Scotchgard is a
3M brand of products, a
stain
A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. They are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Accidental staining may make materials app ...
and
durable water repellent applied to
fabric,
furniture
Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...
, and
carpets to protect them from stains. Scotchgard products typically rely on
organofluorine chemicals as the main active ingredient along with
petroleum distillate solvents.
Development of the formula
The original formula for Scotchgard was discovered accidentally in 1952 by 3M chemists
Patsy Sherman and
Samuel Smith Samuel Smith may refer to:
In politics
*Samuel Smith (Connecticut politician) (1646–1735), early settler of Norwalk, Connecticut and deputy of the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut in 1691
*Samuel Smith (1754–1834), British Member ...
. Sales began in 1956, and in 1973 the two chemists received a
patent for the formula.
3M reformulated Scotchgard and since June 2003 has replaced PFOS with
perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS).
PFBS has a much shorter
half-life in people than PFOS (a little over one month vs. 5.4 years).
3M now states that Scotchgard utilizes a proprietary fluorinated
urethane Urethane may refer to:
* Ethyl carbamate, a chemical compound which is an ester of carbamic acid
* Polyurethane, a polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links
*Carbamate
In organic chemistry, a carbamate is ...
.
Environmental concerns
During 1999, the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began an investigation into the class of chemicals used in Scotchgard, after receiving information on the global distribution and toxicity of
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the "key ingredient"
[Kellyn S. Bett]
"Perfluoroalkyl Acids: What Is the Evidence Telling Us?"
''Environmental Health Perspectives'' Volume 115, Number 5, May 2007. Accessed October 25, 2008. of Scotchgard. The compound
perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), a PFOS precursor, was an ingredient and also has been described as the "key ingredient" of Scotchgard. Under US EPA pressure, in May 2000, 3M announced the phaseout of the production of
PFOA, PFOS, and PFOS-related products.
[3M]
"PFOS-PFOA Information: What is 3M Doing?"
Accessed October 25, 2008. In May 2009, PFOS was determined to be a
persistent organic pollutant (POP) by the
Stockholm Convention.
In 2018, 3M agreed to pay the state of
Minnesota $850 million to settle a $5 billion lawsuit over drinking water contaminated by PFOA and other fluorosurfactants.
See also
*
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbons are chemical compounds with carbon-fluorine bonds. Compounds that contain many C-F bonds often has distinctive properties, e.g., enhanced stability, volatility, and hydrophobicity. Fluorocarbons and their derivatives are commerci ...
*
Fluorosurfactant
References
{{3M
3M brands
Organofluorides
Products introduced in 1956
Sulfonic acids