estrogenic activity (EA). Tests were conducted by various third-party research laboratories using well-recognized methods. The results of this research highlight Eastman’s commitment to quality and dedication to providing reassurance to original equipment manufacturers (OEM), suppliers and the public that Tritan is free of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
Eastman Tritan™ is a new-generation copolyester that provides a balance of properties to help manufacturers and designers respond to consumer demand for safe, reliable products that offer superior clarity, dishwasher durability, toughness and exceptional design potential.
“We understand that the marketplace is focused on issues such as endocrine disruption. Eastman and independent third-party laboratories have conducted rigorous tests to confirm Eastman Tritan™ copolyester is free of bisphenol A and estrogenic activity,” said Dante Rutstrom, vice president and general manager, specialty plastics business, Eastman. “These tests went beyond the requirements needed for regulatory clearance and are intended to provide our customers with even greater confidence in the safety of this product.”
The unique chemistry of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester ensures there is no BPA in the resin, and BPA is not used or generated in the manufacturing process of Tritan. The absence of BPA was verified by both internal and third-party testing laboratories to provide assurance to customers that BPA is not present in Tritan as supplied by Eastman.
Eastman Tritan™ copolyester is also free of estrogenic activity. A series of tests conducted by third-party laboratories demonstrated the lack of estrogenic and androgenic activity using well-recognized methods, including Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) computer models, Receptor Transactivation Assays, the Uterotrophic Assay and the Hershberger Assay. Results from these tests confirm that Tritan does not demonstrate an affinity to bind to hormone receptors or have potential to induce endocrine disruptive effects. In addition, no other chemicals utilized in the production of Tritan are known or suspected to be EDCs.
Third-party testing was conducted by Dr. William Welsh, professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, N.J.; the Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., and WIL Research Laboratories, LLC, Ashland, Ohio.
“Eastman takes product safety and reliability very seriously,” Rutstrom said. “We have world-class product development processes in place and comply with ISO standards to ensure consistency of the production of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester.”
Since the launch of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester in 2007, the material has been utilized to develop applications in the reusable water bottles, housewares, infant care, small appliance, bulk water, sign and medical markets.
